Disposable City: Miami's Future on the Shores of Climate Catastrophe

by Mario Alejandro Ariza

A deeply-reported personal investigation by a Miami journalist into the present and future effects of climate change in the Magic City-a watery harbinger for coastal cities worldwide.
Miami, Florida, is likely to be entirely underwater by the end of this century. Residents are already starting to see the effects of sea level rise today. From sunny day flooding caused by higher tides to a sewer system on the brink of total collapse, the city undeniably lives in a climate changed world.

In Disposable City, Miami resident Mario Alejandro Ariza shows us not only what climate change looks like on the ground today, but also what Miami will look like 100 years from now, and how that future has been shaped by the city's racist past and present. As politicians continue to kick the can down the road and Miami becomes increasingly unlivable, real estate vultures and wealthy residents will be able to get out or move to higher ground, but the most vulnerable communities, disproportionately composed of people of color, will face flood damage, rising housing costs, dangerously higher temperatures, and stronger hurricanes that they can't afford to escape.

Miami may be on the front lines of climate change, but the battle it's fighting today is coming for the rest of the U.S.--and the rest of the world--far sooner than we could have imagined even a decade ago. Disposable City is a thoughtful portrait of both a vibrant city with a unique culture and the social, economic, and psychic costs of climate change that call us to act before it's too late.

Genres: Nonfiction, Climate Change, Science, Politics, Environment, Nature, Audiobook

320 pages, Hardcover

Published June 9, 2020

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never been to Miami aside from a couple hours in the airport, so I learned a ton about the city. Tbh (ignorance incoming) my vision of the city before seeing moonlight was literally just "instagram influencers of Cuban descent in bikinis on boats having fun", I hadn't given it much thought. Ariza does a great job of laying out the problems Miami is facing and is looking at multiple aspects: infrastructure and public policy, inequality and redlining Miami's black community, ICE facilities (which is interesting to look at in the context of the fact that people currently in Miami, a city of immigrants, might find themselves climate migrants in the near future). I learned about how the everglades store carbon in the form of peat and about the geology of Miami, and about the history of Miami pre-colonization combined with indigenous efforts to preserve the everglades today. He basically covered all the ground I would want to know, so I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about Miami and climate change.

I gave 3 stars because the blend of information and memoir was a bit uneven. I would have liked a little less memoir, or at least to have known how memoir-y it was going to be going in. I don't mind a little bit of personal anecdote, but I thought he was better as a reporter than a memoirist, but maybe that's just because I went in thinking this book would just be getting the facts. The writing is veryvery "millennial", saying stuff like "before this was a thing, [science fact]". Sometimes I found this style annoying, but I'm sure I would have complained of it being too dry had there not been these kinds of buffers.

I really could have done without the realtor microagression story--that was so odd. He had spent all these chapters talking about how fucked up it was for rich people to park their assets in buildings they don't live in, and then proceeds to include a chapter about how a realtor made a racist comment about Latinos in front of him (because he was white passing and she did not realize) while he's trying to buy an investment property? Yes it's not on the same scale of harm as developers, but he had talked about personal implications in the "my parents are realtors" section and I found it a little strange he didn't do the same self crit in this chapter. Idk that was just odd to include and it didn't really serve any deeper meditation on race.

Ariza spends the whole book outlining and explicitly naming the horrors that racial capitalism, colonization, greed, hubris, etc have wrought on the city, but in the last chapter he seems to be advocating for a technocratic free market solution to solve everything. I think speculative fiction is a very important tool and I liked ending with that to try to make everything less bleak, so I wasn't mad about that. It just was weird how he could spend 200 odd pages explaining the problem (capitalism), but then think at the last second that some of the only hope for solutions could possibly be found within capitalism. Ariza did a great job of explaining how policies and business interests have fucked the city, but then advocates for things like solar panels and electric cars. How can the people in the neighborhoods that are being displaced afford to do any of that? Why put individual choice stuff in the end when we learned so much about larger impacts? Why mention Floridians multiplying too much when he had decried the Malthusian Myth earlier in the book? I didn't need him to write the EcoCommunist Manifesto, I was just left scratching my head a bit at the contradictions considering the content of the rest of the book.

