America’s birthplace threatened by climate change

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.