newsFrom The Guardian - Climate Change
Summary
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs legislation removing mentions of climate change, boosting natural gas, and banning offshore wind turbines despite the state facing rising seas and extreme weather threats.
- DeSantis defends the bill on social media as a “commonsense approach to energy policy” and dismisses the concerns of those advocating for climate action.
- The legislation undermines the state’s previous efforts to address climate change and move towards renewable energy sources, opting instead for fossil fuel expansion.
- Floridians, experts, and environmental groups criticize the move, highlighting a disconnect between the state’s energy policy and the urgent need to combat climate change.
Key passages:
- Climate change will be a lesser priority in Florida and largely disappear from state statutes under legislation signed on Wednesday by the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, in a move which experts say ignores the reality of Florida’s climate threats.
- Florida is facing rising seas, extreme heat, flooding and increasingly severe storms.
- Greg Knecht, director of the Nature Conservancy in Florida, told the Washington Post the new measure was “very much out of line with public opinion”, with polls showing that a majority of Floridians believe in climate change and want action.
- It also ends a requirement that Florida state agencies look at a list of “climate-friendly” products before making purchases.
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Read the full post at The Guardian - Climate Change.