I wish I understood a bit more about sea level measurements. Maybe this is dumb, but I struggle to conceptualize what 5 inches means in this context, because wouldn't a lil wave fluctuate more than 5 inches from second to second? I just was curious about what that is measured by, because it is confusing for me to understand why a foot makes such a difference when in my imagination that's just coming up a foot more onto a beach.

I would also like to know more about how Cuba is going to deal with climate change. Cuba is not mentioned all that often in this book beyond the straight up numbers about migration, and a bit of comparison between the way Cuban immigrants were treated vs current immigrants from central America. Maybe he did not want to get into the politics of that, or maybe wanted to keep the focus on Miami. I am just curious since Cuba will be affected by similar geographic things like storms (tho Idk what their water table is like) and will have very different solutions.

Another thing I was curious about that probably was not as big on the radar when this was written: Crypto! Now when I hear about Miami in the news it's because of the mayor getting really into crypto. Ariza doesn't have a time machine, so none of this is a flaw in the book this is just me wondering about stuff. I am really interested to know how this pivot to making Miami the "Crypto Capital" intertwines with the economics of the city and the ways in which that ties back to the environment (I wonder how NFTs and Art Basel are gonna mesh too). The last chapter brings up Solar Energy so much and I read that mining bitcoin alone has used up enough energy to nullify any gains we got from Solar. Florida Disneyworld uses up 1 terawatt hour per year (I don't fully get what this measurement even is) while Bitcoin mining uses 129. This is depressing me to think about.

The art section could have been longer, because Miami as the location of Art Basel and the way art is used as basically money storing/laundering the same way as all the empty luxury investment condos is a nice parallel. I was also interested in the artist's efforts to process climate change. that whole chapter could have been expanded.

Im also curious how Miami has fared during Covid since tourism is the main industry. Maybe a portender of the future to come? gotta do some googling.

I want to read the same book about Arizona, because while Miami will be underwater Arizona will have no water, and these are two places I have never been but am fascinated by anyway.

Anyway Miami and climate change is a super interesting topic for the way it brings together so many -isms in our country. It's such a unique city geologically, geographically, demographically, etc. Definitely glad I read this book. My 3 stars is really more of a 3.5 I just got off put by the end!

[Ula · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 out of 5 🌟 A memoir of an environmental activist

I usually start my reviews with a short description of a book and this is a part I struggled the most while reading this title. What is it about? Each chapter tackles a different issue, either about social justice or environmental matters. The book is all over the place: from selling houses with a 30-year mortgage on sinking parcels, through shrinking Everglades and endangered households of native inhabitants, to redlining and violence towards black residents. Plus huge pythons and one octopus in the garage.
Summarizing, 'Disposable City' is about everything that is wrong with the world today with a special focus on Miami, Florida.

What I turned me off the most was that the whole book is written as a memoir. A highly detailed day-to-day journal about the author's life. It even includes a whole breakfast menu of one of the hotels. If a book can have ADD (*Atention Deficit Disorder), this one has.

However, the book shows several critical topics that are, most of the time, completely ignored by the mainstream media. I was really touched by the chapter about immigrants' problems and how they are mistreated by the officials. Also, the sinking of Florida isn't a hoax but our near Future. All these problems are gravely important but unfortunately, the message is just too hard to read.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and feelings are my own.*

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely depressing but also required reading.

[Kevin]

I didn't mean to read this book during the hottest month on record, but it seemed fitting and allowed me to really add some context to the simple alarms of climate change. As a Floridian who recognizes how completely different Miami and South Florida are compared to Central and North Florida, this was also an insightful read. What happens to South Florida and coastal regions worldwide will have massive ramifications as climate refugees move to higher ground; what Ariza does here shows you just how that might look in a place like Miami.
I read a review here that suggested this book was too much of a personal narrative. Yes, Ariza tells some of his stories here, but I think that narrative explains what's at stake. Ariza isn't an outsider who flew to Miami for a few weeks to write a story to scare everyone about sea level rise. He's a local who loves Miami and feels a deep connection to a city under threat of massive catastrophic changes that will forever ruin the place he and his family have called home.
This book is well worth the time and educational beyond the expected scope. Suggested for Floridians, Americans, anyone still on the fence about climate change, as well as anyone with an economic or sociological mind who is curious about how the future might look.
Ariza's book isn't as much about the alarm of climate change as why we should care enough to change our ways.

