United States: Rethinking the American Dream

Sea Level Increase (9/16)

The impact of global warming becomes visible in the Blackwater National Wildlife Preserve, where rising sea levels are rapidly destroying a precious marsh habitat. Located near the shores of Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, the preserve is slowly becoming immersed in water. These aerial photos show the Little Blackwater and Blackwater Rivers in 1957 (left) and in the 1980's (right). The U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) says that a two-foot rise in sea levels – a possibility according to the UN – would eliminate coastal land equivalent to the size of the state of Massachusetts by the end of the century. (Photo: Reuters)