Florida lawmakers are facing the impacts of rising seas and record temperatures, but are opting to delete mentions of climate change from state laws. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new bill into law that makes significant changes to the state’s energy policy, removing sections that discuss cutting planet-warming pollution and giving preference to natural gas while banning offshore wind energy. The bill also eliminates references to climate and fuel efficiency requirements for state-purchased vehicles, with DeSantis stating that the law will protect the state from “green zealots.”
The move to deemphasize policies that would mitigate climate change is concerning to experts, with George Washington University law professor Emily Hammond noting that Florida is going further than any other state in repealing existing climate laws. Despite Florida being one of the most vulnerable states in the country to climate impacts, the state is erasing mentions of climate change while focusing on increasing resilience to storms and flooding. DeSantis and lawmakers have invested over $1.1 billion in community resilience efforts, appointing a chief resilience officer to address climate change and sea-level rise as significant challenges.
While Florida is taking steps to address climate impacts, the state has been hesitant to accept federal funding for climate and clean energy initiatives. DeSantis vetoed millions of dollars in federal energy rebates and grants, and the state declined to compete for a significant amount of federal climate grants. Instead, numerous Florida metropolitan areas are pursuing the funding independently. Experts note that this approach of funding adaptation efforts without acknowledging the root cause of climate change aligns with a conservative perspective that focuses on adapting to climate impacts without addressing the need to move away from fossil fuels.
The decision by Florida lawmakers to erase mentions of climate change from laws and reject federal funding for clean energy initiatives is seen as a move that undermines efforts to mitigate climate change and address its impacts. With Florida being particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme temperatures, experts emphasize the importance of acknowledging and addressing the root causes of climate change to protect the state and its residents. Despite investing in resilience efforts, the state’s reluctance to address climate change in policy and accept federal funding for climate initiatives raises concerns about its ability to adapt to and mitigate the effects of a changing climate.
