Silicon Valley Joins the Maldives on Threat List for Sea Level Rise

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:16:11 +0000

USGS Satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. Light gray areas are heavily urbanized regions, many of which were formerly underwater (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to the AP, “Business leaders and Sen. Dianne Feinstein launched a $1 billion, 10-year fundraising goal on Thursday that is aimed at preventing some of Silicon Valley’s leading technology companies from going underwater—literally.”

That $1 Billion that Facebook just paid for Instagram could have paid for updating the levees and restoring the wetlands in the drained former site of San Francisco Bay that is now Silicon Valley, home to Facebook, Google and billions of dollars of real estate. That the Valley has joined the Maldives (with somewhat less urgency) on the list of those threatened by potential sea level rise is actually a good thing.

Whether through floating architecture, alternative energy, better storm prediction or any number of other innovations, the future of humanity on earth is relying on the brain power of places like Silicon Valley to solve the problems caused by the planet’s increasing use of energy. The tech companies could move to higher ground, of course, an option not available in the Maldives, but the geographical web of social connections is so intense in the Valley that there are strong reasons to persist.

Despite how pressing this threat is or is not to these companies, even the raising of the issue on their home turf could turn the attention of some tech entrepreneurs and innovators within the big tech companies to focus on goals more significant than the next big mobile app. Instagram or inundation, is that a choice?

Article source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2012/04/14/silicon-valley-joins-the-maldives-on-threat-list-for-sea-level-rise/

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Silicon Valley Joins the Maldives on Threat List for Sea Level Rise