Leaders to have frank conversation about the consequences of sea level rise in Southeast Florida

BOCA RATON, Fla. - April 25, 2013 - PRLog -- Leaders are ready for a frank conversation about the consequences of sea level rise in Southeast Florida.

Boca Raton, Florida – April 22, 2013. The Sea Level Adaptation Institute is a newly formed nonprofit organization established to empower citizens and community leaders to embrace the new environment created by sea level rise (SLR). Founding directors, John Englander and Ken Hirsch want to engage everyone in the conversation of how our communities will cope with the historic expectation of the sea rising an average of 54 inches this century. Englander explains the science with easy to read language in his recently published book, High Tide on Main Street: Rising Sea Level and the Coming Coastal Crisis.

Led by Boca Raton architect/facilitator Ken Hirsch, the first in a series of visioning workshops will allow interested citizens to explore this new horizon in a professional objective forum. The visioning process is a format used by Hirsch for more than 20 years. The event has ground rules for communication and is structured so that everyone will have an opportunity to be heard.

The ideas generated by the attendees will be summarized and made available for future action by the participants and the Sea Level Adaptation Institute. The workshop is designed to engage a wide range of citizens and stakeholders in categories such as Service Organizations, Community Leaders, Nonprofits, Professionals, Academia, Consultants, Elected Officials, General Public, Students, Corporations, Social Sciences, Economists, Environmentalists, Arts Community, Retail Services, Faith Community, Media, Built Environment, Banking, Insurance, Real Estate, Health Professionals, Service Sector, Leisure Industry, Judicial Field, Manufacturing and Small Business. One of the most valuable outcomes of the workshop will be building relationships with people that normally don’t interact with each other.

Sea level rise is a topic that will become more critical for centuries. One of the most misunderstood SLR concepts is that the sea will rise regardless of the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Everyone that has an investment in Southeast Florida must understand SLR and how it will affect their long term life style.

The visioning workshop will give participants an opportunity to imagine our communities in the year 2063. By that time the water level may be 24 to 36 inches above what it is today. The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Action Plan is a resource document to understand the excellent planning that has already begun.

Citizens will have to make some difficult decisions depending on how each city and county will fund projects to delay the ultimate SLR lifestyle changes. Everyone will be confronted with the question “when will our property reach its peak value?”

The discussion will also consider the consequences of storm surge which could potentially damage property in such a way that permanent abandonment may be the only alternative. The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has increased awareness that SLR will continue to compound the damage caused by storm surge and extreme tides.

This is an opportunity to constructively engage in the conversation. The Visioning Workshop will create the vision of sea level rise for Southeast Florida in the year 2063. The group will explore the best scenario for the effected communities and how will the transformation and migration occur in a manner that does minimal harm to the social, economic and environmental systems.

A consensus vision is needed to guide community leaders and stakeholders. The workshop will be held May 10, 2013 from 11:45am to 4:00pm at the Vegso Community Resource Center, 261 NW 13th Street, Boca Raton, FL. Cost is $20 at the door and includes lunch. For information on how to be a participant and to RSVP, contact Ken Hirsch AIA, LEED AP khirsch@kenhirscharchitect.com or 561 212 0937