&gt;Since we are coming out of an ice age a mere 12,000 years ago, we should expect sea level rising.<p>Given that the headline is that the rate is higher than the last 2800 years, I&#x27;m not sure why you would think that the change that started 12,000 years ago is going to be a significant factor.<p>The IPCC summary for policymakers [1] has highlevel quick facts, from that:<p>&gt;Proxy and instrumental sea level data indicate a transition in the late 19th to the early 20th century from relatively low mean rates of rise over the previous two millennia to higher rates of rise (high con dence). It is likely that the rate of global mean sea level rise has continued to increase since the early 20th century. {3.7, 5.6, 13.2}<p>&gt;I seem to remember from the first IPCC report that it was on the order of a few centimeters per century<p>Sure, that&#x27;s the <i>currently</i> observed rate; about 3.2 mm&#x2F;year +&#x2F;- 0.4 mm&#x2F;year, from Table 13.1 of IPCC AR 5. [1]<p>Of course nobody&#x27;s really concerned about 3.2 cm in a century. The problem is when that increases by a couple orders of magnitude due to increased warming, which it will unless we stop forcing the climate with additional CO2 within the next 30-50 years.<p>[1] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.climatechange2013.org&#x2F;images&#x2F;report&#x2F;WG1AR5_SPM_FINAL.pdf" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.climatechange2013.org&#x2F;images&#x2F;report&#x2F;WG1AR5_SPM_FI...</a><p>[2] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;imgur.com&#x2F;vadnlXJ" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;imgur.com&#x2F;vadnlXJ</a>