The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World

The Water Will Come

Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World

2017 • 336 pages

Ratings8

Average rating3.9

15

Thanks to Little, Brown and Company via NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It has not influenced my thoughts or opinions about this book.

Throughout this book, Goodell explores geographic regions and innovative technologies to see what can be done to reduce the impact of rising water. Ultimately, there are some questions that emerge:

- How can we depoliticize climate change and show the real and impending impact on human civilization?
- How will governments address buy-outs, flood damage, and relocation of peoples, towns, and cities?
- How will governments and societies address climate refugees, whose numbers may swell far above and beyond political refugees?
- How can we stop being so short-sighted with our thinking about investment defending communities against climate change?
- Will the Arctic be a new battleground in the fight for fossil fuels and developmental resources?

Overall, this is a well-researched book. I was pleased that Goodell explored not only Western (primarily American) concerns, but also those of the Marshallese and Nigerian. I did feel like the chapters dealing with Miami real estate developers and the role of nuclear and military facilities on the Eastern Seaboard to be a bit of a slog, but worth it to get to the other chapters.

November 3, 2017