North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham discusses the city’s approach to climate change solutions. Meteorologist Steve MacLaughlin reports
When it comes to climate change solutions, there’s mitigation and adaptation.
Mitigation is attacking global warming at the source by reducing greenhouse gases. Solar panels, electric cars and windmills are just three examples.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREAdaptation, on the other hand, doesn’t try to solve the problem of global warming. Instead, it uses engineering to prepare for climate change, the rising ocean and the more frequent rain bombs.
One South Florida city that is just beginning its road to adaptation is North Bay Village.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP
"All new buildings are built at a level that we feel is high enough to withstand sea level rise going forward for the coming decades for the expected lifespan of those structures, which could be 30 or 40 years," Mayor Brent Latham explained.
In the coming years, the city will be raising roads, seawalls and drains that use gravity to take rainwater into Biscayne Bay. In addition, new homes must be constructed at a higher level.
"We're going to signal very clearly to our residents this is the timetable for raising roads," the mayor stressed. "So if your home is too low compared to the road, you're not in trouble today, we're not just gonna raise your road, but we want you to know that five years or 10 years or 15 years from now, that road is going to need to be higher. So you should make the proper adjustments to your property."
Changing Climate South Florida
In-depth coverage of changing climate and environmental issues in South Florida and across the country
Latham knows that his plans are controversial, but he says that tough decisions about climate change adaptation are part of the job.
"The climate change problem, the sea level rise problem, and the flooding problems are the quintessential problems of our time here in South Florida, so these are the ones we should be tackling as elected leaders," he said. "If we're not doing it, people should really be asking us, why not?”
For a homeowner who can’t afford to or chooses not to raise his or her home, Latham explained that if their home keeps flooding, they will likely sell the property and someone else will come in, buy the property and build a new house at a higher level. That means people with money who are willing to spend it can afford to keep adapting.
