Western Antarctic ice sheet collapse has already begun, scientists warn

[doodab]

Yes but in the grand scheme of things it is not a lot and surely cheaper than having to clean up the mess each year?

I'm not disputing that. I'm just pointing out that spending on climate related disaster mitigation isn't what it could be.

[doodab]

NL isn't really a fair comparison as by rights half the country should be underwater, whereas we only have small bits (like the Somerset Levels) below sea-level. Plus we're surrounded on all sides by coast.

Which means we have more to defend.

Also, flooding isn't exclusive to places that are below sea level where precipitation is concerned as previous years have proven.

I wonder how UK spending compares to France, Spain, Italy, The US perhaps? I bet it's not that dissimilar in how seriously we take the threat.

None of those are island nations, but feel free to dig out the figures and prove your point. I think you should throw Japan in there as well.

[doodab]

Yes the sky over the UK will be CO2 free shortly, unlike China and India where they are furiously pumping out CO2 like there is no tomorrow.

Even if you did believe in Global Warming, what impact is the UK actually making when every other large polluter just carries on? / Why does the UK have to impoverish itself to prove a point to countries that won't get the point?

I'm talking about spending on flood defences. Nothing to do with CO2 or renewable energy. We need those whether CO2 is what causes climate change or not.

Sea levels are rising. Whether CO2 causes it or not doesn't matter, we still have a problem to deal with.

[DodgyAgent]

Nonsense, just hire in some Poles and get them to build a 100 ft high wall all the way around the British coast. It´ll keep the immigrants IN too!

Too late

[DodgyAgent]

Where is PJ Clarke when you need him?

[hyperD]

Where is PJ Clarke when you need him?

Now you've done it, agent! You've opened up the gates of SkS upon this site once again via one of its witch doctors!

[Zero Liability]

Still 500 years of global warming research grants will keep many generations of scientists and politicians in jobs. -- Just keep billing --

And it'd still be over sooner than PPI.

[d000hg]

The Australians built expensive desalination plants to mitigate the "permanent drought" in Queensland.

Guess what happened?

The permanent drought ended.

That seems a rather poor counter-example. I don't know the details but a drought is a rather tangible thing. If you have a drought that has lasted for 5 years and people will be dying in 3 years if it doesn't stop, and it will take you 3 years to build something to mitigate that, you don't really have a choice.

[hyperD]

That seems a rather poor counter-example. I don't know the details but a drought is a rather tangible thing. If you have a drought that has lasted for 5 years and people will be dying in 3 years if it doesn't stop, and it will take you 3 years to build something to mitigate that, you don't really have a choice.

Yes, fine, except if it's simply variable weather. That's been going on for centuries.

[d000hg]

No, you can't really afford to say "it's probably going to rain in the next year or two". You still have to do something if you have a prolonged drought.