Coastal Erosion: Causes and Solutions Essay Example

it onto beaches -- just to be carried away by the sea. River rocks once headed for the beaches are caught in debris basins, then removed and sold to communities where the beaches are falling away. Ocean walls meant to keep the sea at bay eventually contribute to erosion. A jetty built in one town keeps the current of sand from migrating to the next town down the coast.

Begley, Sharon. “Don’t Just ‘Do Something’. ” Newsweek. Newsweek. 10 June 2010: n. pag. Web. 15 November 2010. Summary: The blocking of inlets to stop the oil spill in the gulf. If they don’t block the inlets, then oil will reach the wetlands, and they’ll be toast. (If you think it’s tough to clean oil from a bird or beach, try cleaning it from the roots and stems of a wetland’s grass and reeds. ) Altering tidal currents could also cause erosion of the natural barrier islands that protect the coast from hurricanes. Evaluation: Currency: It is from June of this year so it is fairly recent.

Coastal scientists agree that berms will do nothing good other than satisfy the “do something” crowd. That’s why the decision sets such a terrible precedent. BP’s oil will assault the gulf, and possibly the Atlantic, for years. Many more decisions that turn on science lie ahead. No one is saying we have to launch a multiyear study before each one, but it would be nice to get the smartest coastal scientists and engineers around a table to hammer out what we know, what we don’t know, and what the risks and benefits of proposed actions are, rather than just winging it.