DeSantis Signs Bill Removing Climate Change Considerations from Florida Law

[Social Media]

 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a controversial bill on Wednesday that removes requirements for the state to consider climate change when crafting energy policies. The law also eliminates nearly all references to climate change from Florida's statutes. Key provisions of the law, set to take effect in July, include:

 

1. Prohibition of Offshore Wind Turbines: The law bans the installation of offshore wind turbines within Florida waters or within one mile of the state's coastline, despite no existing offshore wind facilities in the state.
2. Streamlining Natural Gas Pipeline Approvals: The legislation removes certain regulatory barriers, facilitating the approval process for natural gas pipelines.
3. Elimination of Renewable Energy Goals: It strips state officials of the authority to set renewable energy goals, effectively halting progress towards cleaner energy alternatives.

 

Governor DeSantis defended the legislation in a social media post, framing it as a rejection of what he termed the "radical green zealots" and an effort to restore rationality to Florida’s energy policies. Environmental leaders have sharply criticized the new law, arguing that it disregards the significant environmental challenges facing Florida. Yoca Arditi-Rocha, executive director at the CLEO Institute, highlighted the various environmental threats Floridians face, including:

 

• Rising Sea Levels: As a state with extensive coastlines, Florida is particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise.
• Extreme Heat: Increasing temperatures pose health risks and exacerbate existing environmental issues.
• High Property Insurance Costs: The state has seen a mass exodus of insurers, many citing high catastrophe costs associated with climate change.
• Frequent Flooding and Severe Storms: Climate change is contributing to more frequent and severe weather events.

 

Arditi-Rocha emphasized that the removal of statutory language acknowledging these threats undermines efforts to protect Floridians and appears to prioritize fossil fuel industry profits over public interest. The bill's passage comes after Florida recorded its warmest year since 1895 in 2023, with an average annual temperature of 73.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The state has also experienced significant insurance market disruptions, driven by a combination of increasing natural disaster costs, litigation, and fraud.

 

Governor DeSantis has a history of contentious interactions with environmental advocates and has taken a combative stance against Biden administration environmental policies during his 2024 presidential campaign. Despite his opposition to federal climate policies, DeSantis has previously opposed offshore drilling and fracking in Florida, citing risks to the state's environment.

 

In another recent move, DeSantis signed legislation preventing local governments from establishing their own heat protections for outdoor workers, further fueling debates over his administration's approach to environmental and worker safety issues. DeSantis’s newly signed legislation represents a significant shift in Florida’s energy policy, removing climate change considerations and easing regulatory hurdles for fossil fuel projects.

 

While proponents argue it will restore practical energy policy, critics contend it neglects the pressing environmental challenges facing the state and favors industry profits over public welfare. As Florida grapples with the impacts of climate change, the implications of this legislative change will likely continue to spark debate and influence the state's future policy directions.

 

Credit: The Hill 2024-05-18

 

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[Tug]

I’m all for it IF it strips Florida of ANY federal assistance due to climate change catastrophes!heck we could use the funds saved to help states who want to help solve the climate change damages.of course that kinda hard on the normal folks

[thaibeachlovers]

Good news. The fight against the myth begins.

 

Contrary to the propaganda, it's not proven that we caused it, or that it can be changed only if we make Elon very rich and build lots of bird killing windmills.

[thaibeachlovers]

Rising Sea Levels: As a state with extensive coastlines, Florida is particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise.

Extreme Heat: Increasing temperatures pose health risks and exacerbate existing environmental issues.

............................................

Frequent Flooding and Severe Storms: Climate change is contributing to more frequent and severe weather events.

 

IMO none of the above can be changed by laws, or paying more taxes.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Social Media said:

High Property Insurance Costs: The state has seen a mass exodus of insurers, many citing high catastrophe costs associated with climate change.

The market will be more efficient at changing things for the better than laws. If people can't insure or pay for insurance, they won't build in inappropriate places like on the waterfront or in forests.

[Stargeezr]

[bkk_mike]

1 hour ago, Stargeezr said:

You know the rock was moved, don't you?

That's also only the top of the original rock because they built a wharf where it was originally.

[bendejo]

 

Didn't that lizard-looking guy that preceded him already block every possible thing climate-related?

 

 

34 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

I wonder if there is a virus called stupidity crawling into supposed to be educated people?

 

I am under the impression that many people get their degrees by being special friends with their teachers.  I went to uni (comparatively) late in life, so I was filled with expectation.  Instead, I came away with the vow to never take a person's degree designations seriously ever again.

 

[ujayujay]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Good news. The fight against the myth begins.

 

Contrary to the propaganda, it's not proven that we caused it, or that it can be changed only if we make Elon very rich and build lots of bird killing windmills.

 Dreamer, also you will wake up

[placeholder]

3 hours ago, Stargeezr said:

Another thing is that even if it were in its original position, one photo takes no account of tides.

