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from the a-rising-tide-lifts-all-boats-but-not-so-good-for-property dept.
Michael Mishak writes that there are few places in the nation more vulnerable to rising sea levels than low-lying South Florida, a tourist and retirement mecca built on drained swampland. Yet as other coastal states and the Obama administration take aggressive measures to battle the effects of global warming, Florida's top Republican politicians are challenging the science and balking at government fixes. In Miami Beach the concern is palpable. On a recent afternoon, local businessman Scott McKenzie pulled out his iPad and flipped through photos from a 2009 storm. In one, two women kayak through knee-high water in the center of town. "This is not a future problem. It's a current problem," says Leonard Berry, a contributing author of the National Climate Assessment, which found that sea levels have risen about 8 inches in the past century. By one regional assessment, the waters off South Florida could rise another 2 feet by 2060, a scenario that would overwhelm the region's aging drainage system and taint its sources of drinking water. "It's getting to the point where some properties being bought today will probably not be able to be sold at the end of a 30-year mortgage," says Harold Wanless. "You would think responsible leaders and responsible governments would take that as a wake-up call."
Gov. Rick Scott, who is running for re-election, has worked with the Republican-controlled Legislature to dismantle Florida's fledgling climate change initiatives that were put into place by his predecessor and current opponent, Democrat Charlie Crist. "I'm not a scientist," says Scott when asked about anthropogenic global warming during a stop in Miami. Meanwhile, Miami Beach is bracing for another season of punishing tides. "We're suffering while everyone is arguing man-made or natural," says Christine Florez, president of the West Avenue Corridor Neighborhood Association. "We should be working together to find solutions so people don't feel like they've been left on a log drifting out to sea."
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 09 2014, @01:31PM
Two competing religions, neither wants you to think about the situation, and both want you to pray in a different manner while the asteroid is on the way. Choose either, they will both be totally ineffective.
That sort of high-school level analysis is a big part of the problem. Whenever humans are involved there will be self-interest and corruption. But it is juvenile to stretch the existence of corruption into a rationale for inaction. That's not pragmatism, its just laziness built on a sense of personal superiority.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Monday June 09 2014, @02:02PM
Unfortunately your assertions have no reasoning or evidence behind them other than "they make a nice rebuttal if stated as fact".
Other than the off topic non sequitur at the end it was the start of a decent rebuttal.
I might very well change my mind if there were any chance the power gained would be used for good purposes not evil. I'd even be willing to consider off topic use of the money ... So we'll enforce a massive taxing regime to extract billions from the middle class and instead of spending it on actual environmental issues we'll spend it all on something totally different ... yet good, maybe the space program or basic science R+D. That would be corrupt, but at least not evil, or not as evil as what would more realistically happen once they gain more power.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 09 2014, @02:16PM
Unfortunately your assertions have no reasoning or evidence behind them other than "they make a nice rebuttal if stated as fact"
Yeah, funny how your assertions have just as much reasoning and evidence. If anyone needed proof of just how unfounded your sense of superiority is, you just gave it to them.