So our climate is changing -- what does that mean to us in South Florida?
Recent computer models have calculated that global surface temperatures could increase between 1.6-6.3 degrees F by 2100. Current scientific consensus is that we should expect a change of about 3 degrees F. This may not seem like much of a change over 100 years, but temperatures were only 9 degrees cooler during the last ice age (10,000 years ago).
One of the reasons Global Warming is now being called "Global Climate Change" is because the expected outcome of this world-wide temperature shift is that there will be greater (and less predictable) variability in regional and local climate. Here in Florida, we could see significant shifts in rainfall patterns, resulting in more severe droughts and more intense flooding.
The biggest concern for South Florida, especially in Miami-Dade County, is the threat of "sea level rise." The oceans are expected to swell as the world becomes warmer. Ice melting from the poles will add to the volume of the oceans and the warmer oceans resulting from a warmer atmosphere will actually cause the oceans to grow in volume (warm water expands; cold water contracts). The EPA predicts that Florida will see a rise in sea level of about 18-20 inches by the next century.
Higher seas means more than just less beachfront. Miami-Dade would become more vulnerable from storm damage. Wetlands and coastal mangroves would be lost to a rising sea, impacting our commercial fisheries and even our water supply as the ocean pushes westward and north into the Everglades and the Biscayne Aquifer.
Temperature sensitive coral reefs will suffer from warmer oceans. Coral thrives in a thin temperature band between 70 and 75 degrees F. Many in the scientific community believe that the rapid loss of corals throughout the world is partially attributable to warmer ocean waters.
DERM staff has created four maps (one current and three scenarios) to show the potential impact of sea level rise on South Florida. These maps are only presented as a demonstration of the progress of the Terrain Mapping Project conducted by DERM. These maps are not a finished product; therefore, they should not be used for any planning decisions or projects. These maps will be updated as new data, input and analysis become available.
All of this is not good news for a State dependent on tourism based largely on its natural resources. The loss of beachfront, corals, and the Everglades would devastate our local economy.
So what can we do to prevent global climate change?
Learn more from publications from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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