Jackie Rock
Mosquito Control Board Commissioner, USA
Title: Localization and the threat of Sea-level Rise
Biography
Biography: Jackie Rock
Abstract
Earth is a tricky place to live. We humans exist in a tiny sliver of perfect conditions for even existing. 200 feet above or 200 feet below, you’ll find it impossible to survive as the conditions are not suitable for human life without extremely good protections. There is no dispute between climatologists about warm temperatures trapped low enough in the earth’s atmosphere to affect the polar ice caps in dramatic fashion. NASA recently released a time-lapse video of warm air circling above the Arctic ring. In it one cannot help but believe that they are watching a sick Mother Earth inhale and exhale as each season shows ice cap growth and shrinkage. What’s become clearer now more than ever is that even as relatively non-educated climate observers, we can easily see that the earth’s temperatures are warming drastically and that sea levels are rising.
When Florida Governor Rick Scott decided to decree that no state government agency would be allowed to use “climate change” in any officially submitted document context, people had no choice in local government but to obey. Little did Florida residents know during the 2004 hurricane aftermath a plan for dismantling environmental science agencies would be rolled out with a future GOP President. Nor would they suspect, despite Florida’s unique vulnerabilities, that Scott would be first to show DC the way to true climate change denial. Now we are in the pre-hurricane season days of 2018 with only a few short weeks to prepare and as usual city governments are lagging far behind across the state. It’s not all the fault of state leaders that the counties and municipalities have fallen behind with innovative infrastructure or community action plans. Florida’s local leaders would have a say in how their tax revenue projects could be implemented. Political midterms season and a windfall of federal relief dollars to the tune of $7 million has St. Augustine city government finally active in planning how to catch- up fast. This makes the city vulnerable too. Ignoring the reality of climate change is going to cost the whole of humanity in a very near future. We must act with certain knowledge and a realistic view to solve the crises we as citizens and leaders, especially mayors, face.