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Daily Archives: February 15, 2022

NOAA – 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report

The Sea Level Rise Technical Report provides the most up-to-date sea level rise projections available for all U.S. states and territories; decision-makers will look to it for information. This multi-agency effort, representing the first update since 2017, offers projections out to the year 2150 and information to help communities assess potential changes in average tide heights and height-specific threshold frequencies as they strive to adapt to sea level rise…Four Key Takeaways From the Report:

  • The Next 30 Years of Sea Level Rise – Sea level along the U.S. coastline is projected to rise, on average, 10 – 12 inches (0.25 – 0.30 meters) in the next 30 years (2020 – 2050), which will be as much as the rise measured over the last 100 years (1920 – 2020). Sea level rise will vary regionally along U.S. coasts because of changes in both land and ocean height.
  • More Damaging Flooding Projected – Sea level rise will create a profound shift in coastal flooding over the next 30 years by causing tide and storm surge heights to increase and reach further inland. By 2050, “moderate” (typically damaging) flooding is expected to occur, on average, more than 10 times as often as it does today, and can be intensified by local factors.
  • Emissions Matter – Current and future emissions matter. About 2 feet (0.6 meters) of sea level rise along the U.S. coastline is increasingly likely between 2020 and 2100 because of emissions to date. Failing to curb future emissions could cause an additional 1.5 – 5 feet (0.5 – 1.5 meters) of rise for a total of 3.5 – 7 feet (1.1 – 2.1 meters) by the end of this century.
  • Continual Tracking – Continuously tracking how and why sea level is changing is an important part of informing plans for adaptation. Our ability to monitor and understand the individual factors that contribute to sea level rise allows us to track sea level changes in a way that has never before been possible (e.g., using satellites to track global ocean levels and ice sheet thickness). Ongoing and expanded monitoring will be critical as sea levels continue to rise…”

Help for taxpayers and tax professionals: Special filing season alerts

IRS: “During this tax season, taxpayers face a number of issues due to critical tax law changes that took place in 2021 and ongoing challenges related to the pandemic. The IRS continues to share updated information for people filing tax returns this filing season as well as those who have previous year tax returns awaiting… Continue Reading

How to critically evaluate scientific claims before pursuing a story

Nieman Lab: “Our inboxes are full of them — press releases, pitches, and other media calling some scientific event “a breakthrough,” “a game-changer,” or “a paradigm-shifter.” Scientists, investors, and analysts flood our Twitter feeds, cheerleading a preprint or singing some company’s praises, even when there is little to no data to back up those claims.… Continue Reading

Google to overhaul ad tracking on Android phones used by billions; French watchdog says Google Analytics poses data privacy risks

Washington Post: “Google announced it will begin the process of getting rid of long-standing ad trackers on its Android operating system, upending how advertising and data-collection work on phones and tablets used by more than 2.5 billion people around the world. Right now, Google assigns special IDs to each Android device, allowing advertisers to build… Continue Reading

Is Our Pandemic the Ghost of the 1889 Russian Flu? and COVID-19 Booster Effectiveness Wanes After Four Months

The Tyee – “The ‘dreaded disease’ that claimed 1.5 million looks a lot like COVID-19, including the long-term threat posed by ‘viral promiscuity.’… About one in a 100 people infected by the contagion either died from pneumonia or experienced severe illness affecting the brain, lungs or stomach. The breadth and persistence of the outbreak reintroduced… Continue Reading