[Cody Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ariza takes on Miami’s unique position in the global climate crisis though a series of on-the-ground encounters that highlight his strengths as an investigative journalist. While the first chapter’s climate overview might not be news to you, the deep dives on Miami’s looming real estate bubble, inadequate resilience planning, and entrenched environmental racism are reasons to stick around. Ariza illustrates the imminent dangers posed to his home with a fierce voice of love, striking in a way that made me feel as if I, too had something at stake in the loss of his native city. If you fear the future of our coastal cities, read this book, because Ariza went into the literal weeds to identify the few glimmers of hope that remain for Miami.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had expected a more research-oriented and numbers-heavy work, but Disposable City was informative, well-written, and entertaining. Ariza's personal vignettes and his voice are a delight.

[Brandon Pytel · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book on the recent environmental and social history of Miami, journalist and Miami native Mario Alejandro Ariza deep dives into a city, which because of rising sea levels, has a future up in the air.

Through 150 interviews, Ariza outlines the problem of Miami’s development, its history of draining the swamp and fighting back nature in favor of a Capitalistic mindset fit with high rises, luxury apartments, and coastal amenities, combined with America’s self-righteous Manifest Destiny attitude and residents’ real reluctance to leave.

But what does all this add up to? “A place changed but thriving? A city struggling to keep its head above water? Or a drowned artifact, a city doomed by dysfunctional politics and lack of imagination?” That’s what Ariza sets out to answer in Disposable City.

Sea level rise is the real focus here, the uncertain threat of feet of water rising through the porous limestone and jeopardizing all that Miami has built up over the last century. Sea level doesn’t rise linearly but exponentially, writes Ariza, and that gets further complicated: “local sea levels in South Florida are influenced by temperature of the ocean, localized atmospheric pressure, the persistent direction of the wind, and most importantly, the relative strength of the Gulf Stream.”

Just as much as exploring the problem, and all its intricacies, like displacement, migration, gentrification, racial discrepancies, soaring house prices, etc., Ariza also explores solutions: strategic planning, hardened public infrastructure, retrofitted buildings, changed building codes and zoning, education and outreach — and how to pay for it (income tax instead of property tax, which may soon plummet).

That last issue is another big focus of the book: that of the real estate market, and the rising prices of properties that may soon be stranded assets, as rising seas lead to a downward investment of real estate and a loss of a tax base, an increase of flood insurance that prices people out of the market or hurts homes’ values, all of which will prevent Miami from adapting (they’ll have less money).

But Ariza also zooms out, taking us to Lake Okeechobee, the country’s 10th-largest freshwater lake, and the issues with drainage from there to South Florida, the criss-crossed canal system that sucks water from said drainage, and the fertilizers from farming that lead to deadly algal blooms.

This leads to an “exaggerated conflict between the agricultural communities in the center of Florida, which are intent on flood protection and irrigation, and the coastal communities… which are dealing with increased rates of liver disease, fish kills, red tides, and reduced tourism numbers.” It’s a “decades-old water war between coastal residents and residents of the heartland.”

He takes us to the “drained, degraded, and defiled” Everglades, barely hanging on, losing land to the rising seas and the essential protection that marshland and mangroves provide, not to mention the peatlands, which act as a critical carbon sink.

In Fight or Flight, Ariza dives into the housing market of Miami and the racial disparities that define it. He outlines the Magic City Innovation District, which seeks to put luxury high-rises in higher ground areas where low-income minority populations typically live. He confronts the city’s racist past of redlining and deceptive lending, and introduces a relatively recent trend: climate gentrification.

But Ariza’s book does not fail to address the elephant in the room — “resilience without massive carbon cuts and immediate state and federal aid is the policy equivalent of hospice care” — spending the last chapter on carbon mitigation strategies, like transitioning to renewables or, I don’t know, stopping a highway expansion, which incentives more gas-burning driving.

But Disposable City is also an emotional journey, one in which the writer is intimately attached with his subject. Going through the inequitable and reckless history of Miami, juxtaposed with what he calls home, Ariza rattles off problem after problem while still fearing a loss of something he loves. He worries about the city’s ability to adapt to such a future, but also presents a vision of hope.

