By FLVCS Board Member, Rich Scissors
It is more important than ever to vote for candidates that
- believe in science,
- believe climate change is real,
- believe climate change is made worse by humans,
- and are willing to take action to mitigate it.
We cannot adapt our way out of climate change. Mother Nature is just too strong. Like the old Fram Oil Filter and Midas Muffler TV commercials, that implored, “You can pay me now or pay me (more) later.” Decades of not addressing the threats from climate change means that it is later.
My wife and I voluntarily evacuated Sarasota and stayed with our daughter in Jacksonville for Hurricane Milton. Milton passed through Jacksonville, but it was a lot less intense.
Under the Eye
Our home was not in danger from storm surge, but flooding was a small possibility. With metal storm shutters, cinder block construction, and tile roof it should have been able to withstand Category 3 winds. We had minimal wind damage and no flooding.
Milton was the third extreme hurricane to hit Sarasota in two months. All three caused flooding in the Sarasota area. Several friend’s homes sustained significant damage. We spent every day for a week helping two sets of friends recover from 3-4 feet of storm-surge flooding from Hurricane Helene. Thankfully, they have their health, but very little salvageable personal property. Due to (flood) insurance rules they may not be able to afford to rebuild, if they want to.
Needless to say, the ground was saturated and the rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds were swollen. Hurricane Milton made matters worse.
Scientists agree that these weather events were intensified by climate change. Thankfully, the mainstream media is finally reporting it as such. The Gulf of Mexico is much warmer than normal. The warm water fuels the rapid intensification of the storms.
Deny, Deny, Delay
For decades many of our elected officials at all levels have
- denied climate change,
- denied humans made it worse,
- or delayed action, by claiming that it needed to be studied more.
In Florida, two consecutive Governors (now, Senator Rick Scot and Governor Ron DeSantis) have effectively prohibited state employees from using the words “climate change” either verbally or in written documents. The Sunshine State legislature and regulatory agencies have bowed to the pressure from the utility companies to inhibit the use of rooftop and community solar. The Utility Companies applied pressure so they could have a solar energy monopoly.
These are only two examples of how Florida has contributed to make climate change worse. Florida needs to be on the forefront of mitigating climate change. Climate change has had real consequences for real people. As the nation has witnessed in horror, extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Helene, can cause massive life-threatening damage from Florida to Ohio to the Carolinas, the Virginias, and Kentucky.
Hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding are not the only climate change related threats. No matter where else you live in the U.S., you are threatened by at least one of sea level rise, forest fires, drought, killer heat, loss of habitat, species extinction, and the increase of diseases like dengue fever, zika virus, and chikungunya.
Next Steps
While Congress and the Biden Administration have taken a good first step to address climate change (Infrastructure Reduction Act) there is much more that needs to be done.
Vote for candidates that will take the next steps. If we stop at step one, it will all be for naught.
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