SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. — Climate change: It's an issue some politicians skirt around, but one that forward-thinking Florida cities, like Satellite Beach, are tackling right now.

“What we want to do is really try to engineer our way out of a lot of the problems, and I think, in many cases, we can," Satellite Beach City Manager Courtney Barker said. “The hard part about climate change [is] planning for something you can’t really see, yet.”

In 2009, the city's planning advisory board began looking at sea-level rise, convincing the city to write a grant in order to conduct a preliminary study into the topic. 

Six years later, Satellite Beach conducted a second study; the vulnerability analysis was more detailed, with projected environmental impacts stretching decades out. 

It also provided a dire warning to compel action now.

“There will be areas of the city where we have street water sitting in the streets in 2050," Barker said of the study findings. “If we want to remain in these communities, we need to start paying attention."

Effect of Climate Change Can Be Seen in Coastal Erosion, Rising Water Table

South Patrick Drive is one of the lowest points of Satellite Beach, and the area in front of the fire station sees the brunt of the flooding, though it often depends on the height of the river.

At times, the river backs up into storm drains and fills the streets, especially by the David R. Schecter Community Center.

But, Barker says they're already seeing the effects of a changing environment. The water table is rising underground, leaving pipes to sit in water and impact utilities. 

“We do have stormwater pipes on the west side of the city sitting in water right now," she said.

Water rushes into cracked sewer pipes and overloads the sewage plant during heavy rains and storms.

For that reason, they're moving the municipal buildings located along South Patrick, like the fire station and public works building, to higher ground. 

“Any land development regulations, building, all those things take a long time to plan. So it’s important you look out 20-50 years to make sure you’re not doing something or paying for something that you’re going to have to re-address," she explained.

The rising water table is not the only concern.

Sea-level rise is eroding the coastline as the sea pushes the dunes further back and peels away any buffer beach properties might have. One home lost its backyard and pool because of substantial erosion, with the ocean getting all the way up to its backdoor.

Barker grew up in Satellite Beach and spent most days at the beach, body boarding and surfing. For many residents, she said, life in the city is about beach and nature.

While the beach was never large, it's become skinnier and skinnier as time has passed. So much beach has been lost to erosion that as she walks it now, the tide washes over her feet and hits the steps that arch the dune behind her. 

Climate Change Has Become Politicized

While in Satellite Beach the effects of climate change are readily visible, Barker said she understands why leaders elsewhere kick the can down the road when it comes to tackling issues of environmental impact.

“They’re looking at their term, what they want to accomplish during their term," she said. “The hard part about climate change is that it’s so far away. So, it’s really hard for elected leaders particularly to take a long-term view."

University of Central Florida professor Peter Jacques, who studies climate change and environmental politics, agreed. "It’s a slow-moving problem that is hard for us to get our collective heads around,” Jacques said. “And it’s hard to have short-term politicians commit to long-term changes."

Some politicians even cast doubts on the concerns raised by scientists.

"Climate science itself has been politicized by actors who don’t want us to pay attention to climate science, that has been popularized in terms of a controversial issue," Jacques said. “The reality is that America is polarized on this issue. We’re constantly making political decisions about how much we’re going to protect, how much we’re going to not protect, environmental quality.”

In reality, 97% of the scientists who study climate change and actively publish studies on the topic are in agreement and adhere to what is called a consensus statement.

“The Earth is warming because of human emissions, and those are going to have negative impacts," Jacques explained.

The United States has been reducing emissions over time, not for policy reasons, Jacques said, but for economic ones: Energy companies have significantly moved to natural gas sources and have gone green to save money.

When it comes to the role the government could play in improving the environment and slowing climate change, Jacques said that voters have "pretty clear choices" in this year’s presidential election.

"If you’re looking for someone to listen to science, that’s [former Vice President Joe] Biden,” Jacques said. “If you’re someone who wants to prioritize traditional energy sources over climate concerns, obviously that’s Trump. Trump has made no bones about not having respect for scientists and science in general.”

Nature is forcing Florida’s leaders to confront climate change and take action. Extreme events, like hurricanes, have already spurred South Florida to invest millions of dollars to try to revamp some of its infrastructure to protect it from water intrusion, so King Tides don’t roll in through storm sewers, Jacques said.

“Every time we enter the hurricane season now, Floridians feel this," he said, "We expect that we’re going to have stronger storms, and I don’t know anybody in Florida who really wants that."

Barker said that is why Satellite Beach needs to act now.

The city is buying up beachfront property to push development to the western side of State Road A1A; it now owns 40 percent within its boundaries. City leaders also are increasing construction setbacks by 15 feet, considering allowing residents to stilt their homes, and working with the county on costly beach renourishment to hold the line and maintain the dunes.

"All of these dunes support an ecosystem, and our city is very much in favor of keeping that," Barker said.

Other cities, like St. Augustine, have also been studying the effects of climate change on their city for years. Now, neighboring Brevard County cities, such as Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, are following suit. 

When it comes to tackling climate change, there is much at stake, Barker said.

“It’s our way of life; it’s why we live here," she said. "“We really do need to start thinking about how our actions contribute to climate change. I think most people now are understanding climate change is an issue we need to address. I think now it’s just wondering how.”

Read it: Satellite Beach's sea-level rise planning assessment