Climate change in Florida
[1] The state has been described as America's "ground zero" for climate change, global warming and sea level rise, because "the majority of its population and economy is concentrated along low-elevation oceanfront.
[7][8] However, the state remains politically divided: while Democrats have reached a general consensus on the issue, only half of Republicans agree and support teaching about climate change in schools.
[29][30][31] A category 5 hurricane is of most concern in the Tampa Bay area, and climate related sea level rise of as little as six inches would exacerbate its impact.
[32] According to the Fifth National Climate Assessment published in 2023, coastal states including California, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas are experiencing "more significant storms and extreme swings in precipitation".
He also eliminated mandates to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and appointed climate skeptics to posts such as the Public Service Commission.
"[28] Florida State Senator José Javier Rodriguez has attempted to draw attention to the problem of sunny day flooding by wearing black rainboots during legislative sessions.
[41] The "Energy Poll", conducted by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, found that 63% of Floridians in March 2012 believed climate change occurs.
[11] Florida and the U.S. Southeast region face many health-related threats due to tropical storms, sea level rise, extreme heat, and drought.
[53] Recovery after a major storm can involve heavy construction and exposure to hazardous materials in floodwaters such as sewage, chemicals, and sharp or broken objects.
[58] However, extreme heat may still be a threat to older adults, homeless populations, and people who spend time outdoors such as workers in industries such as agriculture and tourism, as well as tourists themselves.
[58][59] In summer 2023, Orlando, which contains theme parks such as Disney World, saw its first-ever heat warning from the National Weather Service and saw spikes in heat-related distress calls, more than double than the number five years prior.
[61] Florida wildfires are most frequent under hot and dry conditions and many fires in the state are prescribed burns or are sparked by military activities.
[50] Southern Florida already has a high suitability for mosquito-borne diseases because it is habitable for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that carry viruses like those that cause Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.
[62] In 2017, the real estate website Zillow wrote that if climate predictions were correct, by 2100 "One in eight Florida homes would be under water, accounting for nearly half of the lost housing value nationwide."
[64] AP cites data from climate risk analytics firm Jupiter Intelligence indicating that "extreme flooding could go from affecting 5% to 86% of Miami-Dade's residential real estate supply by 2030.
A December 2019 New York Times article describing the decisions facing Monroe County was titled, "Florida Keys Deliver a Hard Message: As Seas Rise, Some Places Can't Be Saved.
[73][74] A bill passed by the US House of Representatives to require real estate agents to disclose flood risks had not made it through the Senate as of February 2019.
[75] Miami-Dade County has built seawalls,[76] implemented an Urban CO2 Reduction Plan,[77] and participates in the South Florida Regional Climate Compact.
[82] Sarasota's Climate Adaption and Mitigation Center has been funded to work on "a curated database of peer-reviewed science to inform decision-making in academia, government and the private sector.
[84] In Broward County's Oakland Park, drainage installed with a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant prevented damage to 400 homes during Hurricane Irma.
"[86] The South Florida Sun Sentinel, Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, along with WLRN Public Media, have formed a collaboration to cover climate change issues.
The collaboration provides news and feature coverage, and a website created by its editorial boards titled: The Invading Sea, Florida and the Climate Crisis.
Its goal is "to work collaboratively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, implement adaptation strategies, and build climate resilience.