[placeholder]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

But, but, but, don't you know that sea level rises in some parts of the world and not in other parts? The places it rises are usually where money is to be made by the climate change scam industry.

Some of them will probably try to tell you that the rock is on top of a formation that is rising at the same speed as the sea level is rising.

 

I only have to go to the local beach to know that the sea level rise has been negligible in the past 65 years.

 

Never mind, the sheeple will believe it.

Clearly you are not up-to-date about this issue. The question of whether the sea is rising is no longer being measured solely by the level of the sea in relation to land. Rather satellite altimetry is now playing a crucial role. And it tells us that not only are the seas rising, but that they are doing do at an accelerated rate.

https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/topics/climate-indicators/atmospheric-ocean-indicators/sea-level-rise

[rickudon]

What about isostatic rebound in Massachusetts? Last ice age there was a large ice sheet over most of New England, When it melted the loss of mass meant that the land mass would start to rise. Couldn't find anything about current rate for the area, but in the UK isostatic readjustment means that Scotland rises by up to 10 cm a century.

 

So lack of sea level rise previously may not be related to warming, but isostatic readjustment. Future predictions are that sea levels will rise by about one foot by mid century in the area.

[placeholder]

11 minutes ago, rickudon said:

What about isostatic rebound in Massachusetts? Last ice age there was a large ice sheet over most of New England, When it melted the loss of mass meant that the land mass would start to rise. Couldn't find anything about current rate for the area, but in the UK isostatic readjustment means that Scotland rises by up to 10 cm a century.

 

So lack of sea level rise previously may not be related to warming, but isostatic readjustment. Future predictions are that sea levels will rise by about one foot by mid century in the area.

Exactly. And, of course, in some parts of the world the land is sinking in relation to sea level. For instance in some urban areas, like Bangkok and Djakarta, the land is actually sinking because of overexploitation of ground water. Which is why simply measuring sea level in relation to land means calculations are a lot more complicated. But even without satellite telemetry, it's obvious that ocean warming alone is going to contribute to the rise in sea level. And there's also the fact that glaciers are overwhelmingly shrinking. Eventually, that meltwater ends up in the sea.

[natway09]

Should laws as serious as this not be made by intelligent people at a federal level federal government ?

[Purdey]

Like every other politician, de Santis will be begging for government money when the seas rise and the hurricanes hit. 

https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-hurricanes-biden-government-and-politics-florida-0e744d06ce002f399e37b0f968854e89

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Purdey said:

Like every other politician, de Santis will be begging for government money when the seas rise and the hurricanes hit. 

https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-hurricanes-biden-government-and-politics-florida-0e744d06ce002f399e37b0f968854e89

Not his lifetime, (due to rising seas) or his grandkids, or his grandkids' grandkids 

 

IMHO

[Danderman123]

13 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Good news. The fight against the myth begins.

 

Contrary to the propaganda, it's not proven that we caused it, or that it can be changed only if we make Elon very rich and build lots of bird killing windmills.

 

Humans produce carbon Dioxide at record levels that trap heat in the lower atmosphere.

 

Just because you flunked Science doesn't mean you should misinform other people.

[Danderman123]

13 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

 

Contrary to the propaganda, it's not proven that we caused it, or that it can be changed only if we make Elon very rich and build lots of bird killing windmills.

To go full circle, the guy in charge of satellites that measure sea level rise was looking to buy a house, and I got involved in the search. Along the way, I talked to him about launching his satellites using Elon's rockets (at the time, NASA didn't fly on SpaceX). Afterwards, that's exactly what he did, so the sea level measurement satellites fly on Elon's rockets.

 

That should be good for some more conspiracy theories from you.

[Danderman123]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Not his lifetime, (due to rising seas) or his grandkids, or his grandkids' grandkids 

 

IMHO

 

How about now?

 

 

Miami Beach and Rising Seas

[JonnyF]

Always liked Ron.

 

Good to see him taking a stand against the doomsday cultists.

 

[KhunLA]

6 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

 

Humans produce carbon Dioxide at record levels that trap heat in the lower atmosphere.

 

Just because you flunked Science doesn't mean you should misinform other people.

Land masses shifting, continental drift, sea level & tides controlled by lunar gravitational pull, and rotations of both around each other (sun, moon, earth), all things shifting ... yea, science.

 

Not melting ice & rainfall.  Y'all probably think the tides come in & out ... 

 

In case you need a visual aid ...

 

If anything man made, would probably be the ever expand metro areas along waterways and coastal areas, where mismanaged water run off, no long goes in the ground but is directed into the streams & rivers and eventually out into the seas.   That's a bit of a stretch also.

[honcho]

7 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

 

Humans produce carbon Dioxide at record levels that trap heat in the lower atmosphere.

