Polsky, Colin

Flood events are becoming more frequent and intense as time progresses, ushering in a “new normal” for life in South Florida, a life that presumably requires flood literacy for resilience. Utilizing a 45-question digital survey, flood literacy of 600 participants from Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties was assessed. Using seven indices developed for this study including residency, flood terminology literacy, flood insurance literacy, floodplain literacy, flood experience, risk communication awareness, and mitigation strategies, it was found that less than 80% of participants were flood literate, with most indicating low experience with flooding and mitigation. Interaction with risk communications and consideration of flood impacts in residency decisions were indicated as moderate. Due to inconsistencies in parts of analysis, further stratification of index topics and unification of questions types would be beneficial for future iterations of this study.

South Florida is at the frontlines of climate change impacts. Facing increases in heat waves, flooding, and intensity of storms, climate change has direct detriments on the residents of this region. This research examines the evidence of Climate Change Anxiety (CCA) within Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties. Using the CCA instrument developed by Susan Clayton and Bryan Karazsia in 2020, this study replicates analyses of variables conducted in prior research on the national level. This research found South Floridians are experiencing moderate levels of anxiety caused by climate change. Additionally, significant relationships exist between CCA and newly examined variables such as family situations, politics, and sociological perceptions. Sociological perceptions such as identities described in Dan Kahan’s Cultural Cognition Theory help us understand how having different views of society and life may alter how an individual is affected by CCA.

Florida has 906,465 residential properties facing substantial flood risk, making it imperative to understand how the public may perceive and respond to this risk. Providing people with scientific information may not be enough to impact behavior and decrease losses from flood events. We show participants (n = 20) scientific flood risk graphics and ask behavioral questions to evaluate responses based on the rational actor paradigm (RAP), psychometric paradigm, and cultural theory. We find results consistent with the RAP in 48% of cases, primarily in low risk scenarios. Participants from high income households are more likely to make rational decisions (80%) than those from low income households (~37%). Feelings of dread potentially help explain 40% of deviations from the RAP, while trust in flood experts helps explain 85% of non-RAP cases. Future flood risk communication should incorporate dread and trust in experts into messaging considerations as rationality alone is insufficient.

As flood risk rises in the U.S., technology and insights rise too, but even with these advances we still see the consequences of flood risk. Together, the rational actor paradigm (“RAP”), psychometrics, and cultural theory help to explain risk perceptions and behaviors of 20 respondents. Results from the mixed-methods approach found the RAP insufficient, less accurate than a coin toss (48%), when explaining respondent behaviors. Rather, risk perceptions and behaviors of the RAP explain the behaviors of lower risk portrayal groups (66%) and higher income groups (80%), with higher risk portrayals being relying on respondents’ trust in flood experts (45%) and cultural worldviews (55%). Cultural identities explain 65% of respondents’ behaviors across levels of risk portrayal (500-, 100-, and 25-year floodplain), and risk portrayal types (cumulative and AAL). In a world with increased risk, technology, and knowledge, researchers need understand the explanatory power of the RAP, psychometrics, and cultural theory.

Climate patterns over the past century served to amplify the frequency and intensity of environmental hazards, including flooding, wind and heat. While indicators like SoVi and BRIC begin to characterize how people and places fair against hazards, they can be limited in scope. Through the administration of household surveys, I investigate the usefulness of such indicators by examining the roles communication, infrastructure, institutional efforts, financial independence, knowledge, mobility and social capital play in producing resilience within the Estates of Fort Lauderdale Community in Dania Beach, FL. While results confirm BRIC’s Medium-High Resilience community classification, they push beyond Census data to pinpoint underlying resilience processes. Responses indicate community classification, they push beyond Census data to pinpoint underlying resilience processes. Responses indicate that place attachment and community connectedness encourage weather-related information sharing, limited experiences and skills impede weather preparedness and response actions, and weather preparedness and response experiences are associated with less evacuation than expected. Findings prove to be richer and more policy and program actionable.

Traditional lawn care for suburban American households merits examination from both ecological and social perspectives. Such practices have potentially detrimental consequences on human and natural systems that will continue to grow with urbanization. Consequently, further characterization of the complex, multiscale processes in which lawn management decisions are rooted could enhance methods for encouraging the adoption of alternatives to industrialized lawn care. This study conceptualizes mesoscale, or neighborhood-level, influences on watering, fertilizing, and mowing practices in Baltimore city, through a modified grounded theory analysis of key informant interviews in Mount Washington, Westfield, and Park Circle. This study finds that mesoscale processes play a significant role in the residential lawn care of these neighborhoods. The applicable processes vary by the community’s social cohesion and tenets. As socioeconomic status and social cohesion increases within the study area, the influence of informal authority in residential lawn care increases. Results demonstrate potential policy implications.

Human reliance on the goods and services provided by ecosystems and the global
decline in the health of many of these ecosystems, necessitates ecosystem valuation for the
purposes of decision-making and conservation policy. The literature suggests that conventionally
employed economic valuation methods have been unsuccessful in capturing the full scope of the
benefits ecosystems provide, particularly those benefits that are considered cultural. This
research explores public perceptions of salt marsh value through the use of focus groups in
marsh-adjacent communities in Massachusetts, Virginia, and Georgia. Results suggest that in
case study communities, outdoor experiences in salt marshes inspire serenity in Massachusetts,
shape shore and “marsh” identities in Virginia, and promote stewardship cultivation in Georgia.
Perceived threats to these benefits, such as the threat of residential development, industrial
pollution, and increasing flood risk, together constitute the context for various community
responses related to marsh protection. Results contribute to existing economic valuations.

Coastal ecosystems, such as the salt marsh of the Georgia coast, have long been valued for decision-making purposes based on market-values of goods and services including: fishery landings, hedonic pricing of waterfront homes, and tourism dollars. These values do not show the full picture of services provided by these ecosystems. Using focus group discussions and key informant interviews I investigate socio-cultural values and benefits provided by salt marsh ecosystems in central coastal Georgia. Participants noted that through their experiences in marshes they developed a desire to be stewards. This desire, coupled with the industrial pollution, residential development, and sea-level rise threats in the area result in a need for cooperative conservation and thus better enforcement of existing regulations. This relational value persisted across geographic locations and sample populations. My results show the importance of utilizing diverse members of community to elicit qualitative value statements.