The U.S. Global Change Research Program is hosting a town hall
this week to inform communities about the draft National Climate
Assessment (NCA) report, along with local and regional efforts
to respond to the impacts of climate change. The Southeast
Regional Town Hall is part of the roll out of the NCA and will
take place in Tampa, Florida, on February 19, 2013. Florida
faces extensive threats from climate change. According to the
draft NCA, the challenges include: Florida is home to roughly
$500 billion of the more than $1 trillion of property and
structures in the country at risk of inundation from a sea-level
rise of 2 feet (above the current sea level). Tourism
attractions in Florida, like the Everglades and Florida Keys,
are threatened by climate change impacts from sea-level rise and
are estimated to lose $9 billion by 2025 and $40 billion in
revenue by 2050. Salt water intrusion into freshwater supplies
will be accelerated by sea-level rise, making the porous
aquifers in Florida particularly vulnerable