The Nation - News from Aug. 17, 1988

The nation could lose from 30% to 80% of its coastal wetlands by the end of the next century if emissions of “greenhouse” gases continue at present rates, the Environmental Protection Agency said. The agency said in a study that wetlands, especially in Louisiana, could be flooded by ocean waters that would expand because of rising global temperatures and melting glaciers and polar ice. Estimates for sea level rise by the year 2025 range from 5 to 15 inches above current sea levels and estimates for 2100 from 2 to 7 feet higher, the study, entitled “Greenhouse Effect, Sea Level Rise and Coastal Wetlands,” said. Scientists believe global warming is being caused by increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide and other gases in the upper atmosphere, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal.