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Managed Retreats From Rising Seas

Live on the coast? Your home might be swallowed by the sea by 2100. Now, a controversial solution used around the world could help solve the crisis before it's too late.

Often equated as a four-letter word in policy

More than 13 million residents along the U.S coasts could see their homes swamped by 2100 in consonance with Nature Climate Change. Retreats from rising seas are already happening in many parts of the world — but for many in in the U.S, it’s a controversial response to the climate crisis. Pulitzer Prize nominated author Elizabeth Rush spent 5 years exploring America’s coastlines and documenting applications of climate retreats.

“A lot of people would be like “Oh my God, retreat happened in New York City?” And the answer is yes, all along the eastern shore of Staten Island after Hurricane Sandy. Thousands of citizens who were tired of flooding came together and they started these grassroots buyout campaigns where they asked ultimately the governor to purchase and demolish their flood-prone homes. At a larger scale, part of what I think is really fascinating and promising about managed retreat is that, you know, that climate change resilience strategy, it demands that we recognize a kind of porous relationship with the more-than-human world and that kind of humility that we can't just as a species design our way out of this problem, that we are part of the world in which we live,” Elizabeth Rush tells Brut.

In 2016, the Louisiana community of Isle de Jean Charles was the first in the U.S. to be given a federal grant to resettle because of flooding. The $48 million resettlement project is a test case for more to come. According to researchers, the potential exodus from the coasts could be similar in size to the 20th century's Great Migration. Florida accounts for 40% of the riskiest coast land in the country — where 6 million Floridians will need to move inland to avoid inundation. While managed retreat still has a reputation problem, Rush documented several examples of successful managed retreats, including in New York City.

Brut.

10/12/2019 10:23 AM
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29 comments

  • Nevin S.
    10/12/2019 11:27

    We've heard this BS before

  • Katheryn H.
    10/12/2019 12:26

    Actually, I would be willing to bet almost none of them will see their homes swallowed by water in 2100. I'm willing to bet most of them wont see anything at all, actually.

  • Alaa H.
    10/12/2019 12:37

    LIES!! cause we'll be dead by then :)

  • Oscar A.
    10/12/2019 12:44

    Two words. Swimming lessons.

  • Peter A.
    10/12/2019 14:27

    holding on to my land in Minnesota, got plan b ocean front, rice paddies, oyster farming then sailing to las Vegas to spend my profits

  • Kester C.
    10/12/2019 16:35

    They refused to give it back to the Indians now the man himself is taking it back

  • Steven O.
    10/12/2019 18:19

    Obama bets no with his new mansion next to the water 😎

  • Man G.
    10/13/2019 00:49

    Nope im no idiot.. I live at 2400'.

  • Olivier M.
    10/13/2019 13:18

    This is obviously fake wind fake water even fake town. The sea doesn’t exist it’s blue powerade and everything else is CGI made by the NASA and FBI

  • Káà S.
    10/13/2019 16:03

    So what ?

  • Brut
    6 days

    Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes — oh my! The people living in these five regions don't seem to mind living life on the edge — could you? 🌊4

  • Gale S.
    6 days

    Why they pulling this crap? High water on coasts? Guess they don't listen to the warnings when a hurricane are in the areas? A lot of rain has fallen this year around the country too! A lot of flooding in low areas and this is not news either. But these boneheads want people to think it's their fault, bull crap!!! Grow up and old with the rest of us!!

  • Joshua C.
    6 days

    Do you fools actually think that banks would be giving out loans of billions of dollars a year if this was true ??????

  • Rafi C.
    6 days

    Uhm when there's smoke?.. there gonna be a fire somewhere

  • Tavita A.
    6 days

    Soon to the beehive 🐝

  • Joey B.
    6 days

    Oil burning most stop or planet Will turn to mars!!

  • Chris P.
    6 days

    Its happening around the world for instance I've been living here in the northern Marianas for the past 26 years and I saw that the shoreline had been flooded.you can see the difference wherein some old trees and blocks were submerged in the sea.some people ignore or doesn't know what is climate change.its just so sad that the earth atmosphere is getting worst gradually 😢by the time I arrived here in Jan of 1994 there wir lots of changes or damages along the shore.its frustrating but somehow mankind should do something about the planet earth.the destruction is unimaginable.

  • Saul M.
    5 days

    See yah!!!

  • William G.
    4 days

    So have you flown over Florida we have cut and carved and redesigned the land scape to suit our needs then we freak out when Mother Nature takes it back

  • William G.
    4 days

    That is the man made problem we changed landscapes built homes on what was swamps then freak out when nature claims it back