With much of its highly-developed coastline located just a few feet above sea level, Florida is highly vulnerable to global warming. But you wouldn't know that by the actions (or inaction) of state legislators and business leaders.
"Much of Florida’s 1,197-mile coastline is only a few feet above the current sea level, and billions of dollars’ worth of buildings, roads and other infrastructure lies on highly porous limestone that leaches water like a sponge," writes Nick Madigan. Even modest predictions warn that climate change will have a substantial impact on these areas.
Though four South Florida counties have "formed an alliance to figure out solutions," state legislators and the business, real estate, and tourism communities don't appear too concerned about rising waters.
“People tend to underestimate the gravity here, I think, because it sounds far off,” said Ben Strauss, the director of the Program on Sea Level Rise at Climate Central, an independent organization of scientists. “People are starting to tune in, but it’s not front and center. Miami is a boom town now, but in the future that I’m very confident will come, it will be obvious to everyone that the sea is marching inland and it’s not going to stop.”
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