Shouldn't sea levels have risen by now?

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In this video I answer the question: 'isn't climate change supposed to have risen sea levels by now?' by looking at one dataset in some detail, and reviewing the scientific literature. Also: Kevin Costner's Waterworld.

Anthropogenic climate change (AGW) is a fickle bit of science, and like much of environmental science sometimes changes on (relatively) long timescales and global extent can hide in plain sight. That seems to be the case with sea level rise. The data is very clear: sea levels have been rising faster and faster over the past century, and this is not caused by natural variability. Humanity's carbon emissions are radiatively forcing the planet, causing net warming and so thermal expansion of the oceans and melting of ice sheets. It appears that this is going to become more and more painfully obvious as this century wears on, and so the sooner we take action the better.

REFERENCES/FOOTNOTES
(6) This rate calculated based on the year to year (backward step) finite difference gradient of annual average data from (1), averaged over 30 years.

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[davsim]

I spent most of my summers as a child on an Island off the coast of Maine. A particular rock marked the High Tide on the beach I use to go to. Today the same rock still marks the high tide 65 years later

[robwastman]

I live on Oahu, at sea level, on a natural salt water lagoon. There has been no observable sea level rise out of the ordinary tide changes, and erosion, in recent history; at least 60 years, since they built the sea wall. I’ll keep you posted.

[dangergunner]

it is not global warming it is displacement. There are more ships in the oceans thus displacing more water causing the massive 1mm rise in sea level. /SARCASM

[jandrews]

There’s an island in Sydney harbour, known as Pinchgut. Photos taken a hundred years ago show no difference in sea level to today’s levels

[rosssmith]

So I work in a shipyard, mere feet from the sea. We need to go by tide charts for docking boats. The charts come out one year in advanced and are quite accurate. During a king tide, which happen in the winter, the water will come within inches of flooding the gangway. Over the 50 years of operation the owners were concerned of rising sea levels, especially after being told years ago that we would be under 6 feet of water by 2013.

[jimmyfortrue]

Darn it... I was told my home would be ocean front property by the time I retired.... Now I find out I'm still gonna have to drive to the beach.

[nephetula]

Rather than trying to alter climate on a global scale so that every island and coastline remains the same, I think it makes more sense just to move to higher ground and adapt to whatever Mother Nature gives us. Isn't that what people have been doing for thousands of years?

[charlesunderwood]

As is clear from the comments here ("I haven't seen anything....") there is a difference between local and global SL rise. Almost all continental crust is moving to some level; uplifting or subsiding depending on local fault movements. If where you are is subsiding, SL will be seen to rise, even if there is no global change. If it is stable, anthropogenic change will be seen. If there is uplift there may be some rise seen (if uplift is slower than SL change), stay the same (if same rate) or SL will appear to fall. There must be a pretty shoddy level of science teaching if people don't get this.

[elxero]

1:53 so in one chart we're in the tail end of sea level rise and its actually slowing down. But the next graph shows steady increase in the rise? suposidly correlating the rise with human acctivity? Correlation equals causation is it?

The climate has always been changing and will continue to do so. It did before we were carbon emissions happy and it will co time long after we are all driving fairy dust powered cars.

[benjaminbudkdf]

So who is measuring the rise and fall of the land...

[grinningtiki]

Just imagine how much deeper the oceans would be if sponges weren't living in it.
-Mitch Hedberg

[skippyp.nutbudder]

Exactly what measurement technology existed in the late 1800s that could measure global yearly ocean levels within 1 mm of accuracy?

[brettstevens]

I’ve lived on the beach all my life and somehow the sea levels have risen except for where I live, Sydney Australia. Perhaps where you live is actually sinking

[rhight]

Yep. The UN issues reports that the sea levels are rising--but never asks for funds to relocate their headquarters. (The UN complex in New York is about 6 feet above the water...)

[baldieman]

1880 is an interesting starting point.
It's just 20 years after the glacial maximum resulting from the "Little Ice Age".
Weird that....

[tediousmaximus]

"If I can't get out of the way of something that's moving one foot per century, I DESERVE to be extinct." - Dennis Miller, comedian, talking about rising sea levels

[graemewilliams]

Al Gore said the polar caps would melt by 2009. ????

[DKHEAD]

Why restrict my quality of life now for hypothetical lives in the future?
Can you guarantee humans will be around in the future?
How far in the future?
Why should the interpretation of the data of some people regulate the freedoms of everyone else?
Compliance by threat of imprisonment and/or confiscation of property does not mean I’m in agreement.

[kirsteneklund]

Thirty years ago, radio and television told us the Great Barrier Reef would be dead from Global Warming within 20 years.
I wonder what that funny looking coral structure is off Queensland then ? The colourful one full of fish life ?

[iasimov]

At the current rate of ocean level rise, I'll have to move my beach towel within my lifetime.