People are no strangers to the warnings from some scientists about the dangerous possibility of the unlivable conditions on Earth in the future.

According to recently published research, there is a possibility that the melting of ice from the Antarctic ice shelf could result in sea level rising by 2100.

The water from the ice shelf, plus ice melting in other parts of the world, could raise the sea levels up to six feet. Researchers plan to observe the rate of increase in sea level yearly.

“Can we build walls and levies and dikes fast enough to keep up with that?” Questioned researcher Robert DeConto. “One concern would be that at that point you’re sort of looking at managed retreat essentially, rather than geoengineering in a lot of places.”

The studies of this particular possible outcome plus the supplemental value of research done by the National Snow and Ice Data Center emphasize the severity of this global issue.

The research shows the worst-case scenario for what could lie ahead in the future. The melting of parts of Antarctica could even result in an increase of 50 feet in sea levels by 2500. Although solutions can be to just demolish current locations and rebuild on higher ground, the problem won’t be solved. The rate of the melting of the ice  could even be up to an increase of a foot per year, if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced.

“At the high end, the worst-case scenarios, with sort of business as usual greenhouse gas emissions … we will literally be remapping coastlines. North America is kind of a bull’s eye for impacts of sea level rise if it’s the west Antarctic part of Antarctica that loses the ice first.”

There is still a possibility to prevent this scenario from occurring. This research can help encourage the discussion for people and their governments to reduce the levels of greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the increase.

With more research, hopefully residents in North America will realize how much of a potential problem the increase of sea level could pose to their well-being. Despite there being a solution of just moving out of the way, people should really consider encouraging more research to reduce greenhouse emissions so that families don’t have to lose everything in the future.