December 2011
29 posts
Beach Restoration →
Sand management is important method of solving the loss of beach. A relatively new management technique called “sand banking” can reverse the patterns of erosion. This boosts the natural ability of the beach to protect itself from the rising sea levels. This basically reverses the unnatural pattern of coastal retreat. It’s not guaranteed to work, but several beaches plan to try...
How Global Warming May Affect U.S. Beaches,... →
“A global sea level rise that makes gentle summer surf lap at a beachgoer’s knees rather than his or her ankles is one thing.” I loved that quote in this article. It does a great job putting the change into perspective. I’ve been thinking a lot about the big picture effects, but this is a small change that has a big effect.
Another important thing mentioned in this article is...
In New Jersey, the sea level is rising 1 inch... →
That means more erosion. Homeowners are removing their oceanfront homes, people along the bay are building wooden walls or piles of rock. One of these scenarios features a loss of property, the other, a loss of beach.
In the next century, it is possible that a chunk of New Jersey land the size of Rhode Island will be underwater. State officials are putting aside $15million a year for shore...
ASBPA: Who pays for beach restoration? →
It’s important to know who is responsible for paying to protect beaches. Here are the 2 things you need to know about beach restoration:
1. The federal government is not the one paying. This responsibility is split between federal, state, and local governments along with property owners.
2. Just because the sea level is rising doesn’t mean it is unnecessary to restore beaches. It is...
No More Jersey Shore: Leaving Our Children a World... →
This article really sums up why I care so much about protecting our beaches from global warming. It may not be the most catastrophic effect of climate change, but that doesn’t make it any less important.
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New Jersey Climate Change Information →
The Jersey Shore has always been important to me. I’ve been vacationing there for 20 years, and no matter how many tropical beaches I go to, none are as special as New Jersey.
That being said, I am very concerned about what climate change means to my beloved shore. The attached document spells out everything we need to know about the future of New Jersey with global warming, and it is not...
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Watch(via Hundreds of tourists evacuated from Ibiza beach as forest fire looms - Telegraph)
We have more than erosion to worry about on beaches. Tourists in Ibiza learned the hard way that forest fires can be a threat to beaches.
Towns, Homeowners Doing Everything They Can To... →
I knew the majority of New Jersey beaches made visitors pay to go on the beach, but building walls, limiting parking, prohibiting food and drink, and removing public restrooms seems a little bit extreme.
But I understand why they would do it. Tourism can be bad for the natural state of the beach, and free beaches are more likely to be bulldozed for resorts and homes.
I think they need to find a...
Coastal Zones and Sea Level Rise | Climate Change... →
The EPA does a great job explaining how sea levels will rise due to global warming.
Basically, as temperatures go up, the ocean water will expand, melting glaciers, small ice caps, and even Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. The International Panel on Climate Change estimates that sea level will rise up to 2 feet in the next century.
Sea level rise can cause erosion to beaches. A 2 foot rise in...
Elliott Negin: Washington Post Misses Link Between... →
Every summer I try to convince someone to go to Chincoteague with me to see the wild ponies, but I have yet to find someone to go with me. This article in the Huffington Post was written in response to an article in the Washington Post that failed to acknowledge that rising sea levels in Chincoteague may be a result of climate change.
The beach of Chincoteague is being threatened by rising sea...
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NRDC Ratings for a Selection of U. S. Popular... →
There were 24,091 beach closings in 2010, 75% of which were due to high levels of bacteria in the water.
The NRDC provides a great chart to find out how clean your beach is. My beach, Wildwood, NJ, only rates 3 stars, but that’s the average for New Jersey beaches.
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9 Surprising Diseases You Can Catch In The... →
MRSA, Hepatitis, Pink Eye, and six other diseases you can catch from our polluted oceans!
Now Is the Time to Invest in Restoring the Health... →
It has been over 18 months since the BP oil spill in the Gulf, but its effects are still being felt. The fines paid by BP and others responsible for the spill will be put into the Federal Treasury instead of repairing the damage from the spill. The RESTORE Act is trying to pass to get those funds put aside for cleaning the Gulf. Congress will be deciding on the Act sometime in the next week.
Heal the Bay | Beach Report Card →
If you’re disturbed by the state of the beaches seen in my previous post, then you need to check out this site! You can find out what your beach is graded (only applicable for California, Oregon, and Washington).
Now if only they could make one of these for the East Coast! But I guess I’d rather not know what the Jersey Shore is graded…
Heal The Bay Names California's 10 Dirtiest... →
I’ve always been an East Coast girl, so I’ve never been a fan of California beaches. My most memorable experience on a CA beach involved being attacked by sand fleas, so I may be a bit biased.
Biased or not, the state of these beaches is horrifying!
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