Florida criticized for bill that removes climate change from state law May 18, 2024

When the water is too hot, corals expel their algae and turn white, an effect called “bleaching” that leaves them exposed to disease and at risk of dying.

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Florida criticized for bill that removes climate change from state law

Democrats on Thursday criticized a new bill introduced by Florida that makes climate change a lower priority and largely removes the phrase from the statutes of the hottest state in the continental United States.

The legislation, signed Wednesday by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and will take effect in July, also bans energy-generating wind turbines offshore or near the coast and reduces regulations on gas pipelines.

“The legislation I signed today... will keep windmills off our beaches, gas in our tanks, and China out of our state,” said DeSantis, who suspended his presidential campaign in January and backed Donald Trump for the White House.

“We are restoring sanity to our approach to energy and rejecting the agenda of radical green zealots.”

Critics said the measure ignores the threat of climate change in Florida, which is second only to Hawaii regarding average annual temperatures.

The so-called “Sunshine State” experienced a record heat wave last summer, when temperatures in its southern waters briefly exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8°C).

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described the move as “quite shameful” and warned that “we need to work much harder” to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.

“Climate change is an indisputable fact, not an open topic for debate,” added Frederica Wilson, a member of Florida's delegation to the US Congress, on the social media platform X.

“The dire consequences of the climate crisis are evident every day in Florida, and attempts to undermine efforts to combat this existential threat are utterly reckless and irresponsible.”

Of the state's 19.6 million inhabitants, 15 million live in coastal areas, according to the US government's Office of Coastal Management.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) assessed the impact of the 2023 heatwave at various locations along its 410-kilometer (255-mile) barrier reef - home to sea turtles, rays, sharks, dolphins, and many fish species.

They found that less than 22% of approximately 1,500 staghorn corals - a species listed as a candidate for endangered species protection - remained alive.

Robert Reich, Bill Clinton's secretary of labor from 1993 to 1997, said Florida was facing yet another record heat wave this week.

“Since 1980, there have been 87 weather/climate disaster events in Florida, with losses exceeding $1 billion each,” he posted on X.

“Getting into the culture wars will not protect Florida residents from the harsh realities of climate change.”

bur-ft/dw