Can We Stop Sea Level Rise?

Sea Level Rise (SLR) may be one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced. Some long-term scenarios, including those highlighted by National Geographic, suggest that if all land-based ice were to melt over time, global sea levels could rise by more than 200 feet — reshaping coastlines and displacing billions.

But what if rising seas could also represent one of the greatest opportunities of our time?

Join us for what promises to be a thought-provoking and provocative discussion at the forefront of climate innovation.

While most current strategies focus on adaptation — levees, seawalls, and managed retreat — a critical question remains: can we go beyond adaptation and begin to actively manage rising seas?

This 90-minute panel brings together leaders from engineering, climate science, infrastructure, technology, and policy to explore emerging approaches to sea-level-rise mitigation. The discussion will examine the limitations of current solutions, the role of large-scale infrastructure, and the potential for new, systems-level strategies to reduce long-term coastal risk.

Join us for a forward-looking conversation on what it would take — technically, economically, and politically — to shift from reacting to rising seas to proactively addressing them.

Panelists:

Stas Margaronis - President of Propeller Club of Northern California, California Ports Reporter at American Journal of Transportation (Maritime)

Kathleen (Kathy) Schaefer, Ph.D., P.E., CFM - Former FEMA (Academia, Government)

Joe Tootle, Principal Civil Engineer at ENGEO (Geo Construction / Geo-Design Civil Engineering)

Bill Shireman, President & CEO Solution Citizen (Innovative Sustainability Advocate, Academia)

Russ Walsh (moderator), CEO SeaNet Vision (Technology, Climate Innovation)

“By registering for this event, you agree to share your registration information with the organizers of SF Climate Week.”