A Retreat From Climate Change
An unpopular but necessary reality
Hurricane season is a reminder of how communities, precariously perched on coastal land near sea level, are the first casualties of increased flooding. Sea levels rise, and coastal communities flood. Storm surge, battering rains, and incessant tidal flooding all take their toll. The Center for Climate Integrity estimates that by 2040 protecting larger cities (more than 25,000 residents) with seawalls will cost over $42 billion. If we include smaller cities, then the cost leaps to over $400 billion. Retreat or protect is the political question arising from these threats. Until recently, “retreat” has been a shunned word in the climate change battles. But the tides are turning on this reluctance to relocate, no pun intended.
What happens when the cost of protecting low lying neighborhoods grossly exceeds their collective property taxes? There are various temporary fixes, but the obvious solution of “managed retreat” is rarely discussed. Human psychology is geared towards resilience, not retreat. Homeowners respond best to messages affirming their property will be protected at all costs. The stark truth is, there is not enough money to continue defending all of the properties threatened by rising seas.
But positions are shifting regarding planned retreats from rising seas and…
