Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Hunter Crenian
Along with a prohibition on power-generating wind turbines offshore or close to the state’s extensive coastline, legislation signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday will significantly downplay climate change and remove it from state statutes.
Critics claimed that the bill signed by the last Republican presidential candidate ignored Florida’s actual climate change dangers, such as forecasts of rising sea levels, intense heatwaves, flooding, and storms that get stronger every time.
According to a news release from the governor’s office, it goes into effect on July 1 and would also promote the spread of natural gas, lessen regulations on gas pipelines in the state, and strengthen protections against restrictions on gas equipment like stoves.
DeSantis, who withdrew from the race in January and then endorsed his fierce opponent, Donald Trump, described the plan as a sensible approach to energy policy.
DeSantis wrote on the social networking platform X, “We’re rejecting the agenda of the radical green zealots and restoring sanity in our approach to energy.”
An estimated 74 percent of Florida’s electricity output currently comes from natural gas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The bill that DeSantis signed is opposed by those who claim that it eliminates the word “climate” nine times, shifts the state’s energy goals away from efficiency, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions that are linked to global warming.
The governor and the state Legislature, according to Yoca Arditi-Rocha, executive director of the nonprofit Cleo Institute, which promotes climate change education and engagement, “are not acting in the best interests of Floridians, but rather to protect profits for the fossil fuel industry.” This deliberate act of cognitive dissonance.
The bill also does away with requirements that government organizations prioritize fuel efficiency when purchasing new cars and host conferences and meetings in hotels designated as “green lodging” by the state’s environmental agency. Additionally, before making a purchase, Florida state agencies are no longer required to review a list of “climate-friendly” products.
In 2008, then-Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican, signed a bill that addressed climate change and promoted renewable energy into law after it cleared both legislative chambers overwhelmingly. After assuming office in 2011, former governor Rick Scott—now a Republican U.S. senator—took measures to reverse some of that policy, and this most recent bill goes even farther.
According to the governor’s office, the DeSantis-signed law would also improve electric grid security, increase the use of hydrogen-powered vehicles, and begin a research on small nuclear reactor technology.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
