Florida Republicans making plays to lead on climate change

climate change
In the past year, we’ve seen a sea change in the posture of Florida’s elected leadership.

Traditionally, Republicans haven’t led the discussion on climate change, but that’s starting to change.

What began with a few GOP politicians and thought leaders has turned into a tide of Republicans urging their party to get on board with the science and start working toward solutions that both reverse the trends and reflect conservative values.

There have been concrete steps at the national level, such as the formation of the Roosevelt Caucus, which a congressional caucus made up of Republicans who are focused on advancing environmental and conservation legislation.

The group has a strong Florida presence, with U.S. Rep. Brian Mast serving as a caucus co-Chair and U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz among its members. The caucus also recently added U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio to its ranks.

The shift is as present within the Sunshine State as it is within the Delegation. In the past year, we’ve seen a sea change in the posture of Florida’s elected leadership.

The environment was central to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2018 campaign, and he’s delivered, landing billions in water quality funding, and working to speed up electric vehicle adoption. His further bolstered his pro-environment image with a proclamation declaring Sept. 21 through Sept. 25 as “Clean Energy Week in Florida.”

In the Legislature, incoming Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls have committed to addressing sea-level rise during their tenures.

“Over the next two years we will continue to develop cost-effective strategies that will ensure Florida responsibly mitigates projected impacts of sea-level rise, balancing the associated costs with future benefits,” they wrote in a recent op-ed.

Specific goals include elevating flood mitigation as a critical part of Florida’s public safety infrastructure, working with federal agencies to inform Florida’s long-term climate change plans, and helping local governments in high-risk areas to incentivize solutions that work.

Florida Republicans have always been in front of their national colleagues on environmental issues — offshore drilling has been dirty word for decades and Everglades protection has been a cornerstone for many influential GOP officials.

Florida Republicans are coming around not just on enhancing resiliency but also on mitigation efforts. The state is a leader in clean energy tech, particularly solar. 

But, like so many other industries, the state’s clean energy sector has been pummeled by the coronavirus pandemic. More than 30,000 jobs have disappeared since the virus first took root six months ago, and many of the ones that remain are relying on Paycheck Protection Program funding to make ends meet.

While that lifeline, masterminded by Rubio, has been largely successful, the funding has dried up and clean energy businesses are scrambling to survive.

Should Congress come together on another coronavirus relief package, there is a desperate need for industry-specific aid.

Prominent Republicans have made a compelling case. As Eddie Fernandez outlined in his impassioned plea, federal aid to the industry would not be a bailout but an investment in an industry resilient to future economic disruptions and beneficial to national security

Rubio and the rest of the Florida delegation have proven they are leaders on environmental policy and —now more than ever — their advocacy is needed to ensure the Sunshine State maintains its position on the cutting edge of the clean energy economy.

Peter Schorsch

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including Florida Politics and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. Schorsch is also the publisher of INFLUENCE Magazine. For several years, Peter's blog was ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella.


5 comments

  • gary

    September 20, 2020 at 8:30 pm

    Hope they are simply pandering to dumb independants! I will not support any Republican that supports this nonsense!

    • John Gage

      September 21, 2020 at 4:02 pm

      Gary, when every scientific organization in the world says an explanation is extremely likely to be correct based on all the available evidence, it’s time to get on board and address the scientifically identified risks. From NASA, NOAA, the DOE, DOD, and others, and released by the Trump Administration: https://science2017.globalchange.gov/chapter/executive-summary/

  • Sonja Fitch

    September 21, 2020 at 2:03 am

    Mast ,Gaetz and Rubio. Three stooges of the goptrump cult! Mast is a Russian Operative. Gaetz is a spoiled brat. Rubio is a loser! Enough of the lying bastards of the goptrump cult! Vote blue! Vote Democrat up and down ballot!

  • James Robert Miles

    September 21, 2020 at 6:05 am

    How is this possible? They don’t believe in science. The lunatic in the White House says “science is wrong.” As I am sure you know, Trump NEVER lies. Yeah, right!

  • Ocean Joe

    September 21, 2020 at 11:13 am

    The party belongs to Trump. Trump says climate change is a hoax. It doesn’t matter what a few locals say, and if they disagree with Trump they are gone. That’s how a dictatorship works. He can’t be convinced of anything because he doesn’t listen and he won’t read. He eats junk food and then runs the country on his “gut.”

    Trump’s EPA and rollback of federal protections is unequaled as is his appointment of judges who will rule for corporations over the environment. The polluters, frackers and big oil come first as Trump’s engine to “rebuild” the economy. Drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Preserve amid growing evidence of permafrost thaw and release of methane.

    To claim these people will stand up to Trump is ludicrous. They won’t. What’s in the Republican platform this year? Whatever Trump wants. That’s how a dictatorship works.

Comments are closed.


#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Jesse Scheckner, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704