Topsail beach, North Carolina. Photo courtesy of: © Denis Delestrac
Excerpts;
Accelerated sea-level rise and growing storm intensity, two widely studied effects of climate change, are giving the oceans a powerful edge in the age-old battle against continental shorelines. The impact is not only environmental, but economical.
A study last year by the Risky Business Project, led by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former U.S. treasury secretary Henry Paulson, estimated that annual economic costs related to sea level rise and climate-fuelled hurricane activity could increase by up to $10.8 billion (U.S.) within only 15 years along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf of Mexico.
That may be just scratching the surface. If Florida — where 75 per cent of the population lives on the coast — is any indication, the threat has largely been ignored by financial markets…
Climate Adaptation and Policy-Induced Inflation of Coastal Property Value, PlosOne (03-25-2015)
Human population density in the coastal zone and potential impacts of climate change underscore a growing conflict between coastal development and an encroaching shoreline. Rising sea-levels and increased storminess threaten to accelerate coastal erosion, while growing demand for coastal real estate encourages more spending to hold back the sea in spite of the shrinking federal budget for beach nourishment. As climatic drivers and federal policies for beach nourishment change, the evolution of coastline mitigation and property values is uncertain…
From Coast To Coast, Vanity Fair (07-23-2013)
At opposite ends of the country, two of America’s most golden coastal enclaves are waging the same desperate battle against erosion…
Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill Fails to Face Coastal Realities, (01-08-2013)
An OpEd by Dr. Robert S. Young, Director, Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines and Professor of Coastal Geology at Western Carolina University.
Miami Beach Sees Rising Seas as No Threat to Real Estate Boom, For Now (04-22-2015)
Climate Change Concerns Weigh On Cape Home-Buying Decisions, Boston Globe (09-22-2014)
Sea-Level Rise Poses Hard Choice for Two Neighborhoods: Rebuild or Retreat? Take Part (04-25-2015)
Rebuilding the Shores, Increasing the Risks, The New York Times (04-09-2013)
After Hurricane Sandy, One Man Tries To Stop The Reconstruction, Outside Magazine (10-09-2013)
