Florida Voters Get In The Climate Fight

Florida Republicans Demand Climate Change Solutions; Democratic and Republican mayors in the Sunshine State realize something must be done about global warming

Erika Bolstad, March 15, 2016 (E&E News via Scientific American)

“…As primary voters in Florida go to the polls today, scientists, business leaders and political figures all say they've seen a shift this election cycle. Figuring out how to adapt to the economic realities of 6 to 10 inches of sea-level rise over 1992 levels in the next 15 years has become a bipartisan issue in much of Florida, particularly in places most vulnerable to rising seas…Already, the city of Miami Beach is pouring money into elevated roadways and pumping systems that keep high tides from flooding city streets, just the beginning of pricey plans to protect the city's $30 billion tax base. These expensive projects aren't just municipal problems for mayors -- losses to the tax base from sea-level rise or storm surge at a tourist draw like Miami Beach could be a costly hit not just to individual homeowners but to the state economy…The numbers bear it out. The twice-yearly Energy Poll at the University of Texas, Austin, released earlier this year shows that 81 percent of Floridians think that climate change is occurring. About 9 percent say it's not happening, and another 10 percent don't know. When the poll began asking that question in March 2012, 63 percent of Floridians said climate change was occurring. Another 26 percent said it was not, and 11 percent didn't know…” click here for more

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