Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he is saving his state from “radical green fanatics” by removing references to “climate change” from the state’s energy policy and banning offshore wind turbines.
DeSantis, a failed 2024 presidential candidate, signed into law a bill that additionally gives preferential treatment to natural gas companies and removes the requirement that vehicles purchased by the state be fuel efficient.
With 8,346 miles of shoreline and water surrounding three of its sides, Florida is the most vulnerable state or close to being the state most at risk when it comes to the impacts of climate change, according to some number of measurements.
“The legislation I signed today…will keep wind turbines off our beaches, gas in our reservoirs, and China out of our state,” DeSantis wrote on X. “We are restoring sanity to our approach energy and reject the agenda of the radical green fanatics.
The White House and other Democrats pounced on DeSantis’ action.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he is saving his state from “radical green fanatics” by removing references to “climate change” from the state’s energy policy and banning offshore wind turbines.
“The legislation I signed today…will keep wind turbines off our beaches, gas in our reservoirs, and China out of our state,” DeSantis wrote on X. “We are restoring sanity to our approach energy and reject the agenda of the radical green fanatics
‘It’s quite shameful,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during Thursday’s press briefing.
‘And the president, as you know, has been the most progressive, has done more climate change than any other president. We are therefore committed, determined to face this crisis and to achieve our objectives,” continued Jean-Pierre.
She added that it was “unfortunate that there are still climate deniers.”
Former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell – who is running for US Senate in Florida – posted on X: “We are on the FRONT LINE of climate change.”
“This is leading to the destruction of our coastal communities and our economy, and fueling the insurance crisis,” she said. “DeSantis is finishing what (Sen. Rick) Scott started when he was governor and making sure our state doesn’t stand a chance.”
Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson, who represents part of Miami, said “climate change is an indisputable fact, not a topic open to debate.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis claimed he was “restoring sanity” by removing references to “climate change” from Florida’s energy policy, despite the Sunshine State being one of the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. global warming in the country.
“The dire consequences of the climate crisis are evident every day in Florida, and attempts to undermine efforts to combat this existential threat are completely reckless and irresponsible. »
Robert Reich, Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Labor, wrote on X about how much climate change has already cost the Sunshine State.
“Since 1980, there have been 87 weather and climate disasters in Florida, with losses each exceeding a billion dollars,” Reich said. “Exploiting the culture wars will not protect Floridians from the harsh realities of climate change.”
DeSantis and other Republicans have been hostile to President Joe Biden’s green agenda, with former President Donald Trump promising to roll back some of the Democrat’s climate provisions if he is elected to a second term in the fall.
The Florida governor abandoned his own presidential bid in late January, after coming in far behind Trump in the Iowa caucuses.
DeSantis supported Trump during his departure and said recently that he would begin fundraising for the presumptive Republican nominee.