Comments on: Silicon Valley threatened by sea level rise http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 26 May 2013 02:38:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: bcsizemo http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html#comment-1619475 bcsizemo Thu, 03 Jan 2013 05:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=203659#comment-1619475 Dell's HQ is technically in Texas, but I'm sure they have a presence in Silicon Valley. Dell’s HQ is technically in Texas, but I’m sure they have a presence in Silicon Valley.

]]> By: fuzzyfuzzyfungus http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html#comment-1619446 fuzzyfuzzyfungus Thu, 03 Jan 2013 04:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=203659#comment-1619446 Even after the world is scourged with nuclear fire, the question will ring out across the wasteland: "Who runs BarterVille(tm)?"... Even after the world is scourged with nuclear fire, the question will ring out across the wasteland: “Who runs BarterVille(tm)?”…

]]> By: LightningRose http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html#comment-1619351 LightningRose Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=203659#comment-1619351  Much of the S Bay (Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Milpitas, and others) already has proto-dikes in the form of 100 ft (30 m) tall land fill (ie garbage dumps).  Much of the S Bay (Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Milpitas, and others) already has proto-dikes in the form of 100 ft (30 m) tall land fill (ie garbage dumps).

]]> By: Joe Buck http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html#comment-1619308 Joe Buck Wed, 02 Jan 2013 23:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=203659#comment-1619308 Most Silicon Valley firms don't own their buildings, they lease. Long before sea level rise becomes a threat, they will simply move inland; most of the Valley is at higher elevation. Tech firms originally built in the marshlands because it was the cheapest option. Most Silicon Valley firms don’t own their buildings, they lease. Long before sea level rise becomes a threat, they will simply move inland; most of the Valley is at higher elevation. Tech firms originally built in the marshlands because it was the cheapest option.

]]> By: John Napsterista http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html#comment-1619263 John Napsterista Wed, 02 Jan 2013 22:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=203659#comment-1619263 <i>"Facebook is going to have to deal with sea level rise," Mruz said. "It's going to be a huge threat, with sea level rise projections skyrocketing now. They will definitely have to do something with their levees to protect their property." Facebook's property currently contains an 8-foot levee to hold back the tides, but researchers say those won't be enough since it's predicted that seas will climb as much as 16 inches by midcentury and 65 inches by 2100.”</i> This is the most astoundingly optimistic projection of facebook’s continued viability ever published. “Facebook is going to have to deal with sea level rise,” Mruz said. “It’s going to be a huge threat, with sea level rise projections skyrocketing now. They will definitely have to do something with their levees to protect their property.” Facebook’s property currently contains an 8-foot levee to hold back the tides, but researchers say those won’t be enough since it’s predicted that seas will climb as much as 16 inches by midcentury and 65 inches by 2100.”

This is the most astoundingly optimistic projection of facebook’s continued viability ever published.

]]> By: Robert Drop http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html#comment-1619238 Robert Drop Wed, 02 Jan 2013 21:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=203659#comment-1619238 Here in the Bay Area we prefer to just let things flood.  Seriously.  In San Jose, there are roads that I know will be flooded every single time we get any significant amount of rain. (And they are. Every time.)  I saw some pictures of flooding in various cities adjacent to the bay during the most recent "king" tide (the highest of high tides).  The tide wasn't unusually high as there hadn't been much of any rain, but there were still numerous locations - roads, parking lots, buildings - flooded.  This is something that happens <i>twice a year</i> -  there shouldn't be any flooding of recently built structures <i>at all.</i>  There's no excuse for it - this is literally flooding caused by <i>high tides</i>. There are plans to build a bunch of new housing and office space in places on the peninsula that have traditionally been wetlands and which are at sea level now.  It's completely insane - it's like no one cares, or everyone is willfully ignoring reality. Here in the Bay Area we prefer to just let things flood.  Seriously.  In San Jose, there are roads that I know will be flooded every single time we get any significant amount of rain. (And they are. Every time.)  I saw some pictures of flooding in various cities adjacent to the bay during the most recent “king” tide (the highest of high tides).  The tide wasn’t unusually high as there hadn’t been much of any rain, but there were still numerous locations – roads, parking lots, buildings – flooded.  This is something that happens twice a year -  there shouldn’t be any flooding of recently built structures at all.  There’s no excuse for it – this is literally flooding caused by high tides.
There are plans to build a bunch of new housing and office space in places on the peninsula that have traditionally been wetlands and which are at sea level now.  It’s completely insane – it’s like no one cares, or everyone is willfully ignoring reality.

