A recent article in newsweekThe title “Map shows US cities that may be submerged by 2050” claims that if humans do not stop climate change, many major cities will be submerged by rising sea levels by 2050. This is wrong, just as it was made repeatedly by multiple media outlets in the decades leading up to 2000 and 2020. , parking lot or building.
newsweek Point to data and maps produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):
A map shows coastal cities in the northeastern United States facing increasing threats due to rising sea levels.
According to the latest projections from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), sea levels along the U.S. coastline are expected to rise by an average of about 10 to 12 inches by 2050.
If current trends continue and mitigation efforts are not strengthened, many communities along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts will be at significant risk of partial inundation in the future.
NOAA's Sea Level Rise Viewer shows which cities in each coastal region are likely to be affected, with dark blue areas indicating significant sea level rise expected.
Newsweek cited the map below to provide an image that reflects the alarming predictions:
newsweek Apparently forgotten are the areas that are expected to be submerged between 2000 and 2020.
This argument is not new. Mainstream media outlets have been issuing similar alarming predictions for decades, but often the timeline has come and gone without the predicted disaster happening.
At the end of the 20th century, numerous media bulletins warned that major U.S. cities would be submerged by the year 2000 due to rising sea levels. For example, a 1989 Associated Press article reported warnings from United Nations officials that if global warming was not addressed, entire countries could disappear from the face of the Earth by the year 2000 due to rising sea levels.
Likewise, in 2012, PBS released an interactive map predicting that certain U.S. cities and counties could experience flooding in 2020 or 2050 due to storm surges caused by global warming. Like chicken fairy tales, the media's past warnings have been proven wrong time and time again.
These past projections were based on climate models and assumptions that, in hindsight, grossly overestimated the rate of sea level rise and underestimated the resilience and adaptability of human societies. Current projections are based on the same flawed climate models that have exaggerated past rates of sea level rise.
NOAA claims that global sea levels have risen at a rate of about 1.2 inches per decade since 1993. newsweekarticles will be inundated by 2050.
In addition, local factors such as land subsidence, tectonic activity, wetland conversion, and groundwater extraction play important roles in regional sea level changes, complicating overall predictions.
The media's penchant for sensationalism often leads to an amplification of worst-case scenarios without the support of empirical data. For example, a climate realism The article criticizes CBS News for suggesting that New York City is on the verge of being submerged by rising sea levels, noting that this claim is not supported by current trends or historical data.
Human society has exhibited significant adaptive changes throughout history. Technological advances and proactive urban planning enable coastal cities to implement effective sea level rise mitigation strategies. For example, the Netherlands has successfully controlled sea levels for centuries through an extensive system of dikes and pumps, demonstrating human ingenuity in facing the challenges of nature.
While it is prudent to acknowledge and prepare for changes in the environment, it is equally important to critically evaluate the data and avoid trumpeting unrealistic claims that stoke unfounded fears. Predictions of imminent catastrophic sea level rise that will submerge cities have repeatedly failed to materialize, highlighting the need for a balanced view that considers scientific evidence and historical context.
newsweekRecently published articles warning that American cities will be submerged by 2050 are yet another example of alarmist reporting that prioritizes sensationalism over substance. By neglecting to critically evaluate historical data, current trends, and similar records of failed predictions, the media has done readers and the broader conversation about climate a great disservice.
Responsible journalism requires more than just repackaging doomsday scenarios; it requires rigorous fact-checking and a willingness to present a balanced view of the evidence. Due to failure to meet these standards, newsweek not only eroding public trust but also the legitimacy of meaningful environmental discussion. Readers deserve better than repeated, unfounded predictions—they deserve facts. Until point of sale like this newsweek If they prioritize accuracy over hype, they will remain complicit in spreading misinformation masquerading as science.
Originally published in Climaterealism
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