Op-Ed: Global Warming Will Put Florida Underwater. Oh No.

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Experts predict that global warming will cause the sea level to rise three to six feet over the next century, putting at least a third of Southern Florida underwater. Oh no. Not Florida. Miami, which has a population of five million Floridians and lies an average of six feet above sea level is particularly at risk of being wiped out by rising tides. Miami? Nooooooo.

If we want to save Florida, and we do want to save Florida, right? We must stop burning so many fossil fuels. Scientists say we will need to travel less, and when we do use public transportation. So cancel your kid’s trip to Disneyland. Florida needs you.

I know it’s hard to reduce our carbon footprints, but if global warming continues we will all regret not taking action sooner. Did you know Burger King is based in Miami? If we lose Miami, we lose Burger King. Do you want to live in that world?

A map of what Florida could look like within the next hundred years.
This is what Florida could look like within the next hundred years. Terrible.

I get it. It’s easy to say that one hundred years is far off, and we are investing billions in green technology, and it is just Florida after all, but we don’t have to wait one hundred years to feel the devastating effects of rising sea levels. The Everglades are already underwater. Of course, they have always been underwater. But rising sea levels are disrupting the balance of salt water and killing off the local flora. Now where will we go to look at grass?

If rising water does not destroy Florida, super hurricanes will. Increased ocean temperature will lead to larger and more destructive storms. The people of Florida are used to evacuating during the hurricane season, but one of these years they might just return to find that their entire state has been obliterated. Heh.

Although the majority of America’s coastline is a safe fifty feet above sea level, Florida is a chilling reminder that we must take control of our carbon emissions. The alternative, of course, is just keep using cars, and like, everyone in Florida drowns. God forbid.