White paper: A Social Vulnerability Perspective on Climate Change Adaptation in Miami-Dade

The purpose of this white paper is to provide an overview of the ways in which South Florida communities are vulnerable to climate change, and to suggest strategies for adaptation that increase resilience of vulnerable communities. This paper is grounded in a human security perspective of vulnerability, in contrast to other perspectives that focus on the natural or built environment. I argue that focusing on the human dimensions of vulnerability can accomplish climate change adaptation and mitigation goals while providing co-benefits that improve opportunity and quality of life in the present, resulting in greater resilience than strategies that do not take social vulnerability into account. The paper provides locally specific information that will help to guide research, curriculum development, and community engagement activities around climate change impacts and resilience.

Download the pdf of the white paper here.

What’s the problem with scary sea level rise articles?

Communicating climate change, part 1

In the last week at least 6 of my friends have posted this article on Facebook.

People commented. “How scary.” “Scary as shit.”

Being scary was clearly the intention of the article. Miami’s future with rising seas is described with words like “calamitous” and “mayhem.”

Fear can be a good motivator, but the question is what kind of action is motivated by this fear? Does this fear motivate action that will mitigate climate change? Or does it do something else?

Reduced funding for housing programs undermines Amendment 1's conservation goals

Reposted from University of Miami Office of Civic and Community Engagement

Last November Amendment 1 passed with resounding support, with 75% approval by voters. The amendment created a dedicated source of funding for environmental conservation by setting aside 33% of doc stamp taxes on real estate transactions. As one conservation organization put it, this “great bipartisan victory reflects the understanding of Florida voters that protecting our natural resources protects our economy.”

But a new bill in the state legislature to implement Amendment 1 may end up undermining conservation goals. The bill would significantly reduce the amount of funding going to the Housing Trust Fund, which also receives funding from doc stamp collections. Under the 1992 Sadowski Act 16% of doc stamp collections are set aside for housing programs such as homeownership assistance and affordable rental housing construction and rehabilitation, sorely needed in a state with quickly rising housing costs and large affordability gaps. But SB 586 would take the percentage of doc stamp collections for Amendment 1 before the percentage for housing programs, effectively reducing the amount going to the Housing Trust Fund.