Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed into law legislation emphasizing natural gas energy and dismissing the prioritization of climate change. The new law, which will be enacted on July 1, also restricts the establishment of offshore wind turbines.
“We’re restoring sanity in our approach to energy and rejecting the agenda of the radical green zealots,” DeSantis wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The legislation, which reportedly removes the word “climate” in nine places, also encourages expansion of natural gas use, loosening gas pipeline regulations while offering increased protection against bans on gas appliances. A less publicized feature of the legislation includes the study of small nuclear reactor technology, the expansion of hydrogen-powered vehicles, and a plan to enhance electric grid security.
Opponents of the bill, like Yoca Arditi-Rocha from the Cleo Institute, claim the legislation serves the fossil fuel industry rather than the people by knowingly ignoring the warning signs of climate change.
The law also ends requirements that government agencies hold conferences and meetings in hotels certified by the state’s environmental agency as “green lodging” and that state agencies look at a list of “climate-friendly” products before purchasing.
The Florida legislation is part of a growing pushback against “green” policies meant to address “climate change.” Such regulations have severe economic consequences worldwide and may, in fact, be based on junk science.
