*sigh*...no, giant waves will be intermittant when LARGE chunks of ice break off near population centers. This already happens at times. Most of the sea level rise WOULD be gradual....and there will likely still be polar ice....unless the runaway scenario gets ahold. But *IF the most conservative estimates are correct, Florida and New Orleans will be real problems. Offshore islands in Virginia and N. Carolina already see erosion...and rising waters are only part of the picture. Temperature changes affect vegetation, land use, farming, fishing (already an issue in Alaska and New England), recreation, cities...(you think Phoenix is hot now...), tourism, .......how long a list do you want?

It's hard to win though...if we DO become conservative and beat the worst of it, people like you will say in 30-50-80 years, "see...it wasn't really a problem after all! Let's go back to how we WERE doing it!"