Ashley Miznazi | Miami Herald

As costs continue to outpace wages and retirement incomes, some homeowners are making a high-stakes calculation to go without insurance altogether.

There’s no consensus on what’s driving Florida’s soaring insurance rates. A national report points to increasingly costly weather events — many of which are intensified by climate change — but some industry experts blame years of rampant litigation and soaring reinsurance costs.

Scientists in Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys are asking recreational snorkelers and divers for their help in monitoring reefs for bleaching and disease.

This year is predicted to be another big sargassum year, which could potentially be more record-breaking than the 2023 and 2025 seasons. And the problem is only expected to get worse.

Jorge Uribe, a luxury real estate agent, thought it would be an easy sale. Instead, it’s become one of the toughest properties to sell in his career. The property is one of many sites affected by gas leak contamination that became endemic during the 1980s. State-funded programs to clean up gas spills exist, but, in the case of this property, have proven to be ineffective and slow.

Sand is one of the most used resources in the world. It’s in our roads, buildings – and beer bottles. For people living along the coast, sand also defends against intense storms and sea level rise fueled by climate change.

The state is looking at “living shorelines” such as mangrove forests, oyster reef restoration and hybrid options like 3D-printed walls that help fight climate change.

The new law would prevent local governments from passing any “resolution, ordinance, rule, code or policy” that promotes net-zero goals. It also prohibits requiring assessments, fees or penalties to reach those goals.

Companies around the world are racing to bring this technology to market, and many of them say South Florida is the perfect testing ground. Some even believe you’ll see these flying overhead in just a few years.

The invasive pests, known as short-spined thrips, may be microscopic, but they’re a menacing threat. South Florida’s warming climate offers an ideal place for them to thrive — putting local nurseries at risk.

Most people who use public transit in Miami-Dade do it because they have to. But some choose it intentionally, aiming for a more sustainable lifestyle for both their health and the planet.

Miami-Dade is getting creative about one of its stinkiest problems: garbage.