Sea level rise is by far NOT the biggest threat from global warming. How about loss of thermohaline circulation in the oceans? The geographic shifts in zones hospitable to agriculture and even habitation will be enormous. Imagine entire countries in Northern Europe either starving or moving south. The global upheaval will be unimaginable. The Pentagon is actually planning for such a cataclysm.

Five years ago, despite nearly unanimous scientific consensus, The Right claimed that global warming was a myth. Interestingly, they now admit that it is in fact real, but deny human involvement. The proof of human involvement (with deforestation and consequent loss of monstrous carbon sinks/reservoirs rivalling greenhouse gas emissions) is rapidly mounting and unanimity is again on the horizon, and The Right is again clinging vainly to tiny shreds of dissent.

Thoise who state that it is simply a natural cycle, and that life will go on are quite correct. Life on earth has survived many such cataclysms over the millenia. Life has even survived massive extinctions brought on by life forms themselves (witness the PreCambrian poisoning of anaerobic life due to their production of the modern oxygen atmosphere). After each cataclysm, life did indeed survive, even flourish. But, the array of life forms was often vastly different.

I have no fear at all that the planet and many life forms will survive global warming. But will my grandchildren? Are you willing to risk it? Is short-term economic hardship worse than possible condemnation of our descendants?