patrickbdevaney/mia9 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Infrastructure, Human Health,
and Economy
While all of the future impacts cannot be predicted, climate change has the potential to
threaten every aspect of life in Florida, from essential infrastructure (such as buildings, roads,
and fresh water supplies), to the health of residents and visitors, to the preservation of natural
systems, to the state’s economic wellbeing and longterm sustainability. The exact costs of
dealing with these effects are not known, but they will be significant. However, the costs
of inaction will be far greater, and some costs simply cannot be measured in dollars.
I N F R A S T R U C T U R E I M PAC T S
Florida could experience changes such as
extreme winds, continued sealevel rise,
increased flooding and storm surge, extreme
and daily rainfall, and relative humidity and
temperature fluctuations. Much of the state’s
infrastructure—water, power, telecommunications, transportation, and buildings — was
constructed to last at least 75 years. Infrastructure
longevity was thus based on past environmental design criteria and specifications, many of
which may have been exceeded already by
aspects of climate change (9, 10).
Because current projections indicate that
sea level may rise over six inches during the
service life of a building, the risk for future
catastrophic damage is high, not only near
the coast (in large part due to Florida’s flat
terrain) but also in most inland regions.
H U M A N H E A LT H I M PAC T S
Changes in climate patterns and extreme
climatic events have had a wide range of negative effects on human health and wellbeing in
Photo courtesy of Guy Weeks
the United States and around the world. For
example, severe heat waves, hurricanes, and
floods have resulted in deaths and injuries (11,
12). With over 1,200 miles of coastline, Florida
residents are particularly vulnerable to the
effects of hurricanes and tropical storms.
In addition, stormwater discharges carry
nutrients, toxins, and fecal contaminants from the
land into coastal waterways. Pulses of fecal
contaminants in stormwater runoff cause the closure of beaches and shellfish beds and affect
humans through recreational exposure (13).
Storminduced increases in fertilizer runoff from
agricultural and residential areas could affect
6
III






the frequency, intensity, and duration of toxin E C O N O M I C I M PAC T S
producing red tides or harmful algal blooms
and promote the emergence of previously
unknown toxic algae (14).
In other parts of the world, increases in waterborne diseases, such as cholera, have been
directly linked to warming and extreme weather
events. In the future, the potential exists for the
reintroduction of mosquitoborne diseases, such
as malaria and dengue fever, into areas where
they do not currently exist, such as warmer regions of the United States, including Florida (15).
Threats to ecosystems rich in biodiversity, such
as coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses, will
result in the loss of marine algae and invertebrates, some of which are sources of chemicals
with diseasefighting properties (16).
Changes in climate patterns and extreme cli
matic events have had a wide range of neg
ative effects on human health and well being
in the United States and around the world.
By monitoring a range of environmental factors
such as seasurface temperature and height,
turbidity, chlorophyll concentration, and
concentrations of the nutrients nitrogen and
phosphorus, researchers can determine which
factors are linked to disease outbreaks and
harmful algal blooms (14). If outbreaks can be
predicted, it may be possible to mitigate their
harmful effects. Some of these measurements
can be made using remote sensing data from
satellites; other measurements can be taken by
sensors placed in the oceans as part of the
observing systems being established around the
coast of the United States, including Florida.
Climate change will affect Florida’s economy.
The economic and financial costs associated
with such change can be direct or indirect.
Some costs are called “hidden” because they
may be difficult to identify and quantify. Many
environmental and human costs cannot be
measured in dollars. These include the effects
on human quality of life and the destruction of
ecosystems that currently provide essential
ecological functions at no cost.
Some sectors of the economy may benefit from
climate change and some of the costs may be
offset by taking actions to mitigate its effects.
However, the net costs of climate change are
likely to exceed the benefits.
A recent national study, sponsored by the Center
for Health and the Global Environment at
Harvard Medical School, indicates that the

Infrastructure, Human Health,

and Economy

While all of the future impacts cannot be predicted, climate change has the potential to

threaten every aspect of life in Florida, from essential infrastructure (such as buildings, roads,

and fresh water supplies), to the health of residents and visitors, to the preservation of natural

systems, to the state’s economic wellbeing and longterm sustainability. The exact costs of

dealing with these effects are not known, but they will be significant. However, the costs

of inaction will be far greater, and some costs simply cannot be measured in dollars.

I N F R A S T R U C T U R E I M PAC T S

Florida could experience changes such as

extreme winds, continued sealevel rise,

increased flooding and storm surge, extreme

and daily rainfall, and relative humidity and

temperature fluctuations. Much of the state’s

infrastructure—water, power, telecommunications, transportation, and buildings — was

constructed to last at least 75 years. Infrastructure

longevity was thus based on past environmental design criteria and specifications, many of

which may have been exceeded already by

aspects of climate change (9, 10).

Because current projections indicate that

sea level may rise over six inches during the

service life of a building, the risk for future

catastrophic damage is high, not only near

the coast (in large part due to Florida’s flat

terrain) but also in most inland regions.

H U M A N H E A LT H I M PAC T S

Changes in climate patterns and extreme

climatic events have had a wide range of negative effects on human health and wellbeing in

Photo courtesy of Guy Weeks

the United States and around the world. For

example, severe heat waves, hurricanes, and

floods have resulted in deaths and injuries (11,

12). With over 1,200 miles of coastline, Florida

residents are particularly vulnerable to the

effects of hurricanes and tropical storms.

In addition, stormwater discharges carry

nutrients, toxins, and fecal contaminants from the

land into coastal waterways. Pulses of fecal

contaminants in stormwater runoff cause the closure of beaches and shellfish beds and affect

humans through recreational exposure (13).

Storminduced increases in fertilizer runoff from

agricultural and residential areas could affect

6

III

the frequency, intensity, and duration of toxin E C O N O M I C I M PAC T S

producing red tides or harmful algal blooms

and promote the emergence of previously

unknown toxic algae (14).

In other parts of the world, increases in waterborne diseases, such as cholera, have been

directly linked to warming and extreme weather

events. In the future, the potential exists for the

reintroduction of mosquitoborne diseases, such

as malaria and dengue fever, into areas where

they do not currently exist, such as warmer regions of the United States, including Florida (15).

Threats to ecosystems rich in biodiversity, such

as coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses, will

result in the loss of marine algae and invertebrates, some of which are sources of chemicals

with diseasefighting properties (16).

Changes in climate patterns and extreme cli

matic events have had a wide range of neg

ative effects on human health and well being

in the United States and around the world.

By monitoring a range of environmental factors

such as seasurface temperature and height,

turbidity, chlorophyll concentration, and

concentrations of the nutrients nitrogen and

phosphorus, researchers can determine which

factors are linked to disease outbreaks and

harmful algal blooms (14). If outbreaks can be

predicted, it may be possible to mitigate their

harmful effects. Some of these measurements

can be made using remote sensing data from

satellites; other measurements can be taken by

sensors placed in the oceans as part of the

observing systems being established around the

coast of the United States, including Florida.

Climate change will affect Florida’s economy.

The economic and financial costs associated

with such change can be direct or indirect.

Some costs are called “hidden” because they

may be difficult to identify and quantify. Many

environmental and human costs cannot be

measured in dollars. These include the effects

on human quality of life and the destruction of

ecosystems that currently provide essential

ecological functions at no cost.

Some sectors of the economy may benefit from

climate change and some of the costs may be

offset by taking actions to mitigate its effects.

However, the net costs of climate change are

likely to exceed the benefits.

A recent national study, sponsored by the Center

for Health and the Global Environment at

Harvard Medical School, indicates that the