For some people, half a foot per year is nothing.
For others, it is life and death.

That's the idea. Instead of spending $180 billion a year on Kyoto to lower CO2 emissions right now, which will accomplish next to nothing over the next century at great cost, focus on the problem areas directly. Cities like New Orleans were disasters waiting to happen regardless of global warming.

Coastal areas are such a big problem because more and more people live there. That trend will continue. Fortunately, people will also be better off economically in the future too, even the poorer people, and will be in a better position to reinforce coastlines. By spending the money directly on coastal protection, there is no reason that coastal flooding worldwide can be less than it is now in a century, even with the predicted sea level rise.

Kyoto wants us to spend the money instead on lowering CO2, which will have only a marginal effect, yet will leave the coastlines unprotected. If we want to care about the welfare of people, we have to get our priorities in order.