Advertisement
VIDEO | 01:29
Florida is removing ‘climate change’ from state law

Florida is removing ‘climate change’ from state law

A controversial new bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis will see most uses of the phrase ‘climate change’ removed from state law.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a controversial new bill that will largely throw out the “climate change” from state law. Literally — even deleting entire sections of some laws that feature those words.

Here’s one example given by the Tampa Bay Times on the state’s energy mission: “the Legislature finds that … the impacts of global climate change can be reduced through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.”

That will instead be reworded to focus on developing a “cost-effective supply of energy for the state… that promotes… public and economic growth.”

Rewiring Florida’s energy priorities, the legislation will ban off-shore wind farms and bolster natural gas, protecting gas appliances in the home while reducing regulation of gas pipelines in the state.

DeSantis went to X to praise the bills for “rejecting the agenda of the radical green zealots.”

You may be asking yourself: why can’t we live in a world where climate change isn’t partisan?

The urgency of worsening floods, storms and sea-level rise isn’t lost on the governor’s administration: DeSantis has invested over a billion dollars in climate adaptation projects for the low-lying state… including flood research funding at USF.

But the link to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions has been. Former goals toward developing renewable energy capabilities have been nullified by the signing of this legislation.

And all while most Floridians believe that climate change is happening, and are overwhelmingly supportive of state action.

Advertisement