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Audubon Florida
Birds in a wetland at sunrise.
Audubon Florida Climate and Energy News Roundup
Today we share news about a challenge to the wetlands rule, progress made on climate change, the benefits of living shorelines, and more.
American White Pelicans and a Great Blue Heron. Photo: Pamela Hennet/Audubon Photography Awards
Reel Time: Former County Commissioner Files Wetlands Ruling Challenge
From Anna Maria Island Sun

“The decision to reduce local wetland buffers to Florida state minimum standards by the Manatee County Commission has been challenged by former commissioner Joe McClash… The rules change allows construction to occur closer to wetlands and, despite the commission’s claim (since debunked) that the current rules negatively affect 66,000 property owners in Manatee County, only two people with ties to development interests spoke in favor of the change.”
Most People Don’t Realize How Much Progress We’ve Made on Climate Change
From Yale Climate Connections

“According to the International Energy Agency, based on government policies in place in 2015, global greenhouse gas emissions were on track to cause a potentially catastrophic 3.5 degrees Celsius (6.3 degrees Fahrenheit) of global warming by 2100… And in December 2015, there was little evidence to suggest that this existential disaster would be averted. But then at the COP21 Paris international climate negotiations, a breakthrough changed the course of humanity.”
Living Shorelines Provide a Natural Defense Against Climate Change for Florida’s Coasts
From Citrus County Chronicle

“Living shorelines provide an affordable and sustainable alternative. They are made up of a combination of natural elements such as native vegetation and oyster reefs that work to stabilize shorelines, protect against erosion and provide habitat for wildlife. They also adapt to changing conditions, growing and evolving as sea levels rise. Living shorelines offer variability and flexibility in mitigating the challenges facing Florida’s coastline.”
A Bold Plan to Pay the Resilience Bill in the Keys as Climate Change Cash Crunch Looms
From Miami Herald

“But with a long list of projects and growing competition from other communities facing increasing risk, grants won’t be enough in the coming years. In Monroe, the climate threat is already considered so serious that political leaders are now pushing a bold plan built around a typically unpopular option. They want to raise taxes — in this case, sales taxes. And to do that, they’d also have to make another significant change — wrestle decision power from Tallahassee lawmakers to become a “home rule” county like Miami-Dade.”
A Glimpse of Optimism on Climate Change
From The Hill

“As leading experts on climate change, we often get asked if there’s hope for the planet — but it may surprise people that we find more cause for optimism than despair…While headlines about climate-amplified disasters have grown, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 17 percent from 2005 to 2021 as the size of the economy doubled. Solar and wind costs have plummeted by 70 percent and 90 percent over the most recent decade and account for 80 percent of new electricity generating capacity this year. Domestic sales of electric vehicles are also surging, with over 1 million vehicles sold so far in 2023 — up 50 percent from 2022 and representing one in 10 new vehicles sold.”
How Cities Can Protect Elderly Residents in Climate Disasters
From Bloomberg News

“One of the deadliest climate events in the US, Hurricane Katrina inflicted a devastating and uneven toll along the Gulf Coast: More than two-thirds of the estimated 1,330 people killed in hard-hit Louisiana were over the age of 60… And stories of their experience play out on repeat: of older people left behind in homes without air conditioning or power, or access to food and critical medical supplies; of inadequate efforts to transport the vulnerable to emergency shelters; and of nursing homes failing to move their elderly residents to safety.”
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