Megan Hall: Welcome to Possibly, where we take on huge problems like the future of our planet and break them down into small questions with unexpected answers. I’m Megan Hall.
Our oceans are rising and taking over more land every year. Most governments try to fix this by blocking the water out and sealing the humans in. But is that the only way?
Here to tell us more are Luci Jones and Ashley Junger from our Possibly Team. Welcome, Luci and Ashley!
Luci Jones: Hi, Megan!
Ashley Junger: Hello!
Megan Hall: Before we get started, can you just give me a refresher on why our oceans are rising?
Luci Jones: Sure- here’s the quick version- A lot of the heat caused by greenhouse gas emissions gets absorbed by our oceans.
Ashley Junger: When water gets warmer, it expands, which makes it take up more space, and creep up on our shores.
Megan Hall: And that causes erosion, flooding, houses falling into the ocean, stuff like that?
Luci Jones: Exactly. And this is becoming a huge problem. In the next 80 years, scientists predict that sea level rise will displace up to 200 million people.
Megan Hall: How can we prepare for this?
Luci Jones: To find out, we talked to Dr. Kelsey Leonard. She’s an assistant professor at the University of Waterloo where she focuses on indigenous waters, climate, and sustainability.
Kelsey Leonard: A lot of my current research and scientific practice is connected to where I come from on the eastern end of Long Island in New York, being an indigenous Shinnecock woman. Shinnecock in our language means people of the shore or people of the Stoney shore.
Ashley Junger: Kelsey says, a lot of the sea level rise strategies in the US are pretty similar:
Luci Jones: Just build a seawall or hurricane barrier, like we have here in Providence, and hope for the best.
Ashley Junger: But this really only puts a bandaid on the problem and often leads to the loss of habitats.
Megan Hall: Okay… but what’s the alternative?
Luci Jones: Kelsey’s been working on something called the WAMPUM adaptation framework which stands for witness, acknowledge, mend, protect, unite, and move.
Megan Hall: And how is this framework different?
Ashley Junger: It focuses on something called our “living relationship” with water.
Megan Hall: But the water isn’t living… is it?
Luci Jones: According to Kelsey, it is.
Kelsey Leonard: Living relationship recognizes that water is alive. Sometimes indigenous community members that I’ve worked with will say water has spirit
Megan Hall: Okay but I’m confused. How does seeing the water as a living thing help stop sea level rise?
Ashley Junger: The idea is, if we view water as a being with a life of its own, we can work with it to prevent the negative effects of sea level rise.
Luci Jones: For instance, after superstorm Sandy, one Indigenous community created what’s called a “living shoreline” by planting seagrasses, creating oyster beds, and using stones and boulders to prevent erosion.
Ashley Junger: A “living shoreline” will look different in every community because each area has different people with different values, practices, and ways of living.
Megan Hall: And do we have any proof that this works?
Ashley Junger: There are plenty of successful examples. But, this approach isn’t widespread enough to say it’s a sure fix for every circumstance.
Luci Jones: And of course the more global warming we cause, the more the oceans will rise, and the harder it will be to live with the water.
Ashley Junger: But Kelsey says that the bigger takeaway is about our attitude when we respond to climate change.
Luci Jones: She says we’re better off working with our environment and adapting our approaches to the needs of each community instead of just building a bunch of walls.
Megan Hall: Got it! Thanks, Luci and Ashley!
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Possibly is a co-production of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and the Public’s Radio.
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