Sandcastles

I remember quite well, I was seven or eight,         C G D G
A Sunday school lesson to set us all straight.         D7 Em  A7 D7
How you build on a rock if you want it to stand.    G7 B7 C G
How only a fool builds a house upon sand.         C G D7   G  CGD (2)

Now I’d been to the beach with my shovel and pail,
And not even once did a castle prevail.
So what he was saying, I knew to be true.
I wondered if Jesus built sandcastles too.      

Now the very best place if you want to build high,
Right down by  the water it isn’t so dry
It’s the best real estate, but the price that you pay
Is after a while it all washes away.

Now I’m quite a lot older, and it seems so absurd       C  C#dim
That people don’t seem to be getting the word.           Bm  E7
Some lessons are harder to teach.                               D A  D  A#dim
Still building right here on the beach.                        Bm A7  D D7

Hey, haven’t you noticed the temperature climb?      C G D G
Noticed you’re sinking, an inch at a time?                    D7 Em A7 D7
If you’re willing to listen, a very wise man                    G7 B7 C G
Said only a fool builds a house upon sand.                    C  G  D– G —

Now sisters and brothers, do not be deceived!           C  C#dim
You want to be saved, well, you’ve got to believe!      Bm  E7
Believe that the science is true!                                      D A D  A#dim
Believe it can happen to you!                                         Bm A7 D D7 

Believe it’ll happen, can’t tell you when.
If it happened here once, it’ll happen again.
And I think that as long as insurance will pay,
The castles we build will keep washing away.
The castles we build will keep washing away.    

©Doug Hendren 2025

What’s it about?  Our political leaders would do well to heed a lesson I learned as a child in Sunday school  – The parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27). Coastal real estate, especially along the US east coast and gulf coast, is increasingly vulnerable to economic damages as the effects of climate disruption becomes increasingly evident.

The United States is exposed to high economic risk from climate disruption for several reasons: We have enormous capital investment in our coastal cities, which are regularly exposed to hurricanes. While hurricane frequency has not increased in recent years, their power and destruction has been steadily rising. This is due in part to rising sea levels, but also because more powerful storms create bigger storm surges. See this excellent short animation for how storm surges work.

Miami is the poster child of American cities at risk from climate disruption. Its average elevation is just 6 feet above mean high water. The entire North American insurance industry could not replace the city of Miami.

Despite the clear and accelerating trends, new high-rise buildings are going up daily along Florida beaches. As I wrote in “Everglades Rolling In” (2018):

All those hotels in Miami  /  Better build ’em while you can,
Right up to the minute   /   When the science hits the fan!

While these sweet dreams are very seductive, we can predict how the story will eventually play out for homeowners:

Do you really still need more proof,
Watching rescue boats from your roof?

Rather than continuing to build fantasies on the beach, we will do better to invest in a sensible, low-carbon economy.  If we work together, it is never too late to change the future.