It won't be long, but we will still need to wait for nature to take its course for people to believe, "the end is near." You just don't want to be the last person holding the mortgage when home and condo prices tank in the future. I don't think that gradually rising seas will cause people to act. We Americans need a major catastrophe to drive us to action. When Miami has that $100B hurricane disaster, that will wake people up. The first response will be "Build the wall!" — seawall that is — which doesn't work any better in Miami than it does in Texas.
Read this rather long article,
Heaven or High Water. One of the things we can also say about our species is how poorly informed we are about the risks that we face as humans. I specialize in disasters, but there are plenty of other things in the world seeking to harm or kill us.
The story closes with this quote, “It’s Miami,” she said. “We are surrounded by water! There’s not a solution. But nothing is going to happen!” I am reminded of my mantra, "If you can't be good, look good!" It works for a long time, but not forever.
Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.
