Can We Stop Sea Level Rise?
Sea Level Rise (SLR) may be one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced. Some long-term scenarios, including those highlighted by National Geographic, suggest that if all land-based ice were to melt over time, global sea levels could rise by more than 200 feet — reshaping coastlines and displacing billions.
But what if rising seas could also represent one of the greatest opportunities of our time?
Join us for what promises to be a thought-provoking and provocative discussion at the forefront of climate innovation.
While most current strategies focus on adaptation — levees, seawalls, and managed retreat — a critical question remains: can we go beyond adaptation and begin to actively manage rising seas?
This 90-minute panel brings together leaders from engineering, climate science, infrastructure, technology, and policy to explore emerging approaches to sea-level-rise mitigation. The discussion will examine the limitations of current solutions, the role of large-scale infrastructure, and the potential for new, systems-level strategies to reduce long-term coastal risk.
Join us for a forward-looking conversation on what it would take — technically, economically, and politically — to shift from reacting to rising seas to proactively addressing them.
Panelists:
Stas Margaronis - President of Propeller Club of Northern California, California Ports Reporter at American Journal of Transportation (Maritime)
Kathleen (Kathy) Schaefer, Ph.D., P.E., CFM - Former FEMA (Academia, Government)
Joe Tootle, Principal Civil Engineer at ENGEO (Geo Construction / Geo-Design Civil Engineering)
Bill Shireman, President & CEO Solution Citizen (Innovative Sustainability Advocate, Academia)
Russ Walsh (moderator), CEO SeaNet Vision (Technology, Climate Innovation)
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