]]> By: fuzzyfuzzyfungus http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html#comment-1619192 fuzzyfuzzyfungus Wed, 02 Jan 2013 21:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=203659#comment-1619192 Eh, I wouldn't play the 'hubris of man vs. nature' angle quite so hard: people settle near potentially dangerous bodies of water because they make excellent trade routes and sometimes have tasty fish. In the case of the Netherlands, there was a certain additional incentive to borrow a bit of extra land from the ocean, because if you want real estate in continental Europe you generally pay in blood and iron. New Orleans, similarly, is in a perfectly sensible location for a port; but suffered for not having the same institutional competence as the Netherlands. Eh, I wouldn’t play the ‘hubris of man vs. nature’ angle quite so hard: people settle near potentially dangerous bodies of water because they make excellent trade routes and sometimes have tasty fish. In the case of the Netherlands, there was a certain additional incentive to borrow a bit of extra land from the ocean, because if you want real estate in continental Europe you generally pay in blood and iron.

New Orleans, similarly, is in a perfectly sensible location for a port; but suffered for not having the same institutional competence as the Netherlands.

]]> By: Jose http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html#comment-1619181 Jose Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=203659#comment-1619181 This doesn't seem like much of a problem for the tech companies; they can just move further south in the Santa Clara Valley, out of harm's way.  The haves can always afford to move.  It's the have-nots that are going to be screwed. This doesn’t seem like much of a problem for the tech companies; they can just move further south in the Santa Clara Valley, out of harm’s way.  The haves can always afford to move.  It’s the have-nots that are going to be screwed.

]]> By: Festus http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html#comment-1619159 Festus Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:30:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=203659#comment-1619159 Fun fact: SF Bay public agencies have done some super informative and fun mapping work to help us visualize sea level rise. Check out the Bay Conservation and Development Commission Scenarios for Sea Level Rise website or the Stanford Spatial History Project "Between the Tides."  http://www.bcdc.ca.gov/planning/climate_change/index_map.shtml Fun fact: SF Bay public agencies have done some super informative and fun mapping work to help us visualize sea level rise. Check out the Bay Conservation and Development Commission Scenarios for Sea Level Rise website or the Stanford Spatial History Project “Between the Tides.”  http://www.bcdc.ca.gov/planning/climate_change/index_map.shtml

]]> By: pupdog http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html#comment-1619148 pupdog Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=203659#comment-1619148 Came for the Zorin - Well done... Came for the Zorin – Well done…

]]> By: John http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html#comment-1619139 John Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=203659#comment-1619139 Obligatory <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090264/" rel="nofollow">View to a Kill</a> reference... Obligatory View to a Kill reference…

]]> By: xzzy http://boingboing.net/2013/01/02/silicon-valley-threatened-by-s.html#comment-1619128 xzzy Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=203659#comment-1619128 New Orleans is evidence that humans are not going to let any pesky ocean intrude on their desire to sit on a patch of dirt, despite many valid reasons to abandon it. Dikes, levees, and pumps will ensure silicon valley stays dry. The Netherlands are another entertaining story documenting man's determination to live somewhere he has no business being. New Orleans is evidence that humans are not going to let any pesky ocean intrude on their desire to sit on a patch of dirt, despite many valid reasons to abandon it. Dikes, levees, and pumps will ensure silicon valley stays dry.

The Netherlands are another entertaining story documenting man’s determination to live somewhere he has no business being.

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