Of course, Florida has at least two environmental emergencies, climate change and the rapid disappearance of clean groundwater.
By substituting “water” for “climate” in the quotes from the following article we see that we can equally describe the clean water problem:
Even though the impacts are dire, the [water]crisis is a race we can and must win. We already have the technology and the resources needed to tackle the [water]emergency. …we simply need to rally the will.
Our comments are not meant to detract from the article below which of course should be taken very seriously. However, overall, the clean water problem is a much greater threat to our state than rising seas.
The Tampa Bay Times does not provide a link to this article.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
The Sunshine State is becoming the climate emergency state
September 17, 2022
Our nation and our planet are in a state of climate emergency. Florida is ground zero. The challenge in low-lying areas of Miami is especially well known. A new analysis by Climate Central reveals that, if we don’t take action to reduce heat-trapping emissions, Miami Beach will have more affordable housing units threatened by rising sea levels by 2050 than any other city in Florida.
The risk, however, looms over the entire state. Of all coastal states in the lower 48, Florida has the most homes at risk of chronic inundation in the next 30 years. And, Florida is one of the top three states that will see the largest rise in extreme heat.
The Sunshine State has long attracted a steady stream of new residents and visitors searching for its outdoor charms. Unfortunately, the increasingly worsening consequences of the environmental threat aren’t happening in some distant decade but are already impacting our way of life, from the drinking water we depend on to the wildlife and biodiversity vanishing around us.
The longer the climate crisis continues unchecked, the less Florida we will have. This is a harsh reality. Furthermore, suggesting that we must choose between protecting the environment and our pocketbooks is a false narrative. Indeed, Floridians continue to pay higher prices for the inaction.
The average yearly cost for a property insurance policy in Florida is nearly double what it is in the rest of the country, due in part to estimated losses from hurricanes. According to the Insurance Information Institute, so far in 2022, statewide homeowner insurance premiums are up nearly 25% from last year.
However, problems associated with extreme heat and sea level rise extend beyond economics. The risks include increased saltwater intrusion, which not only contaminates drinking water supplies but also affects freshwater marshes that are home to endangered species.
The time for action is long overdue, and we must move with urgency and agency. Protecting our natural resources, homes, businesses, and the health and lives of current and future generations, shouldn’t be a partisan issue.
Even though the impacts are dire, the climate crisis is a race we can and must win. We already have the technology and the resources needed to tackle the climate emergency. The Sunshine State can be energy independent and lead the clean energy revolution that’s already underway. The passing of the bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the recent Inflation Reduction Law can fund the decarbonization the science demands; we simply need to rally the will.
Government alone cannot solve the problem, but it must play a leading role in enabling conditions for clean energy technology and innovation to flourish while limiting the harmful effects of global warming pollution and unchecked environmental degradation.
We must seize these investment opportunities and put the state on a clean, renewable energy pathway to help limit the future frequency of algal blooms or extreme weather events like heatwaves impacting so many Floridians. We need to set a goal now so we can reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, with an interim goal focused on increasing energy efficiency and scaling up rooftop solar owned by Floridians by 2025 — an idea that should be a no-brainer in a state favored with bountiful sunshine year-round….
Yoca Arditi-Rocha is executive director of The CLEO Institute. Thais Lopez Vogel is co-founder and trustee of VoLo Foundation. Rachel Licker is principal climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “The Invading Sea” is the opinion arm of the Florida Climate Reporting Network, a collaborative of editorial boards across the state, including the Tampa Bay Times, focusing on the threats posed by the warming climate
