DeSantis Signs Law Deprioritizing Climate Change, Bans Offshore Wind Projects

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a legislation on Wednesday, which makes climate change a lesser priority in the state. In a post on X, DeSantis mentioned that the measure was a means of restoring their approach to energy and that it was also rejecting the agenda of "radical green zealots."

Along with making climate change a lesser priority, some projects related it, like power-generating wind turbines offshore, were also banned, NBC News reported.

"We're restoring sanity in our approach to energy and rejecting the agenda of the radical green zealots," DeSantis wrote on X.

The law, which will take effect on July 1, was highly criticized. Critics referred to the move of DeSantis as ignoring the reality of the threats of climate change in Florida. Some of the threats mentioned were extreme heat and flooding, and also increasing severe storms.

A news release from the governor's office stated that the law would boost the expansion of natural gas and minimize regulations on gas pipelines. According to the governor, the bill was a common-sense approach to their energy policy.

"Florida rejects the designs of the left to weaken our energy grid, pursue a radical climate agenda, and promote foreign adversaries," said DeSantis on X.

Opponents of the bill that DeSantis signed noted that the bill removes the word "climate" in nine various places. They also said that the bill veered away from "efficiency," which was supposedly the energy goals of the state.

One example is the removal of "climate" in a directive to state agencies to buy "climate friendly" products. Another instance is removing the state requirement of purchasing fuel efficient vehicles, CNN reported.

"This purposeful act of cognitive dissonance is proof that the governor and state Legislature are not acting in the best interests of Floridians, but rather to protect profits for the fossil fuel industry," Yoca Arditi-Rocha of the Cleo Institute that advocates for climate change education said.

One professor of law from George Washington University, Emily Hammond, said, "What Florida is really doing is saying we're going to deemphasize any policies that would help mitigate climate change."

The move of DeSantis of eradicating "climate" from a bill and making climate change a lesser priority was not a first. During the Trump administration, Republican politicians have already started deleting "climate change" from government websites.

Michael Gerrard, founder of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, said, "Florida is one of the most vulnerable states in the country." He also said that all of South Florida is in great peril from rising sea levels.