PBS airs “South Florida’s Rising Seas,” a production by two FIU professors

Photo by Rebekah Keida/FIUSM 

Rebekah Keida/Contributing Writer 

If you live in South Florida, then sea level rise is probably happening right under your nose. The 30-minute documentary, “South Florida’s Rising Seas,” produced by FIU School of Journalism and Mass Communications professors Kate Macmillin and Juliet Pinto, addresses just that.

They discuss the issue resulting from ignoring the rising seas, and how cities like Miami beach are becoming inundated without a cloud in the sky. This connection has yet to be realized by Floridians and it is important that they note just where this water is coming from.

Florida resident Fernanda Uesler, 26, lives on Ninth Street and Pennsylvania Ave. in Miami Beach. “You can’t even cross the street sometimes! The water gets up to my knees and I am 6′ 1”! There must be a problem with the pipes or something.” Uesler says. But infrastructure is not the only problem.

“Gravity will no longer do the job,” warns John Englander, the author of “High Tide on Main Street” and the narrator of “South Florida’s Rising Seas.” Due to the rising sea, rainwater is no longer able to drain into the ocean or bay. Gravity actually works against us during high tide, when water from the bay creeps through the sewer systems and into the streets.

The documentary does a good job of illustrating the many problems that stem from the inevitable rise of the sea. For example, salt water intrusion occurs as salt pushes through the porous limestone; it begins to permeate the fresh water aquifers and canals used by residents.

This can ultimately lead to the contamination of our fresh water sources. Goodbye tap water, showers, and green lawns.

Sea level has been slowly rising over the last 5,200 years. Thanks to the Industrial Revolution and increased CO2 emission in the atmosphere, the amount of glacial melt filling into the ocean is increasing at record rates. More CO2 in the atmosphere means higher temperatures, and hot weather warms the sea, expanding the volume.

In the documentary, Pete Harlem of FIU utilizes the relatively new LIDAR system that estimates what areas will be affected by each foot of sea level rise. That program can be accessed at: http://www.csc.noaa.gov.

“South Florida’s Rising Seas” is not just science. The documentary zeroes in on the political roadblocks that prevent the long term measures and legislation needed. The “political will” may only show itself when it is already too late. However, local politician and city commissioner Michael Góngora disagrees, claiming that some cities are already dealing with the problem. “I helped create the stormwater master plan that the city of Miami Beach implemented, as well as the original task force,” Góngora says.

But the biggest question is: are we protected? The documentary claims no, at least not for much longer. Congress has already begun altering national flood insurance plans to eliminate some of the subsidies and increase premiums for many coastal homeowners. They cite the irrationality of insuring development along the coasts that they know to be high risk—a major setback for those who already own coastal property; forcing homeowners to worry about property values and paying high insurance fees.

In summation? Sea level rise is happening. If we work together, then it may be possible to create an innovative solution and save the state of Florida. But just in case, it might be wise to invest in a canoe.

The documentary will air again on WBPT2 Jan. 29 at 8 p.m.

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