Joe Henderson: It’s time to learn if Ron DeSantis cares about Florida’s environment

King Tide meets red tides to make even more trouble for South Florida.

The last eight years will go down as some of the worst for Florida’s environment. Between algae blooms, beach erosion, hurricanes and the continuing specter of climate change, the state’s delicate eco-balance has been under siege.

Under Gov. Rick Scott, even the official mention of climate change was forbidden. Regulations to protect the environment were trampled as economic nuisances. And the voting record by Governor-elect Ron DeSantis when he was in Congress suggests it could be more of the same.

The League of Conservation Voters gave DeSantis a 2 percent lifetime score, out of a potential 100 percent, for his congressional votes on this issue.

As A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics reported though, DeSantis has commissioned a 40-person task force to make recommendations on various parts of the environment that need attention.

And brother, the environment in this state needs a lot of tender loving care after what it has just been through. With his voting record, it’s too soon to say DeSantis will be the one to provide that care, but the task force could be a good sign.

Red tide was a disaster for Florida’s environment that lasted far too long. Images of dead fish and manatees washing up on beaches must have given migraines to state tourism officials. The Everglades remains at an ecological tipping point.

And whether skeptics want to believe it is real or not, the state will either deal with climate change, or climate change will deal with the state.

If DeSantis is willing, the time may be right to put a comprehensive plan in motion to deal with that crisis in a bipartisan way. U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, reportedly is being considered by incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to lead a key environmental committee.

Castor, by the way, has a 93 percent lifetime score by the same group that rated DeSantis so low.

Castor has been a relentless advocate for environmental protection. In October, she announced a community partnership with the University of South Florida to devise strategies on how coastal cities can combat the effects of rising sea levels and hurricanes.

“Hurricane Michael has shown us with its devastation to Mexico Beach, Panama City and other areas that — no matter how large or small — our communities are not immune to the effects of climate change and the extreme weather events these global changes bring,” Castor said then.

I don’t think Scott’s administration ever looked at the environment as an economic issue. Maybe if it had, things might have been different. It wasn’t until green ooze flowing from Lake Okeechobee along rivers on the East Coast of Florida made national news that Scott seemed to realize this was a significant problem.

Dead fish, plus green ooze, plus red tide, equals canceled vacations. It was the formula for economic chaos, and that’s just what happened.

Will things be better for Florida’s environment under Gov. DeSantis?

For the good of everyone, it better be.