Rebuilding Florida After Hurricane Milton: A Call for Managed Retreat
- Florida has recently endured two major hurricanes, highlighting its vulnerability to climate change.
- Jeff VanderMeer, a long-time resident, suggests 'managed retreat' as a necessary response to the increasing storm threats.
- The situation calls for a reevaluation of past policies to ensure sustainable rebuilding and better protection against future disasters.
Florida has faced two major hurricanes in the past month, exacerbating the state's vulnerability to climate change due to decades of deregulation and overdevelopment, particularly under Republican leadership. Jeff VanderMeer, a long-time Florida resident, argues that the increasing frequency and intensity of storms necessitate a strategy known as 'managed retreat.' This approach involves relocating communities and infrastructure away from high-risk areas to mitigate future disaster impacts. The discussion highlights the urgent need for a reevaluation of policies that have contributed to the state's precarious situation. As Florida continues to grapple with the aftermath of these hurricanes, the call for sustainable rebuilding practices becomes more pressing, emphasizing the importance of adapting to the realities of climate change.