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With rising sea levels, Bangkok struggles to stay afloat.
As Bangkok prepares to host climate-change talks, the sprawling city of more than 10 million is itself under siege from the environment, with dire forecasts warning it could be partially submerged in just over a decade.
[...] As temperatures rise, abnormal weather patterns—like more powerful cyclones, erratic rainfall, and intense droughts and floods—are predicted to worsen over time, adding pressure on governments tasked with bringing the 2015 Paris climate treaty to life.
Bangkok, built on once-marshy land about 1.5 metres (five feet) above sea level, is projected to be one of the world's hardest hit urban areas, alongside fellow Southeast Asian behemoths Jakarta and Manila.
"Nearly 40 percent" of Bangkok will be inundated by as early as 2030 due to extreme rainfall and changes in weather patterns, according to a World Bank report.
Currently, the capital "is sinking one to two centimetres a year and there is a risk of massive flooding in the near future," said Tara Buakamsri of Greenpeace.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 03 2018, @12:07PM (10 children)
Good thing - Bangladesh will move to neighborhood near you then
(Score: 4, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday September 03 2018, @01:32PM (9 children)
S'fine. We've got room. So long as they don't go crowding up my favorite fishing holes, integrate themselves into American and local cultures, and provide a taxes-paid/tax-benefits-received ratio greater than 1 as a group, I don't mind.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Monday September 03 2018, @02:40PM (1 child)
Apparantly you don't know very many Bengalis. I hate to say it, no I actually don't, but if you want productive immigrants then what should be imported are Whites and some kinds of Asians.
(Score: 0, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 03 2018, @03:46PM
That's not trolling. That's called "an opinion that differs from yours".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 03 2018, @04:52PM (6 children)
Taxes are theft asshole, why you trying to steal from people in trouble?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 03 2018, @11:04PM (4 children)
This meme needs to die. Like in a fire. Look, little twink, you live in civilization. That means you--yes, YOU--will have to pay for it, just like everybody else. That doesn't mean you have to like paying your taxes. (I certainly don't.) But stop with the whining already about people "stealing" from you just because they insist you pay your taxes like everyone else. If you don't like your tax bill you can petition your elected representatives for redress just like anyone else. So, shut up and pay your taxes. Or, petition your government to have them lowered. Or you can find a deserted island to hide away from all the rest of humanity. I'm afraid those are your only options.
(Score: 2, Touché) by khallow on Monday September 03 2018, @11:16PM (2 children)
And what happens to the rest of the taxes? It pays for waste, fraud, corruption, war, etc. I would take the "taxes buy you civilization" people more seriously if they really cared about what the taxes were being used for rather than mouth off platitudes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 04 2018, @04:26PM (1 child)
Reading comprehension fail. So, exactly which part of you can petition your government for redress did you not understand?
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday September 05 2018, @07:29AM
The part where it was remotely relevant. You're not even thinking where the money goes, much less have a target for your petitioning for redress.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Reziac on Tuesday September 04 2018, @02:41AM
It doesn't have to be paid for with taxes. For the first century and change, we mostly made do with tariffs. Funny thing, we had less government, but no less civilization.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday September 04 2018, @12:21PM
You need to learn to recognize the difference between belief in a system and pragmatism. Involuntary taxation may be vile but I don't expect it's going away any time soon.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.