Parts of Baltimore, Annapolis and the Eastern Shore could be completely flooded by a hurricane in the coming years because of rising sea levels caused by global warming, scientists say.
“It?s not a question of if, but when,” said Michael Kearney, a professor of geography at the University of Maryland, College Park.
With all the low-level coasts in the state, Maryland wouldbe vulnerable to a full-scale disaster on the scale of Hurricane Katrina by next century, Kearney said.
Global warming pollution in Maryland increased 55 percent between 1960 and 2001, according to a report released Tuesday by Environment Maryland, which analyzed national data compiled by the U.S. Department of Energy?s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
In 2001, the latest date for which data was available, the state emitted about 76.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
“It is conclusive at this point ? global warming is happening already, and it?s going to get worse,” said Brad Heavner, the state director of Environment Maryland.
Kearney predicted melting polar ice caps around the globe could cause sea levels in the Chesapeake Bay to rise a minimum of 1.3 feet to 3.6 feet by 2100.
This would cause a loss of coastal wetlands, extensive shoreline retreat and land loss, and increased risks of coastal flooding from nor?easters and hurricanes, he said.
Global warming also has dire consequences for the Bay?s ecosystems, since warmer water holds less life-sustaining dissolved oxygen, Kearney said.
In a news conference Tuesday, Heavner called on the state and federal government to reduce emissions of global warming pollution with stricter regulations on car manufacturers and power plants.
Local global warming activists have been using Al Gore?s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth,” as a platform to bolster awareness about the issue, said Claire Douglass, the Maryland and D.C. chapter coordinator for Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
“There is an increasing awareness around the issue,” she said.
