NPR:
What some consider to be the most important historical site in
the USâmdash;Jamestown,
Virginiaâmdash;may disappear by the end of the
century because of global warming. Jamestown, founded in 1607,
was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.
Because it sits just above sea level, it is being threatened by
the rising ocean, whose surface, climate scientists say, could
swell by as much as 1 meter by 2100. The area has already
suffered water damage: In 2003 Hurricane Isabel flooded
Jamestown's visitor center and glass factory, where present-day
glassblowers replicate Old World techniques. The National Park
Service is considering its options, which could involve levees
and sea walls, all of which will be expensive. As many
treasures there are still buried in the ground, archaeologists
are debating whether to dig up everything while they still
can.
