[somerandomdude2]

Not how soon will the seas rise, but in which direction are they trending? The world is not static - it's dynamic, always changing. Long before human civilization, the environment was getting warmer, then cooler, then warmer, etc.

Instead of freaking out about it, work to understand how we as a civilization can make it through the changes. Attempting to hold the environment stable is like plugging dikes with your finger.

[OkayPhysicist]

Humans are causing a change to the environment drastically faster than any normal ebb and flow. In the same way that you can get from 0-60 either by pushing on the gas pedal, or being hit by a train, rates of change matter a lot.

[simonh]

I don’t think anyone here is advocating for freaking out about it, and I do not see any suggestion we should that you’re replying to.

Also, it’s pretty clear from the IPCC report that holding the environment stable isn’t an option. At this point about 0.5m minimum sea level rise this century is probably locked in. However a 1m rise might not be.

So yes, the issue is that either way policy planning needs to be considered in the long term.