Back in the 70s and 80s millions of Americans moved to the Sunshine State of Florida each year. Many of my friends and acquaintances who lived in Michigan sold their homes and bid farewell to the cold winters of Lake Michigan and moved to the warmer and more inviting Florida climate. A trend which has changed in recent years. For a number of reasons. That Southern State is now the victim/target of frequent destructive monster storms. Whose costs are now climbing into billions of dollars with the occurrence of each catastrophic event? Residents who live in coastal areas are now looking around to sell their Florida homes. Not only because of rising water levels from the now aggressively encroaching sea, one of the consequences of global warming. But also because many large insurance companies are pulling out of Florida. They simply cannot continue to afford the costly payouts involved in doing business in that State. This development has caused the skyrocketing of annual home insurance premiums to astronomically unaffordable levels.
Florida however, is not the only State under the gun. Similar phenomena are developing in certain regions of California, New York, Miami et cetera. In fact, this is an international problem:
According to new research published by scientific magazine Nature Communications, 200 million people in the world will live below the sea level line by 2100. An additional 160 million will be affected by higher annual flooding due to rising ocean levels. These numbers are much higher than those published in previous studies, which used different coastal elevation models and assumed that only 250 million people in total would be affected by these adverse events. Out of the 200 million directly affected by rising sea levels, researchers estimate that 70 percent will live in just eight countries in Asia. Most people affected would live in China: 43 million or around 20 percent. At 32 million and 27 million affected people, Bangladesh and India would also be hit hard, as would be Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Japan. In Europe, the Netherlands would theoretically be the most affected. Here, more than 4 million people are expected to live below sea level in 2100. Yet, the country has one of the most effective flood control networks in the world (not taken into account by the study’s modelling), which is expected to keep citizens safe. Other countries in Europe where rising sea levels could be a problem are the UK (1.5 million people at risk), Germany (1 million people), Turkey, France and Italy (500,000 people each). STATISTA: Rising Sea Levels Will Threaten 200 Million People By 2100, By Katharina Buchloz, February 11, 2020.
There is no simple, singular measure that fits all, solutions. To the increasingly threatening problem of calamitous flooding and water encroachment. The various methodologies being adopted by different countries and/or communities, to mitigate this thorny issue. Depends on their geographical location, sophistication, and disposable wealth. Which may include the construction of dykes, the inauguration of floodplains, the incorporation of bamboo barriers, and even the placing of oyster shells near the shore to reconstruct coral reefs decimated by over-harvesting.
Scientists call oyster estuarine “ecosystem engineers”—organisms that create, modify, maintain, and otherwise alter habitat for themselves or other organisms. Oysters serve this function in coastal systems because they build large reefs that provide ecologically valuable habitat (Jones et al. 1997). Worldwide, oyster populations have declined by an estimated 90% from what they were a century ago due to over-harvesting, loss of quality habitat area, and disease (Beck et al. 2011). Florida oysters have also declined. For example, Naples Bay has experienced an 80% loss of oyster reefs since 1950, while oyster reef habitat has decreased by 99% in southeast Florida (zu Ermgassen et al. 2012: Schmid et al. 2006) and by 66% in the Big Bend region of northwest Florida (Seavey et al. 2011). UF ISAS EXTENSION: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA: Oyster Habitat Restoration And Shoreline Protection By Charles Wallace, Edward Camp, and Ashley Smyth.
The rise of the electric car industry is a modern phenomenon championed by Tesla and many Chinese industrial automobile giants. Some North American companies such as Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis appear to be anxious to get on board, not being willing to sit by and lose out on something that is definitely a future wave. But as time has repeatedly demonstrated there are stops and starts with any impending change or innovation. The challenges being faced by all EV automobile manufacturers include safety issues with Lithium-Ion batteries which are prone to fires, range anxiety among potential consumers, and available charging infrastructure for any owner of an electrical vehicle whenever he might need immediate access to one. There is also the cost of repair and insurance services. Which at present is extremely expensive for EVs. But I anticipate that all these problems will be ameliorated over time. As the saying goes: “Rome wasn’t built in one day.” The great advantage that the full maturing of this industry presents will be its overwhelmingly negative impact on the consumption of fossil fuels. Predictably, the use of gasoline, lubricating oils, and all fossil fuel products used in automobiles will be drastically curtailed.
The development and utilization of Artificial Intelligence will drastically change the operation of modern society.
“Artificial intelligence will definitely cause our workforce to evolve. The alarmist headlines emphasize the loss of jobs to machines, but the real challenge is for humans to find their passion with new responsibilities that require their uniquely human abilities. According to PwC, 7 million existing jobs will be replaced by AI in the UK from 2017-2037, but 7.2 million jobs could be created. This uncertainty and the changes to how some will make a living could be challenging. The transformative impact of artificial intelligence on our society will have far-reaching economic, legal, political, and regulatory implications that we need to discuss and prepare for. Determining who is at fault if an autonomous vehicle hurts a pedestrian or how to manage a global autonomous arms race are just a couple of examples of the challenges to be faced. Will machines become super-intelligent and will humans eventually lose control? While there is debate about how likely this scenario will be we do know that there are always unforeseen consequences when new technology is introduced. Those unintended outcomes of artificial intelligence will likely challenge us all.” BERNARD MARR & COMPANY: What Is The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence (AI) On Society?
The Health Care industry, factories, and manufacturing plants will all be impacted. The immigration of farm workers into Florida and other American states could be eventually drastically curtailed because robots might be employed to replace them. Repetitive cleaning jobs will also be on the line since a machine could be made to assume this responsibility. Especially since it won’t have to be rewarded with wages and/or benefits. A large number of pencil pushers in a wide range of government jobs will eventually be unemployed. Exactly how rapidly such changes will be made depends on the pace of innovation. Which seems to be hurtling towards all of us with unadulterated velocity. Let us not forget though that all such upheavals and transformations are beneath the sovereign control of The Lord Almighty. In the past, He was able to predict with unerring accuracy exactly what epochal events would occur at specific times in the distant future. Because His Word counsels:
“Remember this, and show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors. Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.” Isaiah 46:8-11 (NKJV).
My point is this. We don’t have to become worried or panic over future developments. Since everything is under the control of The Sovereign Lord. He watches over those who love, obey, serve, and worship Him with tender care. Ensuring that no harm will come to them. Accordingly, I urge all of my readers to:
“Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you. Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in your heart.” Job 22:21 (NKJV).
aadventuresinghana.wordpress.com 