Seaborne Symphony

From Tatiana Iliina's "After the Deluge" collection.

Current trends of carbon emissions could result in temperatures rising by an average of 6-8 degrees globally. One of numerous sources for this info, this report from Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Two Late for Two Degrees Low carbon economy index 2012

Art of the Deluge

"...those were extraordinary times... ...the water had been rising higher each day for months now...  ...inevitably, things reached the point where there was no land at all at high tide...  ...open ocean beckoned but, for some, it was the call of creativity that they would answer... ...certain artists and poets may have discovered themselves that day as we sailed for any friendly or far off, singing the song of the sea..."

-offroad artist

The Tide is High

The deluge scenario predicts that the sea levels would rise 7 meters if the Greenland ice sheet melted and 61 meters if the Antarctic ice cap melted. Presently, it is considered unlikely that either of these two events will happen before millennia have passed. Among other reasons, the high altitude of the central ice caps ensures a deep freeze effect that is not going to warm up any time soon.

The more present danger would be a sea level increase caused by melting glaciers and loos of ice around the edges of Greenland and Antarctica. It is estimated that a half-meter sea level rise would be plausible in this scenario. What do we know for sure about the effect of a half meter sea level rise on weather, extreme weather, the tides, accelerated global warming, etc? Not much, if the accuracy of every day weather reporting is any indication.

Yes, the world is doing quite well without that extra 1/2 meter of ocean, thank-you very much! I hope you like my painting, The Tide is High!

Total Deluge

  
"...the water had been rising higher each day for months now... ...the kids could see it, anyone could see it... ...inevitably, things reached the point where there was no land at all at high tide... ...we were
 ready for it... ...the shock was when the water turned a shade of dark grey... ...and we were sailing for any friendly or far off shore..."
-offroad artist

The Tempest Act I

"...Boats. Work you, then.

Ant. Hang, cur! hang, you whoreson, insolent noise-maker. We are less afraid to be drowned than thou art.

Gon. I’ll warrant him for drowning; though the ship were no stronger than a nutshell, and as leaky as an unstanched 45 wench.

Boats. Lay her a-hold, a-hold! set her two courses off to sea again; lay her off.

Enter Mariners wet

Mariners. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost!..."

-Wm. Shakespeare, The Tempest

Welcome to the Maldives - Rising Waters

A haunting canvas Tatiana Iliina's artist's concept of what the Maldives Islands may look like in a few years time, after being completely flooded by rising waters fed by melting ice caps. (the canvas was sold and is in a private collection)

Another gorgeous day in the Maldives...

Maldives government meets under water

Approximately the same time this painting was painted, in mid-2009, the Maldives Parliament held a session underwater to symbolize the island nation's struggle for survival. Apparently it was officially a government cabinet meeting.

The Maldives consists of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean, about 200 of which are inhabited with an average elevation of 4 feet 11 inches, about 1.3 meters, above sea level.

Song of the Sea

"...the water had been rising higher each day for months now... ...the kids could see it, anyone could see it... ...inevitably, things reached the point where there was no land at all at high tide... ...we were ready for it... ...but it was hard to leave... ...our land was gone, replaced by water... ...in no position to even consider options, we were sailing for any friendly or far off shore, and singing the song of the sea..."

-offroad artist