Are we finally going to have a discussion about the future of rebuilding coastal cities now?

[NickB79]

Because we really, really, really should not be rebuilding some portions of Houston in the years to come. Within some of our lifetimes, we'll be looking at FEET of sea-level rise, bringing with it rising tides and stronger storm surges, along with more extreme precipitation events like we're seeing today.

Fighting an unwinnable battle against the sea, instead of letting go of the land we cannot hold, is the perfect recipe for disaster. That is how climate change will bankrupt and collapse nations in the future, pushing us into a perpetual cycle of rebuilding after each disaster, only to rack up more and more unsustainable debt.

We need to rebuild on higher ground. We need to return currently populated land to bayou's, swamps and mangroves. We need to do this NOW, not 20 years from now.

[BigmanPigman]

1. NO! 45's making sure of that.

Why would Harvey change him or those who support him, nothing else does?!

[SharonClark]

2. You and I didn't make the decision on where to build and lay down massive amounts of concrete

That was a decision made by corporations and city 'planners'. Its all about tax revenue.

[FLPanhandle]

3. More and more people every year

They have to go somewhere and most people live near the coast. Too many human beings on this planet.

[NickB79]

4. One of the reasons I only had one child.

I can hardly bear to think about the hell that she'll see in her lifetime as climate change ravages our planet.

[maxsolomon]

5. Hahaha. No, we're not.

Sunk Cost Fallacy.

We will have that conversation at some point in the distant future, though. When it's too late.

[B2G]

6. How many said we shouldn't rebuild New Orleans after Katriana?

I seem to recall lots of outrage at the suggestion we don't.

[Orangeutan]

7. At some point the economic pain will outstrip the brainwashed denial of global warming

[procon]

8. Bless your heart. nt

[brooklynite]

9. Houston is 50 miles inland from Galveston...

...I understand the problem (I teach this in grad school), but how much land are you proposing to abandon to develop.

[marylandblue]

10. Houston Area has the advantage of a lot of space

A lot of low density housing and undeveloped land in the outer areas. If you give people incentives to rebuild at higher density further inland and outside of areas prone to flooding, it would do a lot to increase resilience in the future. Galveston has a bigger problem. Under worst case scenarios, it could be completely under water by 2100.

But I don't think we will have this conversation in earnest until parts of cities are permanently underwater. Florida coast will probably the first to face this issue.

[Docreed2003]

11. This!

Baton Rouge had catastrophic flooding last August due to a similar situation where a storm stalled over southeast Louisiana dumping feet of rain. The flooding issue is not just a "coastal" issue, it's clearly a global warming issue.