It's the year 1710. I have traveled 5000 years into the future to see what has become of one of my favorite coastal cities, San Francisco, with the knowledge of global warming. In 2019 there was a concern that because of the active faults the city was surrounded by, there would come a time that the city would completely disconnect from the rest of California and drift away or that it would be reclaimed by the ocean all together. I also thought of rising sea levels and temperatures and how that would effect the area. As I traveled forward in time, I was anxious to see the cities fate.
My first discovery is that Los Angeles and San Francisco are adjacent to one another. Due to the plates in which the sit on, moving VERY slowly over time, the cities have been relocated. Next, as I traveled around the area, I noticed that it seemed much smaller than the last time I was here. When I asked a local if I was imagining this, he said that because not enough had been done to reduce global emissions, that sea level began raising at 10 feet a year every year since 2050. Because of this, Alcatraz island was now mostly submerged and you can touch the bay from the Golden Gate Bridge. The rise in water level has greatly eroded the landfill soil the area was built on.
I couldn't help but notice just how hot is was when i arrived. Generally California, while warm, is at a comfortable temperature. But not anymore thanks to weather changes from global warming. The area, which use to have only a few days above 100 degrees, now sees that temperature about 1/4 of the year causing massive droughts. And where there use to be no snow now gets pounded by devastating winter storms, making travel impossible. Due to the water level change, these winter storms freeze the area causing everyone to stay inside for weeks at a time.
I was informed by the same friendly local that climate change has caused there to be a lower snow pack in the Sierras which in return means less water and a higher chance of wild fires. The area has always dealt with these issues but this in combination with the hotter temperatures is a recipe for disaster.
What I witnessed has saddened me and inspired me to make a change. When i arrive back in 2019, I will work with others to educate about global warming and what it means for the future. I will also work to decrease my carbon footprint and encourage others to do the same. Hopefully, what I saw of the Bay Area, doesn't have to be its fate.
Brown, T. (2019) Climate change and the Bay Area: Answers to your questions. SF Chronicle. Retrieved from: https://www.projects.sfchronicle.com
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