Not to worry. The dutch have been in a near constant struggle with the sea for the ownership of the land for hundreds of years. While sea level rise poses an issue it isn't any greater an issue than they started with. Way back then dikes were made of earth, natural stone laid by hand, driven wood piles and the water shifted by wind and equine sweat. Modern hydrology, computer modeling, advanced materials, and engineering have largely leveled the playing field. The challenge is real and it will take resources and determination. But this isn't anything new or unusual for the dutch. They have largely led the way for disaster planning, civil control, massive engineered solutions and damage mitigation.

A 'clear eyed' willingness to face chronic social problems and undertake engineer harm reduction procedures, while avoiding useless moral posturing, is why they are tolerant of both prostitution and pot. Prostitution and drug use are common to all cultures throughout time. Bans, brutality and incarceration have never worked and multiply the damage. Even Iran, which had until recently had tried the punitive approach, has been wise enough to realize that beatings and prisons haven't worked. They recently announced they are shifting to treatment programs.



I would think that the chances of discovering the next Mayan calender would be very slim. In part because the known Mayan calender outlived the classical Mayan culture by hundreds of years. Which also suggests that the Mayans weren't all that good at predicting the future. For their culture the apocalypse arrived a long time ago.