TANGIER ISLAND, about a dozen miles from the coast in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, could be considered Ground Zero for the effects of sea-level rise in the region.
While it’s true that neighborhoods in Norfolk, the coastal areas of Virginia Beach and other low-lying areas of Hampton Roads are experiencing more frequent and worsening flooding as a result of climate change, sea-level rise and subsidence (that is, the sinking or settling of the land), Tangier’s entire population may ultimately be displaced as a result of the encroaching water.
It makes sense, then, that the president of the United States would take time to contact the leader of that community to discuss the island’s plight. And on Monday, President Trump called Mayor James “Ooker” Eskridge to talk about the situation.
However, according to the mayor, the two agreed that Tangier’s main problem was erosion.
“As far as sea-level rise is concerned, Donald Trump stated, ‘Tangier is not going anywhere.’ He said, ‘You’ve been there for hundreds of years, and you’ll be there hundreds more,’” Eskridge told The Pilot.
It’s certainly true that erosion is a huge problem for the island.
David Shulte, a marine biologist with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, told Physics Today, “The water is now high enough that it’s striking above the sand line on the island. … The island (Tangier) is basically a sunken sand hill …(peat marsh on top of the sand is) very soft organic clay soil. … Once the water gets high enough to hit the peak directly, it’s just tearing the island to pieces.”
However, it’s willful ignorance to believe these effects aren’t amplified by climate change and the resulting sea-level rise. Scientists, climatologists and members of the Army Corps all agree as such.
The president, who has claimed climate change is a hoax perpetrated by China, and the island’s mayor seem to believe otherwise. They may have to rethink that conclusion if they really hope to protect Tangier for another 50 years, much less “hundreds” years more.
HIT Day for dads
The Italian novelist Umberto Eco said about fathers, “I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by the little scraps of wisdom.”
It’s an interesting meditation to mark Father’s Day, which is on Sunday.
Father’s Day doesn’t seem to enjoy the type of profile given to Mother’s Day, and yet the male role model can be so important in the development of young, impressionable minds.
While many sociological studies show that children raised without a father in the home can grow up to be perfectly happy, healthy and well adjusted, it also true that a thoughtful, capable and compassionate dad helps raise young men and women who act similarly toward others.
As Eco said, these moments of teaching are not always intentional. So often, people show their true colors when they don’t believe they are being watched. It’s an important thing to remember.
So to all you hard-working, caring and attentive fathers out there, enjoy your day tomorrow. You teach us more than you may know.
HIT Help shape The Pilot
The Virginian-Pilot is always trying to provide readers with a full view of what’s happening here the communities of Hampton Roads, across the commonwealth and throughout the nation and world. That’s a daunting endeavor each day, and it’s important that our organization is doing what it can to best meet the expectations of the communities we serve.
Toward that end, The Pilot is conducting a community survey to, in the words of Editor Steve Gunn, “understand what topics interest you, what worries you and what pleases you about living in Hampton Roads. We also want to know where you get your news.”
To pitch in, head to http://bit.ly/pilotnews2017 and complete the survey. Submissions can only be completed online, but we always welcome reader comment and complaint here on the opinion page, including in our letters to the editor, as well.
