Introduction:
Back in 2015, NASA released a video titled Simple Explanation Of Sea Level Rise that stated “a child born today can expect to see the ocean level rise one to four feet in their lifetime”. As a low-lying coastal city, Miami had a lot to lose with this prediction and government officials ranging from the local municipal level to the federal level knew that something had to be done. Around this time, officials outlined the four major problems in the Miami area that sea level rise would create. These problems were flooding in the city, loss of mangroves and wetlands, destruction of the Everglades and the economic impact on Miami. All of the solutions to this crisis would fall under three categories, prevention, mitigation and adaptation. However, while these solutions were generated by man, officials made it very clear that all three categories would be viewed with a biocentric and ecocentric mindset as it was very important to integrate nature into the ways Miami was going to fight sea level rise.
The focus on biocentric and ecocentric solutions back in the late 2010’s was generated through the lessons learned from designs that only incorporate anthropocentric thought. This can be seen in the 2013 documentary Shored up that showed how ocean groins and seawalls are implemented to stop erosion but in reality, cause further erosion and damage south of where they are built. As the mayor of Long Beach Island, New Jersey stated in the film, “these solutions are essentially putting a bandaid on a hemorrhage” and assume mankind’s mentality of total control over nature. With biocentric and ecocentric designs, a system featuring sustainability while helping diminish damages from sea level rise was possible. The first step of dealing with sea level rise in the Miami area was mitigation. This can be seen in the programs that reduce pollution such as taxes on plastic and greener transportation.
In addition, a sustainability course was made mandatory for all Floridian schools starting in 2020. This was done to change the culture in the area to a more sustainable one. The second step involved mitigation, which was started under Miami’s Mayor Philip Levine in 2018. Mayor Levine drew up a 50 year plan that incorporated building high power pumps throughout Miami to send flood waters out of the city. In addition to this, genetically modified mangroves and wetlands that are resistant to ocean salinity, pH and temperature increases were planted around the greater Miami area in order to protect the coast from flooding and storm surges. Lastly within mitigation, dunes with vegetation were planted in between the resorts and the ocean on Miami’s eastern edge to act as a buffer. The final area of solutions, adaptation can be seen in the 15 year project of the implementation of the Dutch Water Management System into the economically and agriculturally important Everglades region starting in the year 2030. The Dutch Water Management System was originally designed to help low lying areas avoid flooding. This implementation of an international framework was designed with a local twist, ensuring it was adapted to the local region of the Everglades.
Miami now serves as a model for biocentric and ecocentric based solutions. With the incorporation of either nature or solutions designed to help nature in the various systems created, Miami has fought back against sea level rise in a way that is both sustainable and effective.
Digests:
In 2040, we are living in a new world. We are in Miami, Florida. We have picked a few different people to explain what life is now like and how we have gotten here. First, two archivists help to develop the story by going back in history and talking about the transition from the older system we lived in to the newer system now in place.
Now that we understand how we got to the point we are at currently in 2040, two engineers will explain to us how these changes were made and anything we will see change in the near future in order to help make positive progress.
Finally, now that we see in more detail the new ideas being implemented in Miami to help combat the increasing sea level. We will speak to two citizens who will explain what life is like in 2040 in the new Miami area. With the increase in sea level, it brings some noticeable changes to the way of life but as you can some people of Miami have learned to embrace every part of it while others are still struggling to adapt.
Conclusion:
Life in Miami has changed to solve the problem of sea level rise and its effects. Adaptation, mitigation and prevention approaches were used in addressing the problem.The new technological configuration (mitigation, adaptation and prevention methods) demonstrate that nature can not be completely subjugated by humans and technology. Technology is now no longer solely used to dominate nature. It has also been revealed that nature is powerful and can be used as a technology itself. This is shown with Miami’s revival of its wetlands and everglades and the building of sand dunes to protect the city. The mangroves are a “natural” technology that protect the coasts from waves and storm damage. With the use of natural barriers for protection, technology has revealed a near symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. Humans have created these technologies to help prevent worsening of the problem (sea level rise) and adaptation to current living conditions as well as perceived future living conditions. Mitigation approaches to technology have resulted in the creation of mangroves and dunes which help decrease the impact of storms.
Furthermore, such approaches enables nature to grow/propagate with the focus on these natural barriers. These natural barriers such as the mangroves and the dunes protect coastal living while not extensively harming the environment. The control of nature is maintained with more attention given to the possible negative consequences of certain technologies. These technologies which would have an adverse effect on the environment have been greatly reduced and eradicated. Technology that promotes balance and even a coexistence between humans and nature is a primary focus that the new technological configuration has.
Miami’s new technological configuration is meant to promote human interactions with nature while protecting it. In fact, human interactions were widely anthropocentric before Miami adapted to the changing world. This was evident in the general understanding that Miami was a party destination, a time to rest on the pristine beaches and in the five star resorts. However, Miami’s culture has changed overtime, just like the identity of South Florida’s famous Pink Flamingo changed overtime (Price, 1999). Now, citizens and residents view “nature” as another attraction and a vital part to its identity, with people coming far and wide to see the Everglades and the massive mangrove forests and tropical wetlands. People also now want to preserve Miami, which means limiting sea level rise. In order to do this, humans in the area have adapted sustainability, with many of the younger generations exceeding in this thought process because of the locally adapted “sustainability” course. This sustainability can be seen with greater use of alternative, green transportation such as high speed rail in addition to new, innovate and sustainable waste management programs.
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