Climate Change Has ‘Irreversibly’ Impacted Florida’s Environment and Economy

No other state has more to lose over this issue than the state of Florida, according to the president of the Florida Beach and Shore Preservation Association. 

Un mensaje que los residentes de Florida no deben ignorar: For Floridians, climate change is not a future concern, it is a clear and present danger.  In fact, global warming has already impacted Florida permanently and irreversibly, according to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Released on Monday and at nearly 2,000 pages, the report from the world’s top scientists uses Florida as an example of a place where the impacts of climatic variations are already being felt, both environmentally and economically.

According to the report, which also cites previous studies:

• In Miami-Dade County alone, tidal flooding compounded by sea rise has led to almost $500 million in lost real estate value from 2005 to 2016. The report warns that “it is likely that coastal flood risks in the region beyond 2050 will increase without adaptation to climate change.”
• As sea levels continue to rise, residents of the Sunshine State could be forced to move away from the coast.
• Miami-Dade’s efforts to raise roads and build stormwater pumps have raised property values. This has disproportionally affected communities of color, leading to environmental racism. 
• As temperatures rise and Florida’s coral reefs bleach and die, the state could lose up to $55 billion in reef-related tourism money by 2100.

A Clear Warning

Additionally, the Florida Climate Institute warns that failing to cut greenhouse gas emissions within a decade will cause catastrophic damage, including the collapse of traditional weather conditions. In Florida, that means flooding would get worse, heat would continue to rise, hurricanes would continue to intensify, and health conditions, such as skin cancer and heart problems due to Increased temperature and air pollution, would keep deteriorating.

“It’s not hyperbole to say that there is no other state that has more to lose over this issue than the state of Florida,” Pepper Uchino, president of the Florida Beach and Shore Preservation Association, told lawmakers.