Sea Levels Rising Faster Than Expected

Top climate scientists say sea levels are rising faster than expected, the Times of London reports. The world's oceans will rise about 3 feet by the end of the century, double the amount predicted in a 2007 estimate by the UN. The new figure, blamed on melting ice sheets, could prove catastrophic for the hundreds of millions of people who live in the world's low-lying areas, the scientists say.

"It's rising much faster than in the models," said a researcher at a Copenhagen conference. "We are setting in motion processes now that will lead to sea level rises for centuries to come. They will burden many generations coming after us."