Rising seas and coastal real estate risk
Inside Climate News reporting on Antarctic Doomsday Glacier risk and fragile research funding sits beside observations of continued low-elevation building in exposed U.S. counties.
Why it matters: capital keeps pouring into flood zones while scientific monitoring faces cuts.
Compare the glacier science update with local development patterns described in the post. The editorial take is that strategic retreat is politically unpopular and financially urgent.
In Florida I see near zero support for a public policy of a strategic retreat to higher elevations. It does not seem like funding ending for the scientific study of the future pace and timeline is of any concern to the area of the USA with the most capital subject to loss. In my county I see nothing but encouragement for new building at low elevations. People are also purchasing homes to tear down to build more expensive ones.
4 Seasons did a tear down on the Gulf of Mexico. Bill Gates and a Saudi Price own the majority of the shares of the company. They spent about $1.3 billion on the property and are building 3 major projects on the property. Plenty for $100-to-$300 million-dollar residential projects going on as well. A well-heeled individual bought a $47 million home as a tear down a few years ago to build something larger and better on the Gulf. Much of the same is going on from Miami to Palm Beach as well. LS