but with surging projections for sea level rise over the next century, heading to south florida is like watching the beginning of a disaster movie. you know things are about to get messy.

the national oceanic and atmospheric administration and u.s. army corps of engineers expect seas to rise between 1.5 to 3 feet over the next 50 years, and possibly up to 5 feet by the end of the century. that would mean more than a million homes under water, a ruined coastline and endangered drinking water.

but i want to change this disaster movie’s ending.

i went home to investigate sea level rise because i want to shake people to action. south florida citizens need to take the issue into account when moving properties. politicians and city planners need to put public funds into adaptation and awareness plans. we all need to help by cutting our carbon footprint, as expanding seas due to global warming is causing the tides to rise faster.

city governments are doing some work, i found. cities like west palm beach are doing some work to change building codes to account for sea level rise. but it’s not enough, especially if major hurricanes hit over the next few years. the preparation efforts need to expand to the state and federal level.

this is a human issue. south florida is not just home to to real estate moguls and retirees, but low-income residents and immigrants. the awareness and preparation efforts are especially absent in their lives, even though their low-lying houses in fort lauderdale and miami dade county are most vulnerable.

and this is an issue of saving our homes — not just physical property, but our majestic beaches and breathtaking landscape. right now, it’s prime target for a disaster movie shoot.

wonder if your city is at risk? this study from rolling stone has the answers.

wonder what you can do? get educated on the issue at  the florida oceans and coastal council.

cory weinberg is a senior majoring in economics at the george washington university. chloe sorvino is a senior majoring in journalism and mass communication at the george washington university.

fracking is part of a contentious debate across the u.s. but just how did we get to this modern day gold rush? how did we get to 82,000?

the fracking boom took off once scientists figured out how to tap shale rock. shale gas now accounts for 40 percent of all natural gas in the u.s, bringing in big money, revitalizing rural areas across the country and creating over a million jobs and counting.

this map from the us energy information administration shows possible fracking sites across the country. click for a larger version.

while fracking was present in some areas of the country before last decade, shale rock discoveries in places like pennsylvania set off the natural gas craze. but it had consequences.

in 2011, a pennsylvania fracking site blew up, sending 30,000 gallons of contaminated fluid into rivers that lead into the chesapeake bay and give water to 6 million people. the state of maryland is now sueing chesapeake energy.

fracking’s opportunities and dangers were brought on by decades of relaxed regulations for oil and gas companies, which were exempted from the safe drinking water act and clean air act.

thus, here lies the conundrum: fracking is getting people jobs and supplying us with energy. but activists call it pandora’s box because there are question marks about just how safe it is for our water, land and air.

but keep waiting for 2014. that’s when the environmental protection agency will release the first comprehensive study on the impact of fracking, and we can find out whether the 82,000 wells are helping or hurting us.

do you think fracking is worth it? would you be okay with it in your backyard? sound off in the comments while we wait for the epa’s report.

cory weinberg is a senior majoring in economics at the george washington university. chloe sorvino is a senior majoring in journalism and mass communication at the george washington university.