Florida Mayors Urge Bush and Rubio to 'Acknowledge' Climate Change

MIAMI - Fifteen mayors of South Florida, one of the most vulnerable regions affected by rising sea levels due to climate change, urged U.S. Republican presidential hopefuls Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio to acknowledge "the reality and urgency" of the natural phenomenon.

The mayors, including Tomas Regalado of Miami, Jeri Muoio of West Palm Beach and Jack Seiler of Fort Lauderdale, disclosed two letters on Tuesday which invited Jeb Bush, the ex governor, and Marco Rubio, the junior senator of Florida, to discuss the environmental matters with them.

"With the presidential election fast approaching, it is critical that your positions on these issues are well informed by the experience of our communities," expressed the mayors in the letters sent this week.

They urge Bush and Rubio to "acknowledge the reality and urgency of climate change and to address the upcoming crisis it presents to our communities."

The campaign of both candidates in Florida, and generally of all the Republican candidates, has been marked by skepticism about climate change, and some of them have even questioned the existence of the phenomenon.

Nevertheless, Florida is regarded by scientists as the most vulnerable region of the US to impacts of climate change due to rising sea levels, floods and major hurricane activity.

An example of this is the tourist city Miami Beach, the most affected from floods when high tides coincide with heavy storms.

To prevent it, the city has installed drain pipes to control the effects of particularly high tides, known as 'King' tides.

According to the mayors, these are "expensive measures to protect homes, businesses, and infrastructure" which can only serve as provisional solutions.

"We are doing what we can at the local level, but the big changes have to come from our elected leaders at the national level," said Philip Stoddard, mayor of South Miami.

Since 1870 the rising sea level along the southeastern coast of Florida has increased by 30 centimeters (12 inches), while the global average was 20 centimeters (8 inches), according to the latest report from the World Resources Institute (WRI).

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