“Goodbye, Miami” in ROLLING STONE – July 4th
The year 2030 is the scene. Hurricane Milo has just ravaged Miami. Unlike other severe storms, this is “the nail in the coffin” for America’s iconic city.
It is a riveting bold color spread starting on page 94 of the July 4th issue of Rolling Stone Magazine. Author Jeff Goodell describes in considerable detail a futuristic account of how the slowly rising ocean has been taking a toll for many decades, inexorably adding to the expense and deterioration of the mostly flat city built on porous limestone. He points out how that geologic achilles heel makes sea walls ineffective in keeping water out. A rising sea would simply bubble up through the ground behind any coastal barrier.
Following the fictional scenario he looks at the decades of denial and hubris including the present era with politicians, residents, and developers ignoring or unable to face the reality that the melting ice in the polar regions would inevitably raise sea level, multiplying the effect of storms and extreme tides.
Time will tell if the aggressive forecast of 2030 holds true. At this date, there is simply no way of knowing. As I explain in “High Tide On Main Street” the projections for sea level rise cannot be brought down to a specific year for many reasons. No one knows how much coal we will burn, whether we will use nuclear power, how much solar, and many other variables that will affect how quickly we will warm the planet, melt the two great ice sheets, raising sea level.
Regardless whether this story proves prophetic in terms of actual timing or is many decades early, it brings into clear focus an idea of what will happen at some point in the future. No doubt this piece will be controversial and hated by many. It is well researched and quotes many people with various roles in the city. It is worth a read in my opinion.