He sees a future with upgraded infrastructure and value-added tax revenues, of risk modeling and developers seeing return on investment in adaptation, and he does present a Miami that could still be livable in a hotter, wetter world. This book is an exercise in the ways we might be able to achieve that future — and a warning for what could happen if we don't.

[Emmatre]

Everyone who lives in Miami should read this book. Made me realize how little I know about my own home. I see the city in a whole new way. Added several of the referenced books to my list.

[Arlo Hettle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The clickbait title intrigued me at the library. It was interesting at times but also kinda shallow. Unlike Miami when it will be underwater

[Alex Mitter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really accessible (aka introductory but still interesting enough for a knowledgeable person to read) book about climate change and Miami. I absolutely loved his writing style - usually if I have to look up a word more than once in a book it feels like the person is trying too hard to sound sophisticated, but he blends personal/colloquial and academic writing in the same beautiful way he intertwines his personal anecdotes with research. The end was a bit cheesy but also a bold move and a gorgeous way to finish.

The writer does a really good job of talking about environmental racism in an accessible way. I was a bit nervous going into a book written by a white (or as he says, “white passing”) Miamian that talked about racism in Miami because many white Latines here (I say this as a white Latine) consider themselves to be part of the marginalized and so often minimize the experiences of people of color or group themselves in with people experiencing actual racism and anti-Blackness instead of just shitty xenophobia. Though I do feel like he is a part of the latter group, I also feel that he did a good job of explaining how discriminatory county codes are and how much of an issue affordable housing is. As someone who lived in Little Haiti for some time, I loved that he named local organizers and his analysis was hyperlocalized while serving as a microcosm for the larger problem of environmental racism.

And finally, if anyone knows him tell him I said this - thank you for describing Keon Hardemom as the poor people-hating snake that he is.

[Luis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too lyrical for the grim subject and yet

Not a perfect book, but a good and important one. As an ex-Miamian it will, I suspect, help me grieve in years and decades to come.

[Benny Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think we’re making it out of the swamp bro

[Jarnold · Rating 1 out of 5]

backlogging a few things, sorry. as a born and raised miamian, one of the worst things i’ve read in recent memory.

i did listen to the audiobook. it may be the worst one ever recorded. i put my phone down and took a walk when the man ATTEMPTED to do a trinidadian accent.

as for the book itself, our writer is… a terrible writer. diaspora poetry abound (my ABUELA took me to ESCUELA) and while it may be good to give to skeptical relatives i suppose it provides a lot of diagnosis and personal memoir while ending up in the same liberal, sad place—if we try EVEN harder, we can hold hands and fix it through more governmental review! your attachment to capital won’t save you! read a better book!

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting and well written non fiction read

for a topic that is typically slightly difficult to comprehend for layman, the writer does a fantastic job breaking it down into understandable concepts

+ he eloquently explained the intersectionalies of climate change across racial and class lines

+ science and research backed anecdotes

+ he has rly dry snarky humour which lightens the mood (as much as it can actl be lightened) for such a heavy topic

- only thing is I was a lil lost in the sauce for some parts — e.g struggled to unds the link or relevance of the realtor parents spiel

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you from Miami? Move your homestead to the Atlantic Coastal Ridge. Do it now, while it's still affordable, before all of Miami-Dade County realizes that it's the smart move. Oh, and please read this excellent book that serves as not only another warning to get our sh*t together on climate change, but also as a kind of love letter to this unique and dynamic city of ours.

[Trevor]

Imma be real with you mario alejandro ariza, miami is not going to be saved by smart fiscal choices and green capitalism, but thanks for the neat reportage

[Alex Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

too much memoir stuff, not enough public transpo info :(

[Lyndsey Knicely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought this was a solid 4 stars, but the ending, the last four pages, was enough for me to kick it up to 5 stars. Well researched and thought provoking!

[Mino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oddly comforting

[Alan Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call it a hoax. Call it bad science. Call it what you will but this book is actual documentation of what is happening right in front of the eyes of those that observe the ongoing effects of a changing climate and Miami specifically due to geography and geology why this problem is not to be ignored.

Project out to other areas around the world that will feel the rising tides.