 

Just because you flunked Science doesn't mean you should misinform other people.

yes but scientist dont all agree... its not fact but theory..so far sea levels have not changed, and no one can predict the futere. in with de santis on this one

[pomchop]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Humans take up such a small part of the land mass of earth, and the land mass itself, takes up a small part of the earth's total area.   Amazing people think humans have that much of impact on the earth, the every changing landscape or the weather.

 

Thinking anything you have done, will do, with all that tax money, could or would change the inevitable.  Our existence here is so minutely incidental it's mind boggling, that people think they can control nature.

 

It's all about the money ...

 

and the sun shines down on the oceans that cover most of the earth and have massive impacts on what happens on the land masses in terms of weather and yes climate....and when man made co2 destroys layers of the atmosphere more sunlight hits the oceans and the temps go up....it's not rocket science but it is science something that seems to elude internet sleuths that think they know more than experts who study decades or even centuries of data and measure everything down to the millimeters.

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, bkk_mike said:

And some people won't bother to check if Plymouth rock got moved when they extended the harbour.

The only relevant thing would be if it was moved to a higher location. Was it? If it was put at the same elevation it's still indicating that sea level rise is just another hoax by the man made climate change lobby looking to cash in on the gullible.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Humans take up such a small part of the land mass of earth, and the land mass itself, takes up a small part of the earth's total area.   Amazing people think humans have that much of impact on the earth, the every changing landscape or the weather.

 

Thinking anything you have done, will do, with all that tax money, could or would change the inevitable.  Our existence here is so minutely incidental it's mind boggling, that people think they can control nature.

 

It's all about the money ...

No point in posting sense on the IMO man made climate change scam. Like science, opinions are fixed, are they not?

[thaibeachlovers]

12 hours ago, Purdey said:

Like every other politician, de Santis will be begging for government money when the seas rise and the hurricanes hit. 

https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-hurricanes-biden-government-and-politics-florida-0e744d06ce002f399e37b0f968854e89

He's as entitled to federal assistance when natural disaster hits as any state that is all into the IMO man made climate changed scam.

[thaibeachlovers]

16 hours ago, natway09 said:

Should laws as serious as this not be made by intelligent people at a federal level federal government ?

??????????????

State law is made by the states, or are you suggesting eliminating states?

 

BTW, your claim that there are intelligent people at federal level is not necessarily correct.

[Skipalongcassidy]

17 hours ago, natway09 said:

Should laws as serious as this not be made by intelligent people at a federal level federal government ?

You are the master of the oxymoron... "intelligent federal government" should never be used in a sentence... it's misinformation at best... outright lying at worst.

[nattaya09]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Humans take up such a small part of the land mass of earth, and the land mass itself, takes up a small part of the earth's total area.   Amazing people think humans have that much of impact on the earth, the every changing landscape or the weather.

 

Thinking anything you have done, will do, with all that tax money, could or would change the inevitable.  Our existence here is so minutely incidental it's mind boggling, that people think they can control nature.

 

It's all about the money ...

I doubt the goal is to influence the climate as much as bankrupt wealthy western democracies

[placeholder]

7 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Land masses shifting, continental drift, sea level & tides controlled by lunar gravitational pull, and rotations of both around each other (sun, moon, earth), all things shifting ... yea, science.

 

Not melting ice & rainfall.  Y'all probably think the tides come in & out ... 

 

In case you need a visual aid ...

 

If anything man made, would probably be the ever expand metro areas along waterways and coastal areas, where mismanaged water run off, no long goes in the ground but is directed into the streams & rivers and eventually out into the seas.   That's a bit of a stretch also.

It's bizarre that you bring up the issue of tides. Actually, it's denialists who exploit that by taking by comparing oceanfront photos from  previous decades and comparing them to current ones without taking note of  the effect of tides. So a photo taken at high tide 50 years ago might look the same as one taken at low tide today. And you seem utterly ignorant of how satellite telemetry can gauge the change in sea level over the years.

And you take no note of the fact that the seas are getting warmer. So they are expanding. Or do you believe that the warming seas aren't expanding? As far as anyone  tell, the only way they have to expand is upwards.

As for shifting of natural phenomena. Like virtually all denialists you seem to have no idea of the significance of the rate of change. I guess you believe that if someone puts money into some sort of savings account, the rate of interest doesn't matter. Just so long as there's interest.

[placeholder]

5 hours ago, honcho said:

yes but scientist dont all agree... its not fact but theory..so far sea levels have not changed, and no one can predict the futere. in with de santis on this one

Global mean sea level has risen about 8–9 inches (21–24 centimeters) since 1880. The rising water level is mostly due to a combination of melt water from glaciers and ice sheets and thermal expansion of seawater as it warms. In 2022, global mean sea level was 101.2 millimeters (4 inches) above 1993 levels, making it the highest annual average in the satellite record (1993-present).

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-sea-level#:~:text=The rising water level is,record (1993-present).