The Climate Change Conversation No One is Having
Soon we will have to decide which communities we will save
In the very near future, global warming will force us to decide which communities we abandon and those we save. Millions of residents in affected areas may be the last to know if their region will win or lose the debate.
Ultimately, it may be big money that chooses. Real estate developers and insurance carriers might determine whether we keep Grand Isle or Gulfport and Savannah or Sarasota. It’s not a clear cut choice as you might imagine, but it is a decision that should be made only after considering the implications.
Rising sea levels will affect more than the lines on a map. It will likely displace metro population centers from coastal regions, interrupt the supply chain, and require an enormous outlay of funds to restore infrastructure after extreme weather events or sea-level rise.
It’s already occurring in Florida and Louisiana
While entire regions may be abandoned, some places will require federal intervention to build and maintain sea walls and levees at…
