The Earth has tilted 31.5 inches and its all a result of human activity.
The way the planet rotates has been fundamentally changed by the process of pumping groundwater, and it is having a far bigger impact than previously imagined.
As a result, sea levels have risen .24 inches in less than two decades and the Earth has tilted 31.5 inches.
Both of those things are caused by us pumping groundwater. The sea level rise is significant. But it only correlates with the axis tilt, it does not cause it.
Exactly.
In fact the purpose of the paper is to examine the effect of groundwater pumping on sea level. There are two competing hypotheses: (1) pumping decreases sea level by sequestering water, and (2) pumping increases sea level for complex reasons.
The authors noted that these hypotheses would imply different small changes in axis tilt. They measured axis tilt and found it supports hypothesis 2. The small change in axis tilt is simply a clever way to answer the question, it has no other impact on our life.