There really is no debate -- it is one of the fictions of the deniers  
that there is -- but, quite apart from that, the need to take a long  
range view about historic coastal sites to deal with catastrophic  
coastal weather, whatever the cause, seems only sensible and prudent.  
It is utterly clear now that the destruction of wetlands, for  
instance, made the Katrina event much worse than it needed to be. I  
had two friends along River Road who had listed historically  
significant properties devastated because this was the case.

-- Stephan

On 25 Sep 2007, at 13:44, Pat Duncan wrote:

> I stand by my original comment.  As I felt from the start, this has  
> now
> turned into a debate on the reality of global warning - of which  
> there are
> opinions on both sides of the issue.
>
> Preservation of historic sites and resources has been an ongoing  
> project for
> many, many years, so it is not something that historians should "begin
> thinking about."  If you know of a particular historic site that  
> you feel
> may be threatened (for whatever reason) than contact those  
> responsible for
> its maintenance and give them suggestions or your help.
>
> Pat
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Stephan A. Schwartz" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 11:03 AM
> Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Jamestown likely to disappear
>
>
>> It is hardly conjecture. I think historians ought to begin thinking
>> about how historic sites and resources might be preserved and
>> protected. Waiting for the event is waiting too long.
>>
>> -- Stephan
>>
>>
>> On 25 Sep 2007, at 08:41, Pat Duncan wrote:
>>
>>> PLEASE!  Let's not start a discussion of this kind of conjecture  
>>> on a
>>> genealogy and history list.
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Jurretta Heckscher" <[log in to unmask]>
>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 6:32 AM
>>> Subject: [VA-HIST] Jamestown likely to disappear
>>>
>>>
>>>> "Ultimately, rising seas will likely swamp the first American
>>>> settlement in Jamestown, Virginia, as well as the Florida launch  
>>>> pad
>>>> that sent the first American into orbit, many climate scientists  
>>>> are
>>>> predicting.  In about a century, some of the places that make  
>>>> America
>>>> what it is may be slowly erased."  Those places also include North
>>>> Carolina's Outer Banks.
>>>>
>>>> That's the horrifying conclusion outlined in an AP story on the
>>>> probable impact of global climate change.
>>>>
>>>> You can read the entire story here:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/09/24/rising.seas.ap/ 
>>>> index.html
>>>>
>>>> I realize that this is a list dedicated to Virginia's history, not
>>>> its current events.  But it's difficult to imagine anything that
>>>> could have as much impact on the study of history as the literal  
>>>> mass
>>>> disappearance of historical and archeological sites.
>>>>
>>>> Words fail me.   And though I dearly hope I am wrong, I see nothing
>>>> in our nation's condition that suggests that we truly have the will
>>>> to act to stop this catastrophe.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --Jurretta Heckscher
>>>>
>>