Also dealt with are the social issues of why these things hurt the poor the hardest, and not to ignore some of the racist policies that create and escalate this harm.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main issue I have with this book is that it is a memoir, and I did not buy this book for a memoir and as such this put me off.

There is some brilliance in this book, and there are several sections that stand out, however there are several times the stories just get bogged down, and I kept saying to myself 'I do not care about your personal experience, I want to know some of the facts and let's move on'

Having lived in Miami in the 90's I was able to see through the author's vivid, and sometimes too vivid as in - do we really need to described in minute detail what every single person is wearing, and their vibe- description that Miami has changed dramatically over the last 25 years, and not for the better. The way some neighborhoods have transformed is appalling.

The overarching message is that Miami really does not have much of a future, because you have to believe the politicians and entrenched groups, good ol' boy's, will step up and do what is right, and we know that will not happen, they can't even be bothered to wear a mask in a global pandemic. Who will be left holding the bag when Miami drowns? The poor and underserved of course, and it is an unfortunate situation. The future is grim.

If you are looking more for a memoir and less of a straight to the point here is what is happening in Miami, then this is the book for you.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice pastiche of stories and perspectives about people and entities on (both sides of) the front lines of Miami's fight against the rising tides, Disposable City has quite a few strong points. The author has a distinct voice and effective way of delivering dense concepts, and the time and research he committed to this work are evident in the array of perspectives expressed by dozens of locals. A number of the stories were captivating, such as the excursions into the Everglades.

As a Miami resident who tries to keep up with this subject, there were a few new revelations. I wish Ariza had gone further with some of the sections of the book - too often, it felt like a story or section was concluded before he had really dug into that aspect of climate change or the efforts against it. The chapter focused on climate gentrification was really strong, as it is a subject to which more insight and research needs to be devoted. That section really captures so much of the issues facing Miami - climate change/sea level rise, wealth inequality, bad politics, over development, etc. I would have loved to spend more time learning about that.

I think this book is going to stand as a great snapshot of the current moment for future readers. My only wish is that some of the areas in the book were expanded upon.

[Rachel Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot to unpack with this book. Ariza did an incredible job explaining all the different aspects tied to sea level rise, especially in an urban setting. Aside from the science, he highlighted what most people with only a cursory knowledge to climate change don't full grasp which is environmental justice is racial justice. Everything is tied to climate change.

That said, Ariza could have spent less time narrating some chapters and instead explained deeper and more clearly say how extreme heat leads to warming oceans which feeds to sea level rise — and how extreme heat is disproportionately experienced in formerly redlined neighborhoods that are now facing climate gentrification. Some areas he could have also explored more such as home buyout programs in the city.

Overall, I thought this book was super insightful and informative, especially at a time when current leaders deny science. If only you could see that my copy of this book is all post-its galore.

[Michael Paquette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well documented and smartly written portrait of a city in peril. Half the population of the city was born in a foreign country and the mayor was born in Havana and this book is a well drawn depiction of the political elite against the working poor in a city that is uniquely vulnerable to sea level rise. This book explores the political workings behind grassroots efforts to turn the tide against a largely Republican controlled state government. The writer also exposes areas of the city and the Everglades that are rapidly evolving in the wrong direction from actions taken decades ago. A fascinating account of a rapidly changing city in a struggle for survival.

[Sebastián · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE book on climate change in Miami. Ariza goes through the many social/political facets of how the Magic City is experiencing climate change. He does not sugar coat the truth about the sinking city or the inequity low-income residents face with climate gentrification. This isn’t a technical report or a thick science lesson because it doesn’t need to be. Instead, it’s power comes from the various profiles, interviews, and events that are described by the people living at ground zero for sea level rise. A must read for anyone who wants to learn how race, class, and nationality affect the way Miamians (and possibly the rest of the world) deal with climate change.

[Bookedupgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
A personal investigation on what climate change is doing to the city someone loves - and how it will be non existent in 100 years if we don’t act now. I found this book really informative, well researched and Ariza’s (investigative journalist) own personal story interwoven made the story feel more captivating, intense and urgent.
I didn’t know much about Miami before reading this book tbh, but learnt a ton about the history, political and social workings, some of the stories were just fascinating.

