Hawaii's beaches are disappearing due to climate change
ABC News
Martha Raddatz covers Hawaii’s response to climate change on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday.
Rising sea levels paired with recent storm surges have been causing faster than usual erosion on Hawaii’s beaches and shorelines.
"The coastal issues that are related to climate change are sort of the canary in the coal mine," coastal hazards specialist Tara Owens told This Week co-anchor Martha Raddatz. "Everybody who lives here in Hawaii is an oceanographer. ... You're looking at the tides ... you're paying attention to the waves. You can't ignore or bury the problems, because you see them every day."
According to a recent ProPublica report, three of Hawaii's major islands have lost roughly one-quarter of their beaches. Sea levels are also rising about one inch every four years, threatening 70% of Hawaii’s coastline, according to Hawaii’s state website.
Owens said that in Maui alone, 85% of shorelines are eroding and beaches are "narrowing" as a result.
