Of the hundreds of homes lining the waterfront in Riviera Beach, Florida, Fane Lozman’s was a bit…unique. A 60-by-12-foot plywood structure plopped atop empty bilge space that kept it afloat, the floating home contained no engine, no rudder, no bow, and no sails; unlike neighboring houseboats, it had no means of self-propulsion, and could only
Category: Uncategorized
Florida’s Sinking Coast – Part 2
Mounting recognition of global warming and its likely effect on the Florida coast has mobilized many people in the state to take action. Though some continue to doubt the existence, much less the severity, of climate change, many Floridians are actively engaged in efforts to mitigate the damage that global warming is expected to inflict
Florida’s Sinking Coast – Part 1
The earth’s ice is melting at an unprecedented rate, and sea levels are rising just as rapidly. According to a recent study, ice melt has caused seawater levels to rise nearly 7.8 inches in the last 150 years alone. With 2016 slated to become the hottest year on record, ice melt and sea-level rise show
Paradise Found
For most folks, the appeal of beachfront living is the ability to open one’s blinds in the morning and watch the sunrise over calm waters just outside; it is the freedom to take a dip, a boat ride, or a stroll along the shore at one’s leisure; it is the luxury of enjoying a glass
Celebrity Beachfront Living
Leonardo DiCaprio put his Malibu beach house on the market last month, after 18 years of ownership. His asking price? A cool $10.95 million. DiCaprio purchased the home in 1998, on the heels of the release of Titanic – the colossally popular film that catapulted him into mega-stardom. The modern, bungalow-style house is modestly
Coastline Sustainability
Public beach along the coasts of the United States has become increasingly privatized and developed over the past half-century. Accompanying this development has been a massive influx of fences, barricades, jetties, and other barriers intended to keep the public away from these privately owned beaches. According to a growing number of recent reports by
Whose Beach Is It, Anyway?
Unbeknownst to the average beachgoer or coastal tourist, privately owned land comprises a sizable portion of our nation’s public beaches. As shown in the above picture of a coastal town in northern Virginia, property lines for oceanfront lots frequently spill over onto adjacent beach land, sometimes even extending well into the sea. Private parcels such
Spotlight: St. Johns River and Nancy Brand
When people think of Florida, the glitz and glam of places like Miami and Palm Beach often come to mind. Less talked about, but equally, if not more, worthy of acclaim, are the gorgeous river and lakefront towns of mid-Florida, whose popularity has seen a dramatic spike in the past decade. These mid-Florida counties
The Restorative Power of Water, Part 2
How are natural environments different? A growing number of environmental psychologists suggest that natural environments create a regenerative power for us. Unlike our built environments, natural environments engage us without overbearing us. Rather than grabbing and monopolizing our attention, they grant our minds the freedom to wander from one sensory experience to another as we
The Restorative Power of Water: Part One
You don’t have to buy a waterfront home to achieve serenity…you can just take a walk, a deep breath, and observe the natural surroundings. But recent research has shown that having a view from your home, particularly of water, can make a difference in your physical and mental condition and your abilities. People have