{"id":297,"date":"2007-11-28T17:49:29","date_gmt":"2007-11-28T21:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2007\/11\/28\/florida-and-climate-change-the-costs-of-not-acting\/"},"modified":"2008-04-22T13:43:01","modified_gmt":"2008-04-22T18:43:01","slug":"florida-and-climate-change-the-costs-of-not-acting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2007\/11\/28\/florida-and-climate-change-the-costs-of-not-acting\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida and Climate Change: The Costs of Not Acting"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post is by Gerald Karnas, Florida Climate Project Director at Environmental Defense.<\/em><\/p>\n

Florida stands to lose big-time unless Congress enacts strong climate legislation, soon. The longer Congress delays, the harder climate change will hit Floridians. Damage to just three sectors—tourism, electric utilities, and real estate—together with hurricane damage would shrink the state\u2019s gross domestic product by more than 5 percent by the end of this century.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the key conclusion of a new report by Tufts University economists. Environmental Defense commissioned the report and is helping to launch it today via a press conference in Tallahassee.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The report, “Florida and Climate Change: The Costs of Inaction”<\/a> compares two scenarios: a rapid stabilization case and a pessimistic business-as-usual case. These scenarios represent what will happen if the world succeeds in cutting the pollution that causes global warming, versus what will happen if we do very little. The analysis focuses on direct economic impacts. It doesn\u2019t even begin to reflect the human and environmental damage that would also result \u2013 damage that may well outstrip the dollar costs.<\/p>\n

This report complements a study released last month by the University of Maryland<\/a>. The Maryland study was national, and this Tufts study \u201cdrills down\u201d and provides a lot more detail on potential effects specific to Florida.<\/p>\n

Under the business-as-usual scenario, sea-level rise is projected to reach 23 inches by 2050, and 45 inches by 2100. That would flood the land where almost one-tenth of Florida\u2019s current population, or 1.5 million people, lives. Tourism, one of Florida\u2019s largest economic sectors, will be the hardest hit as much of the state\u2019s natural beauty—sandy beaches, the Everglades and the Keys—disappears under the waves. The vulnerable zone also includes key infrastructure, including two nuclear power plants, three prisons, 68 hospitals, 74 airports, 334 public schools, and nearly 20,000 historic structures.<\/p>\n

When people argue against strong action to combat climate change, they often implicitly assume that inaction would be cost-free—that we can chose a future that looks much like today, even if we let emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases grow unchecked. But the overwhelming scientific consensus now holds that this rosy assumption is simply wrong. The more greenhouse gases are released, the worse the consequences will be.<\/p>\n

This new study shows us a future for Florida that we must avoid—and we still can, with swift, strong action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post is by Gerald Karnas, Florida Climate Project Director at Environmental Defense. Florida stands to lose big-time unless Congress enacts strong climate legislation, soon. The longer Congress delays, the harder climate change will hit Floridians. 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