With #NonfictionNovember just around the corner, here’s one for your TBR 📚

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful, reflective reporter investigates how his city handles rising sea water, and why it might fail, or could succeed, in changing to survive climate change. That is just as depressing and vivid and somewhat hopeful as you think. I ended up skimming great chunks of paragraphs as the author goes into details I don't care about, but if you're a resident of Miami, that might appeal to you. This is an unflinching, inciteful read for anyone concerned, particularly if you live on an ocean's coastline, anywhere in the world.

[Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disposable City is an honest, thorough, and terrifying account of a young man grappling with the realization that the city he loves, Miami, is under attack. Early on Mario Alejandro Ariza discusses wanting to spend his 80th birthday in Miami but that he increasingly worries it will be impossible to do so. This essentially becomes the narrative theme: how does his city, situated on the front lines of the climate crisis, make it through the end of the century? Throughout the book he meets with an impressively extensive cast of characters to deepen his understanding about how Miami is approaching these array of problems. One of the book’s major themes—a topic I’ve never heard of but, because of this book, am now deeply interested and concerned about—is that of climate gentrification. Climate change poses a unique environmental and cultural threat to the city known for its beaches, real estate, and diverse culture. As sea level rises the topography of Miami’s real estate market shifts and creates numerous problems for local communities.

Though I thought Disposable City’s direction veered off course occasionally, I found it deeply persuasive and moving for a few reasons. To start, it’s deeply personal. Ariza, an immigrant himself, brings a unique perspective to the discussion of climate migration and America’s current political agenda. He’s also a local writer and journalist who embarks on a journey to better understand what’s happening to the city he loves and how his community is preparing to handle the consequences of unmitigated industrial expansion It’s impressively researched and narratively told from his perspective, which has the nice benefit of the reader discovering things as Ariza does, instead of him coming across as a master of the subject and imparting wisdom. Lastly, it’s a great example of what I hope more books may be like in the future. Climate change is devastatingly global, but no person will ever relate to, understand, or feel what’s happening at such a large scale. Instead, every person will watch the areas most familiar to them change, whether it’s as small as warmer summers or as cataclysmic as annihilation. Ariza channels his love, terror, and resolve to share a case study for what might become an all too common scene: cities on the precipice of climate disaster bracing for impact and attempting to hold on to what’s left of its heritage.

“But it is past time for the people and their leadership to accept the science for what it is. One way or another, the very near future will force South Florida to contend with the biogeophysical reality of humanity’s carbon dioxide problem. It is time to stop building superhighways and to start cobbling together the narrow, treacherous path to survival.”

“Climate change has a nasty tendency to tear at the thinnest part of the civil fabric.”

“As I rise to leave, he adds ominously, ‘You don’t win against salt water.’”

[Nuha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Perseus Books & NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available July 14th 2020

Like his beloved sprawling city, Mario Alejandro Ariza's "Disposable City" covers a lot of ground. With everything from immigration reform and American Indian/American Native activism to glitzy parks and million dollar housing markets, Ariza tries to show us the tangible and very real threat of climate change. In both personal encounters and research, Ariza puts together an intricate and foreboding warning. Even for a reader like me, who is not from Florida and doesn't know a lot about climate change, Ariza's text was engaging and educational. Personally, I enjoyed the he cleverly juxtapositions contrasting viewpoints, like disucssing the preservation of the Everglades from a Native perspective and from the Army perspective. Towards the end, I found myself nodding off a bit, only because the information can become repetitive and without clear, practical solutions, it can frustrating. But perhaps that's the start of another book from this author.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

- In essence, that Miami today is indeed not sinking, nor is it under the risk of being under water anytime soon (which in part have to thank the Miami's mitigation effort, however, poorer areas that did not have the funding to get mitigated will still face turbulence to come)

- However, the fact that Miami isn't sinking doesn't mean it's risk free, rather, it means it will encounter a different kind of climate change risk that is very apparent today: sudden weather damages resulting in extreme climate conditions such as Hurricane/monsoon that drops rain or wind much higher than insurance companies could insure

- At the end, it does seem unless weather gradually changes its course, Miami will eventually become a very expensive city to live in and to build. Much of its basic infrastructure has to be completely lift upwards and completely rebuilt (for instance, cheap spetic pump needs to be removed and connect to the city sweage system, which would be far too costly for many Miami residences). The end result would be migration towards inland and north wards