Elevation Zero

When it comes to climate change, one thing is certain: our oceans are rising. And South Florida is expected to be among the first regions on Earth to experience the impact. In fact, some initial preparations are already underway. WLRN-Miami Herald News presents a series of stories about the effects of sea-level rise. The project is called “Elevation Zero: Rising Seas In South Florida." Click through the pages below to see our entire archive of Elevation Zero stories.

Are Your Florida Officials 'Climate-Conscious'? Come To This Party To Find Out

WLRN 91.3 FM

Published August 22, 2017 at 3:41 PM EDT

Protesters pushing for government action on climate change make their way down Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale in April. They were part of the nationwide "People's Climate March."

2016 was a bad year for the planet.

It was the hottest year on record both on land and for the oceans, and had the highest concentration of greenhouse gases ever recorded, according to the 2016 State of the Climate report released earlier this month by the federal government.

In the face of that bleak news, climate organizations are holding an event Wednesday to support Florida elected officials who take on climate change. It's called the Climate-Conscious Candidates Celebration and it recognizes more than 70 Florida officials for things like supporting the Paris Climate Agreement, opposing offshore drilling and promoting resiliency in their communities.

Event organizers include the Miami-based CLEO Institute, the Miami Climate Alliance and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Staff with those groups say a goal is to draw voters’ attention to the officials who they say are doing a good job on climate issues.

That's good news for South Florida residents like Jennifer Snyder, who was at a recent CLEO Institute climate education event. Snyder says awareness of climate change is a good first step, but people need to take action to limit damage done by rising seas and other climate change-driven phenomena.

"I want to stay living here. I’m a native. I was born and raised here," she said. "So what do I do to stay?"

The Climate-Conscious Candidates Celebration is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Terr., Miami. It's open to the public and you can register here.