Sea levels have been rising for 200 years

PROF Bruce Webb cannot have it both ways! On the one hand he claims that human activity over the last 200 years is the primary cause of the rise in global temperature, and that the resultant carbon dioxide emissions will still be having an effect on this in 500 years’ time. On the other hand he maintains that a reduction in emissions could prevent further rises in temperature. There is a logical inconsistency here.

Furthermore, by seeing human activity as the primary cause of global warming since the preindustrial era, is he not ignoring the fact that the beginning of the industrial era came at the end of the Little Ice Age? Did not he, and others, think it likely that at the end of the Little Ice Age temperatures (and sea levels) would gradually rise?

In spite of some wild claims (or predictions by Al Gore) the evidence is that sea levels have been slowly and steadily rising over the whole of the last 200 years or so.

Howard Curnow

Lifton, Devon