While the sea level has risen a mere half inch in the past 22
years, according to studies, the trend has accelerated and state
officials are saying Rhode Islanders need to plan for rises of 3
to 5 feet and possibly as much as 6 feet by the end of this
century. There was no argument with that Friday at the second in
a series of seminars on the environment named in memory of
Providence Journal environmental reporter Peter B. Lord. The
seminar was conducted by the Metcalf Institute for Marine and
Environmental Reporting at the URI Graduate School of
Oceanography. The seminar, focused on adapting to climate change
and planning for an uncertain and expensive future, brought
together some of the state’s agency department directors,
engineers, educators, planners and representatives from business
and the legislature. “I can tell you that it is real,” said
Grover Fugate, director of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources
Council, of the rise in sea level. “I can’t tell you how fast or
how bad it is.” His assessment is ba