Miami-Dade County in Florida has long been a national famous spot for the risk of sea level rise and the amount of exposed assets. According to the National Wildlife Federation report, Miami is facing up to a $3.5 trillion loss by 2070, due to sea level rising caused by climate change . Global sea levels are raised by warming oceans, melting glaciers and ice sheets. Water can reach any level through various combinations of tide, storm surge and sea level rise. The common elevation above the local high tide line is dynamically set to be three feet based on historical average of the highest tide level each day from 1983 to 2001. Land below three feet in Miami is facing high coastal risk and social vulnerability for a 73 percent risk of at least
The state of Florida is the region most susceptible to the effects of global warming in this country, according to scientists. Sea-level rise alone threatens thirty percent of the state’s beaches over the next 85 years. Climate change and global warming refer to the body of scientific evidence showing that the earth’s environment is warming due to human activity, including the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. It is accepted science all over the world. Climate change in Florida has many effects such as the increase of our sea level and global warming this issue will cause a dramatic change in 2050.
Al Gore anticipated Sea levels rising and the Sea levels have been ascending for as far back as century and the pace has just expanded in the previous decade as ice sheets liquefy speedier and water temperatures increment, causing seas to extend. Ocean level changes from 1993– 2006 where, from June 2006 to January 2016, ocean levels expanded around 41.24 millimeters (1.62 inches). From 33.54 millimeters to 74.48 millimeters in a decade and just running up with the greater
Florida’s environment is a sub-tropical atmosphere, with hundreds of species of animals. Along the coast is were Florida’s natural wildlife and vegetation thrive; however, Florida has a serious issue that impacts its coastal environment. Each year global warming contributes to rising sea levels across the globe. Although Florida’s Coastal environment has survived for thousands of years, the increasing sea level along the gulf coast over recent years, has caused severe damage. Additional research is needed to understand the impact of rising waters on Florida’s Coastal eco-system.
Rising sea level can be caused by a variety of factors and can have an effect or influence even more. Future changes in sea level may impact human populations around the world and many other aspects of life on Earth more than many initially thought. The U.S. coast of the Gulf of Mexico is on track to be one of the most impacted by further sea level rise and the outcome could be detrimental to the entire coastline.
People living in Miami are in the face of danger, and for the most part they are not aware of it. Due to high population, Miami is the fourth largest city to become affected by sea level rise. (Ankum et al.) In the next 32-50 years, sea level is expected to rise by as much as two feet. (Ankum et al.) This two-foot rise will have detrimental effects on the urban settings of Miami. The amount of soil erosion that is undergoing at our beaches will greatly increase if a two-foot rise occurs. At a four-foot rise, road connectivity would begin to become affected. At a six-foot rise, Southern Florida would no longer be habitable as it would, for the most part, be underwater. Not much is being invested in mitigation efforts, most of what is being done are short term solutions. Instead of coming up with ideas to prevent and try to slow down the effects of climate change on our environment, we are focusing on ideas such as building up a sea wall, relocating power plants, and redesigning structures.
Since 1880, records show that the sea level has bone up 8 inches. If it goes up six more inches, as the current studies indicate could happen within 20 years, South Florida’s flood control would be devastated. In South Florida, taxpayers are already paying the price for climate change as salt-water pushes through porous bedrock into coastal drinking-water supplies, and rivers and canals choked by heavy rains have a harder time draining into the ocean.
As of right now, the measured water levels at Virginia Key, Fla., are about eight inches above predicted levels (Washington Post). The numbers surrounding climate change are now starting to become serious and people should be worried for their lives. While Climate Change is a main issue in the world, the problem usually goes overlooked.
Miami, Florida experiences a great amount of natural disasters; however, one of the largest disasters Miami fears is affects of global change. Rising global temperatures scares most environmentalist in the Miami area, because rising temperatures results in rising sea levels. So, what is the problem with rising sea levels? Well, environmental specialist has made predictions that the rising sea levels could submerge the beaches of Miami.
Jeff Goodell's book introduces an inside look at rising sea levels and their effect on our world. Goodell's book describes a journey to different cities and towns to figure out how to conform to sea levels that are continuing to rise. He travels to places like small Alaskan villages, to the city of Lagos, and returns throughout the book to Miami. Miami is one of the areas that demonstrated the challenges of trying to keep the ocean at bay. According to Goodell, because of carbon dioxide emissions, sea level rising is guaranteed. People need to help the problem by lowering the emissions of these toxic gases.
The rise of sea levels are projected to increase warmer waters from one and a half to two degrees in Central North Pacific in 2050, 1.9 to 2.6 degrees in Northern Islands, and also two to five degrees in the Caribbean at the end of this century. This rise of temperature decreases the life of ecosystems in the ocean and resulting in less freshwater for
The combination of these and other trends was an estimated average sea-level increase of 1.5mm per year between 1961 and 2003, which reached 2.4mm per year in the decade from 1993 to 2003. The decades prior to this trend showed only minor fluctuations in sea-level, suggesting that the current rate exceeds what could be caused by natural cycles. While the exact impact of rising oceans is difficult to determine, it is certain that the consequences will include some degree of flooding, integration of salt water into water tables, and a loss of land due to coastal erosion and submersion.6
The current observable rise in sea level provides the world with a clear example of the harmful effects of excess greenhouse gas emissions. Instances in Norfolk, Virginia and southern Florida clearly represent the dangers that unregulated carbon dioxide emission can pose to the environment, and its dangerous impact on human life. For example, Norfolk is the home to the the largest naval station in the world and functions as one of the most critical bases for the United States Navy. However, rising sea levels caused by carbon dioxide emissions threaten the future of the base and the need to move the base or adapt it to the new seascape would be a cumbersome burden on American taxpayers. As a result, humans are tasked with finding ways to curb
Many of these people are in developing countries that are ill equipped to deal with the problem (monaghan). When the water levels rise, all of these people will be forced to relocate as their whole cities, towns, and homes go underwater due to climate change in Antarctica. In places like Florida, Bangladesh, and other low-lying areas, even modest increases in sea levels—the kind possible before the beginning of the next century—would have dire, civilization-changing consequences (monaghan). According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), sea levels have been rising about three millimeters per year since 1993 – totaling a 200 millimeter increase (7.87 inches) in global averaged sea level since 1870. This is a threat to many lives all over the world and is fast approaching us. Glaciers also contain billions of gallons of freshwater, meaning a rapid melt could mess with the salinity of the ocean. Since our salty ocean absorbs much of the carbon dioxide we pump into the air, that’s not the best scenario for global warming (Atkin). Global warming will continue to get worse if we do not change our ways now.
sea levels to rise by up to 0.5 metres by the end of the century. Left:
and flooding. San Francisco, New York City, New Orleans, Seattle, and Miami all experience major flooding from the ocean level having risen so high. Thousands and thousands of people perish each summer across the USA alone—hundreds die in Chicago as the temperature soars to 100 for 2 weeks straight.