Of all 50 states, Florida is the one that should be taking climate change the most seriously. Unfortunately, Gov. Rick Scott is as useless at debating as he is addressing climate change. Therefore, the city commission of South Miami passed a resolution calling for Florida to split into a North Florida and South Florida, reported VICE.
South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard made the proposition on October 7 which passed by a 3-2 vote this week. The proposition calls for the split to begin from Orlando and reach down to the Florida Keys. As VICE noted, the resolution stands little chance of being completely enacted because the state’s electorate and Congressional approval is required to guarantee secession.
The resolution comes as a reaction to the Florida government’s lackadaisical approach to climate change.
“South Florida’s situation is very precarious and in need of immediate attention,” read the resolution. “Many of the issues facing south Florida are not political, but are now significant safety issues.”
A similar resolution passed by North Lauderdale, FL in 2008 was noted as being “largely symbolic,” but the South Miami resolution carried a much more serious tone, according to resolution author Walter Harris.
“In most of the big south Florida counties, the average sea level is 15 feet or less,” Harris told VICE. “In the lowest parts, its about five feet. We have very serious issues that need to be handled locally without dealing with the bureaucracy in Tallahassee.”
The resolution noted that because sea levels are projected to rise three to six feet by 2099, there is a serious threat posed to south Florida’s groundwater due to Florida being low-lying and sitting on porous bedrock, ThinkProgress reported.
Considering that south Florida is the state economy’s bread and butter, the state electorate will likely not pass the resolution. The resolution seems over-reactionary; however, that such a resolution has been presented should illustrate how dire climate change is. Beyond that, it illustrates how lazy Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida GOP have been at addressing climate change.
In each Florida Gubernatorial debate this year, Rick Scott always rambles on about conservation efforts made to the coastlines when asked about climate change. Either he’s mistaking, or he thinks Floridians are stupid because he always gives vague, non-answers about the symptoms of climate change. He never proposes plans to reverse or slow down its onset.
Climate change is real, and it’s dangerous. But the Florida GOP’s lack of care or consideration is even more real and dangerous. South Floridians want to do something about climate change, and this is the only way they believe that something can be done.
