Climate Change: We Can All Help!

You’ve probably seen it yourself.

If not, you’ve heard about it on NPR or read about it in the Miami Herald.

A new study from the University of Miami shows the rate of sea-level rise has tripled over the last decade in South Florida.

Miami Beach is working hard to combat the effects of climate change, by building a seawall, constructing pump stations, and raising road elevation levels.  

Climate change, and South Florida’s own vulnerability to the issues at hand, are affecting us right now. Fortunately, we can follow Miami Beach’s example and work hard to make our homes safer and lower our impact on the environment.

As a Miami metal roof provider, we know the roofers we work with care about energy usage, sustainability, and the environmental impact of repairing and installing roofs.

If you’re a roofer, you work with homeowners every day. And you’re probably a homeowner yourself. We can see both sides of the story, so we know how important ecologically-friendly homes are to the environment.

And, as it turns out, many of the homeowners our best customers work with care about their environmental impact, too.

The purpose of this blog post is not to cry doom and gloom– instead, we want to spotlight the efforts of many roofers and homeowners and our community who are working to make a positive change, and to help you find a few ways you can help out, too.

Hope for Homeowners

If you’ve been a homeowner in South Florida for more than a few years, you’ve probably seen some changes in the coast and the water level. And it’s just going to change more.

From Climate Central:

“Rising seas, a population crowded along the coast, porous bedrock, and the relatively common occurrence of tropical storms put more real estate and people at risk from storm surges aggravated by sea level rise in Florida, than any other state by far.

Some 2.4 million people and 1.3 million homes, nearly half the risk nationwide, sit within 4 feet of the local high tide line. Sea level rise is more than doubling the risk of a storm surge at this level in South Florida by 2030. For the hundreds of thousands of Floridians holding 30-year mortgages, that date is not far off in the future…

… A recent Florida Atlantic University study estimated that just 6 more inches of sea level rise — very plausible within two decades — would cripple about half of South Florida’s flood control capacity.”

Whether you’re thinking as a homeowner or thinking as someone who installs roofs for homeowners, those numbers are alarming.

But they don’t have to be.

No matter your budget, you can work in a few small things to reduce your carbon footprint, lower your energy bills, and help preserve South Florida as a great place to live.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Using less heat and air conditioning during peak energy times – Weekday afternoons are generally peak energy times. People tend to turn on the air conditioning when they get home from work. This causes many electrical utility companies to draw from older, less-efficient power plants to meet demand. That means your bill goes up, but it also puts a strain on the environment. You can use your air conditioning less often, use LED light bulbs, refrain from using large appliances during peak times, and use a programmable thermostat to reduce your impact.   
• Installing energy-efficient windows, appliances, and window coverings – Look for Energy Star appliances, thermal window shades, and energy efficient windows that help keep your home at an ideal temperature.
• Install a metal roofing system – Metal roofs are perfect for South Florida. They’re attractive, durable, help save on energy costs, help keep your home cooler, and are fully recyclable.
• Biking and public transportation – If you’re not in a rush to get somewhere, why not take a bike ride? It’s good exercise and it allows you to enjoy the splendor of Miami. Similarly, you can greatly reduce your carbon footprint by taking the bus or other public transportation just a couple times a week.

Fighting against climate change means working together. As homeowners, we all need to make small changes and adjustments for the greater good.

This isn’t a hopeless situation. If we’re all willing to make these changes, many of which don’t drastically alter our daily routines, we’ll be in much better shape.

Hope for Business Owners

If you’re a roofing contractor, you’re always looking for ways to save on your own energy costs. Similarly, you know that Miami homeowners generally like green roofing solutions.

If the homeowners you work with aren’t aware of climate change, there’s no sense in proclaiming an imminent doomsday. And homeowners often want what they want, and there’s very little a contractor can do to change their mind.

Just in case you’re having that conversation and it’s going well, though, here’s a good summary from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:

“Miami-Dade County, Florida, contains some of the most populated cities in the state. The population, combined with the location and topography, makes this county particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. In order to adapt to the changes that sea level rise will bring to this heavily populated, ecologically important area, Miami-Dade County recognizes the need for a cohesive approach to planning for climate change.”

You have to take homeowners on a case-by-case basis, but there are some things you can do within your own business to help combat the negative effects of climate change:

• Provide green building products to homeowners – For those homeowners who are environmentally conscious, you want to make sure you provide great, sustainable solutions for their needs.
• Offer metal roofing systems to homeowners – Ceramic and tile roofs are also popular in Miami, but metal roofing systems have a long lifespan, provide great value to homeowners, and are generally environmentally friendly.
• Recycle your waste – Whether it’s your office coffee cups, or the leftovers after a job, have a plan in place to recycle as much of your overall waste as possible.
• Offer “green incentive programs” to employees – Every business has different needs and different employees, but you can offer incentive programs to help your own employees “go green.” Here’s a great article on the topic with many suggestions. You can also get a green business certification from Miami-Dade County.
• Consider investing in more energy-efficient machinery, vehicles, and appliances – When you purchase a more energy-efficient vehicle, piece of equipment, or appliance for your business, you’re investing in the long term. It’s a great investment for your overhead, but also a good investment for the future of South Florida’s livability level. There may also be tax incentives.

We love living and working in South Florida. As a Miami metal roof provider, there’s no place we’d rather be.

We want Miami to continue to be a great place to live for our children and our grandchildren. The roofers we work with everyday agree, and they see the effects of climate change from a bird’s eye view.

The question isn’t whether climate change will affect us in the coming years– the question is if we’ll all do our part to help mitigate the damage and keep Miami an excellent place to live.

Judging from the great roofers and homeowners in our lives, we know the answer is “yes.”

Contact us to share your ideas on how we can all help cut down our carbon footprint, be it big or small!
~J.C.