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Drown your town: what does your hometown look like with sea level rise?

A Google Maps hack provides a sneak peak at sea level rise.

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American



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Andrew David Thaler (@SFriedScientist) took to Google Earth to visualize what 80 meters of sea level rise would look like. The real fun started when he opened up for requests on Twitter where anyone could submit their own city to sea level rise of their choosing using the hashtag #DrownYourTown.

Some of the more plausible scenarios (2 meters) are frightening for coastal cities, while other ridiculous scenarios (like 168 meters here in Austin, Texas...) are crazy. Here are some pics from #DrownYourTown. Apparently people really want to see what Oakland looks like under water.

David Wogan is an engineer and policy researcher who writes about energy, technology, and policy.

David's academic and professional background includes a unique blend of technology and policy in the field of energy systems. Most recently, David worked at Austin Energy, a Texas municipal utility, implementing a Department of Energy stimulus grant related to energy efficiency. Previously, David was a member of the Energy & Climate Change team at the White House Council on Environmental Quality for the Obama Administration.

David holds two Master's degrees from The University of Texas at Austin in Mechanical Engineering and Public Affairs. While at UT, David was a researcher in the Webber Energy Group, where his research focused on advanced biofuel production to offset petroleum use in the transportation sector. David holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, where he researched nuclear non-proliferation measurement technology.

David is a 2013 Aspen Institute Journalism Scholar, joining a select group of journalists from Slate, ABC News, and The New York Times.

David lives in Austin, Texas. Follow along on Twitter or email him at david.wogan@me.com.

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