[GWSG] SLR at coastal doorstep; housing needs; climate refugees now; French citizens' panel; Holdren interview

[Tilley, Al]

1. Studies of the vulnerability of coastal Florida to sea level rise imply (to me) that we are probably going to be relocating much of the coastal population, perhaps in five years, probably within the next decade. The Atlantic Beach study is linked. I could have used St. Augustine’s, or studies from South Florida. Try googling “Miami water supply projections.” (Sea level rise is polluting the Biscayne Aquifer.) St. Augustine’s former mayor Nancy Shaver said that they expect 30% of their streets to be underwater 90 days a year by 2030. Parts of downtown St. Augustine flooded this week, Oct. 1 and 2, during a steady onshore wind of 12-18 mph. Relocation will soon be the only option left. The Atlantic Beach study profiles a community faced with the likelihood of complete inundation in coming decades.   https://www.coab.us/875/Coastal-Vulnerability-Resiliency-and-Ada

I do not know that Florida is a special case. Other low-lying coastal areas globally face the same problem, with some local factors such as strong currents and land subsidence.


2. We are nearing a prodigious housing crisis as a corollary of the climate crisis. In a way, action on climate may be aided by the housing crisis: the need for millions of new homes could be a terrific shot to the economy as we shift our energy base, and the new construction will strengthen our job market. We will have a chance to build new communities and remodel old ones with an eye to sustainability. It is quite a challenge.  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/01/a-successful-climate-plan-must-also-tackle-the-housing-crisis


3.  People are already fleeing Houston, Puerto Rico, and other destabilized areas. https://climatecrocks.com/2019/10/02/houston-you-have-a-problem/


4. France has chosen a demographically representative citizens’ panel to advise the government on how to achieve a 40% emissions reduction by 2030. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/02/french-citizens-panel-to-advise-on-climate-crisis-strategies

5. John Holdren observes that the IPCC’s special report understates the climate crisis. He sees hope that public support for effective action has grown to the point of adequacy. https://phys.org/news/2019-10-urgency-climate-understated-intergovernmental-panel.html
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