Seattle warns of floods by 2050, proposes ‘Climate Action Plan’
Jan 14, 2013, 10:22 AM | Updated: 11:08 am
This Seattle Public Utilities Sea Level Rise Map shows areas of the city (in blue) that could experience flooding by 2050. (SPU)
(SPU)
Georgetown. South Park. Harbor Island. Interbay. Golden Gardens.
The city of Seattle has warned that portions of those neighborhoods and others will be “inundated” with water by 2050 if a plan is not put in place to deal with global warming.
At Myrtle Edwards Park Monday, city officials gathered to announce a new Climate Action Plan aimed at reducing greenhouse gases and adapting to climate change.
“Most people in the United States are starting to recognize that climate change is real, and certainly in Seattle for a number of years we’ve seen it,” said City Councilman Mike O’Brien. “But even for those folks that continue to deny the reality that were seeing on the ground, the actions we’re talking about are not just good for the climate. They’re good for our communities, they’re good for our economy. It positions Seattle well.”
The public will have opportunities to weigh in on the plan, which includes a set of recommendations put forward by the Green Ribbon Commission.
“Our recommendations were designed to help Seattle significantly reduce its own climate impact, and also – learning from Katrina and Sandy – help the city prepare for climate disruptions that are now inevitable,” said Green Ribbon Commission co-chair Denis Hayes, president of the Bullitt Foundation.
The city expects to adopt the Climate Action Plan by April 22, Earth Day.
