Amid Record Heat, Florida Meteorologist Rips GOP 'Don't Say Climate Change' Law

[Bundbuster]

https://www.commondreams.org/news/florida-climate-change

Amid what's shaping up to be the hottest May on record in Miami, one local South Florida TV meteorologist recently slammed new Republican legislation prohibiting the mention of climate change in state law and implored Floridians to vote for candidates who "believe in climate change" and solutions to the planetary emergency.

The new law, signed last week by Republican Gov. DeSantis, also deprioritizes climate considerations in policy decisions, promotes fossil fuel infrastructure development, and bans the installation of wind turbines in state waters. While signing the bill, the failed 2024 GOP presidential contender said Florida was "restoring sanity in our approach to energy and rejecting the agenda of the radical green zealots."

As South Floridians suffered record-breaking temperatures and a heat index that made it feel as hot as 110°F on Saturday, WTVJ meteorologist Steve MacLaughlin stood before a graphic showing that April was the 11th straight hottest month on record globally and said that Florida's government is "starting to roll back really important climate change legislation and really important climate change language."

While not mentioning DeSantis by name, MacLaughlin said: "Please keep in mind the most powerful climate change solution is the one you already have in the palm of your hand: the right to vote... We implore you to please do your research and know that there are candidates that believe in climate change and that there are solutions, and there are candidates that don't."

[Srkdqltr]

1. Wonder if he will be on air tomorrow?

Sad when someone has to do that.

[Bundbuster]

3. I've been waiting 30 years

to hear a TV meteorologist speak up on the politics of Climate Denial. At least there's one.

[mountain grammy]

4. We have a couple in Denver who talk about it..

Not illegal here in Colorado.

[Bundbuster]

6. I've lived in Denver for those 30 years

and thankfully I've seen TV meteorologists mention Climate Change as a probable factor. But I've never seen one talk about how your political vote can impact possible solutions, or conversely hasten the damage of Climate Change. I'm so glad that Colorado has become so reliably Blue that we don't have Neanderthal politicians proposing insanity like "Don't say climate change."

[mountain grammy]

7. Yes, I agree. They never make it political and that's too bad.

I wish they would, or at lease point out the idiocracy in some states. I'm also glad Colorado is mostly blue, not so much where I live, but even that's changing. We now have a Democratic State Senator and I really like him. It's like cleaning house when our last Senator, a republican and corrupt as hell, was finally gone.

[GreenWave]

2. They (FL climate change deniers) stick their heads in the sand.

Roll tide, roll!

[Permanut]

5. A step in the right direction..

but it isn't a matter of "believing in it", but rather of accepting the science. I would like to see reporting that doesn't rely on the word "believing".