With the holidays upon us, president-elect Donald J. Trump and fam are, understandably, taking it easy at Mar-a-Lago this week.
But a group of climate scientists hopes maybe Trump can meet up with them for a lil' chat about rising seas, glacial melt, ocean acidification and other observable symptoms of human-induced climate change. You know, between rounds of golf and turmeric baths.
In a letter dated Dec. 22 and signed by nine climate experts, including Eckerd College's David Hastings, Broward County Climate Change Task Force vice-chair Barry Heimlich and retired NOAA physical oceanographer David B. Enfield, implored the president-elect to take climate change seriously — even if it's just so that Mar-a-Lago won't be waterlogged by the time his grandkids inherit it.
"As Bloomberg’s Businessweek recently reported, much of your Mar-a-Lago Club could be under water in coming years because of man-made climate change. Many of Florida’s waterfront properties (including yours) are vulnerable to even minor increases in sea level because of erosion and storm surge. This is not a distant threat. Climate change is making an impact today," they wrote.
They noted that Trump has "proposed building a seawall" to fend off the effects of sea-level rise at a golf course he owns in Ireland, and expressed alarm over his some of his appointees. After all, Trump has chosen known climate deniers to head agencies that carry out climate research and regulate polluters — people like his EPE head pick, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a climate change denier with strong ties to oil and gas, and likely Energy Department head, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, also a climate denier,
If Trump doesn't want to look at climate change in an environmental context, then perhaps he can try viewing it through a job-creating, America-great-again-making lens.
"The good news is that there are robust job creation opportunities in the growing clean energy economy. For you, it presents the opportunity for real leadership. The International Renewable Energy Agency found renewable energy jobs increased by 5% last year to 8.1 million jobs worldwide.
"We would like to discuss the impact that sea level rise will have on properties like Mar–a-Lago which could jeopardize their value in the coming decades. Climate change poses a threat to all Floridians, but clean energy solutions like efficiency and solar power will create thousands of jobs, boost our economy and improve the quality of life for all Americans. Clean energy jobs can help make America great again," they wrote.
They also included a letter they sent in October ahead of the election asking the same thing.
It's doubtful Trump will respond, given how unclear his position on climate change is.
He's called it a Chinese hoax in the past, but also met with former Vice President Al Gore earlier in December.
