Florida Governor Taking on Climate Change

Florida has a great deal at stake when it comes to climate change. With their long coastlines, low elevation, and frequent proximity to tropical storms and hurricanes, Floridians could face flooding and other dangers as global warming continues. In a recent survey, half of the Floridians asked believed global warming will be a greater problem for their state than the rest of the continental United States. 

It's with good reason, then, that in July of 2007, Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed the state's first ever Executive Order to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Among a variety of new climate-friendly ordinances, the Order mandates that all new state buildings be energy efficient and employ solar panels when possible. Furthermore, all new state cars should be energy efficient, using ethanol and biofuels when available.

Florida will work to reduce its overall greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by the year 2025. This includes adopting California's pending standards that will reduce vehicle emissions 30% by 2016.  For consumer appliances, the Florida governor has mandated a further 15% increase in efficiency over current standards.

In his January 2008 budget, Governor Crist proposed spending $200 million to promote alternative sources of energy and combat climate change.

"This package is designed to stimulate economic development in renewable and alternative energy fields," Crist said when he announced the budget. "It will establish alternative energy as a targeted industry for our economic development efforts." 

"Florida is providing the moral leadership needed to preserve our state's beautiful natural environment, and state government is leading by example by taking immediate action to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions," Governor Crist said.

This is just one example of how individuals, organizations, businesses and governments are helping to stop climate change. There are thousands more across the country and around the world – and it’s through these efforts that we’re going to be successful. We can’t afford not to succeed in this unprecedented challenge to our planet.

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