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Policy versus science over Miami building collapse

30Jul

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Community, Kent State University, Policy

Policy versus science over Miami building collapse

By Spencer Hayes A building collapse that took the lives of almost 100 people has devastated the Miami Surfside community. It has also reignited the climate change discussion across the country. It will take some time for the building analysis to be completed, however, many theories are already circulating, attempting to answer questions behind the collapse of the Champlain Towers on June 24. One theory that has spurred attention is whether or not climate change played a role in the building collapse. Aftermath of the Champlain Tower collapse in Miami Florida. (Photo by Giorgio Viera / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images) U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm jumped right in stating that rising sea levels may have contributed to the disaster. In a CNN interview,...

Living on the edge: NASA centers and military operations at risk of sea-level rise

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility is a rocket launch site located on Wallops Island, Virginia. Photo by NASA/Wallops on Flickr. By Ava Borskey BATON ROUGE, LA — Amid the densely populated cities and tourist-scattered beaches of the U.S. coast, you’ll find a trillion-dollar economy home to science, technology and military operations.  As the Earth continues to warm and sea-levels rise, vital infrastructure along the coast, like NASA operation centers and military bases, will have to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. “If you look at where Wallops is based, you look at Kennedy Space Center and even NASA Langley, we are on the coast,” said Laura Rogers, an associate program manager for NASA’s Applied Sciences Program. “We're at that front edge of where we're goin...

Carbon storage, hurricanes and history: The importance of preserving coastal wetlands

Louisiana wetlands continue to disappear, threatening to displace coastal communities and release stored carbon into the atmosphere By Nicole Nguyen BATON ROUGE, LA – Louisiana native Jack Green’s family grew up in Lake Charles, and their history is rooted in the state and its natural landscape.  “People tie their culture to Louisiana and all these different cultures that are so endemic to the coastline, and I think that’s all tied to the land and appreciation of natural wildlife,” Green said. But many of the wetlands Green’s family grew up around had eroded by the time he was born. “When my parents were growing up, they would tell me stories of what it used to look like prior to now,” Green said. “There's still a little bit ...