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Florida Gov. DeSantis signs bill that deletes climate change from state law

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this week signed legislation that erases most references to climate change from state law. The new law takes effect July 1.

• https://www.npr.org/2024/05/17/1252012825/florida-gov-desantis-signs-bill-that-deletes-climate-change-from-state-law

NPR: Florida is about 74% reliant on natural gas to power electric generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Opponents of the bill DeSantis signed say it removes the word "climate' in nine different places, moves the state's energy goals away from efficiency and the reduction of greenhouse gases blamed for a warming planet.

(Interview Transcript / Excerpt)

STEVE INSKEEP: Florida did have goals to enhance renewable energy use. What happens to those goals now?

AMY GREEN: This law nullifies those goals, which were aimed at moving the state toward 100% clean energy by 2050, and that's a benchmark scientists say is necessary to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. Keep in mind that here in Florida, the primary energy source is natural gas. The renewable energy goals were implemented in 2022 after some 200 young Floridians, all under the age of 25, filed a petition for rulemaking calling for them. I talked with one of those young Floridians, Delaney Reynolds. She described the new policy as, in her words, despicable and actually infuriating to read about and follow.

INSKEEP: Although clearly, the Republican-led legislature in Florida had a different view.

GREEN: That's right. This law is also right in line with Governor Ron DeSantis' rhetoric on these issues. As governor, he's described himself as, quote, "not a global warming person," and he's focused the state's climate policy on the Resilient Florida Program, which his administration characterizes as a historic investment to prepare communities for rising seas, more intense storms and flooding, and that program is aimed at hardening the infrastructure here. As a former presidential candidate, he said he would expand American dominance in oil and gas, and went so far as to promise he would replace the words climate change with energy dominance in national security and foreign policy guidance, and you see that reflected in this state legislation.

INSKEEP: Does the legislation match with what Floridians want?

GREEN: Not really. A new survey out this week from Florida Atlantic University shows that 90% of Floridians think that climate change is happening, and that's compared with 72% of all Americans who believe the same.

More

DeSantis on May 15 signed the energy bill, HB 1645, which House Speaker Paul Renner pushed. Renner said the bill was needed to support utilities against pressure from “unrealistic” climate goals.

The bill struck language in state law that said the goal of Florida’s energy policy is to “recognize and address the potential of global climate change wherever possible.” It was replaced with language directing the state to “promote the cost-effective development and ... use of a diverse supply of domestic energy resources.”

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/desantis-rejects-climate-change-rationale-for-record-breaking-rain/ar-BB1ogM9L
• https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/15/politics/desantis-bill-climate-change-florida/index.html
• https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/desantis-climate-change-bill-florida-b2546117.html
• https://www.wlrn.org/the-florida-roundup/2024-06-10/florida-tv-meteorologists-climate-change-forecasts
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_in_Florida

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