Analysis Of Elizabeth Kolbert's 'The Siege Of Miami'

If all the glaciers in the world melted, sea levels will rise by approximately 230 feet. One According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the magnitude of destruction caused by rising sea levels is still uncertain; flooding can rise up to thirty feet. Miami, for example depicted in “The Siege of Miami.” shows a possible scenario of massive flooding and reallocation of residence. Author Elizabeth Kolbert conducts investigative reporting by following Han Wanless, the chairman of the University of Miami’s Geological Science Department, and visits locations vulnerable to flooding. Together, they interact with residents and determine that the majority of them do not understand the cause of flooding. On another occasion, Kolbert encounters
Bloomberg ranks Miami as the city with the largest income disparity. Kolbert and Wanless enter a neighborhood of multimillion-dollar homes and notice expensive cars with water covering the tires parked inside the security gate. Because seaside residence has a high potential for destruction, the insurance costs of the cars and homes increase. Rising insurance costs affect low income more than high income families. The fact that they own multiple cars is another indicator of income disparity and cars act as a mean of transportation. Working-class residents are less mobile and rely on public transportation that is inconvenient because of flooded streets resulting in detours. This means that they will take longer commutes to reach their daily needs such as work and school. Surprisingly, wealthy prospective buyers continue to purchase lavish ocean view homes despite knowing that the area floods frequently, showing that they are able to pay for the high insurance costs. Meanwhile, older residents who try to escape Miami struggle to make ends meet because they need expensive social services to help with their day to day activities. Kolbert observes an “elderly woman leaning on a walker rounded the corner” unable to walk through the heavily-flooded intersection (126). Luckily, there were social workers who offered a ride to take her home. This shows that aging or
The sea was filled with floating medium-sized blocks of ice and it was such a beautiful scene. However, these blocks of ice were the results of melting glaciers, which is proof that climate change is real. There are politicians who do not believe that climate change is real. This is due to a lack of educational resources and perhaps missing out on a summer vacation to Glacier Bay National Park. Knowledge allows for social mobility and by brainwashing the residents of Miami; they are unable to propel forwards in society and are ironically anchored to their flooded