OPINION: Florida's lawmakers must address climate change
Florida lawmakers have three big opportunities to change the trajectory of Florida’s future and mitigate the impacts of climate change on our state.
Floridians know climate change is real – 94% of Floridians agree that it is an issue. That’s because we are already paying higher electric bills from record heat waves and skyrocketing insurance from stronger hurricanes and increased flooding.
Last year alone we were hit with more than 2,000 wildfires – and red tide lingered all summer from higher ocean temperatures, hurting our health and our tourism economy. Indeed a recent report by Florida TaxWatch stated that climate change in the Sunshine State could represent $175 billion in annual economic risk by the year 2050.
But what can state leaders do during the next nine weeks to change Florida’s future?
First, Florida should set bold but achievable goals for electric vehicles. Lawmakers can jump-start this transition by removing barriers to electric vehicle expansion. For example, simple tweaks to the state’s procurement practices would allow the total cost of vehicle ownership to guide fleet purchasing decisions – which in turn would save taxpayers money over time while reducing air pollution.
Second, legislators should solidify the Statewide Office of Resiliency under the Governor’s Office by providing this critical department with adequate resources and the requisite authority to:
• Direct resilience initiatives across Florida’s agencies.
• Lead the implementation of the state’s resilience strategy.
• Leverage funding from the federal government and the private sector.
Third, lawmakers should reject any legislative proposals that would unfairly check the momentum of Florida’s burgeoning solar industry. Florida families and small businesses should be able to continue recovering their costs at the same rate as Florida’s utilities. We should be looking for ways to ensure Florida cities, universities and other tax-exempt organizations can make critical investments in solar to save taxpayer dollars, reduce risk and increase our resilience after a storm.
During the next 60 days Florida's lawmakers have the opportunity to lead on climate and the economy with common-sense solutions. Let’s hope they do so: the futures of our families and our state depend on it.
Dawn Shirreffs is the Florida director of the Environmental Defense Fund.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Floridians need their leaders to address climate change
