Orlando aims high with emissions cuts, despite uncertain path

By Amy Green
WMFE and InsideClimate News
ORLANDO, Fla. _ Environmentalists rejoiced when city commissioners voted unanimously to power every home and business here with 100 percent clean energy by 2050. Two and a half years later city leaders say they still aren’t sure how they are going to do it.

“We’re still learning and doing a deep dive into exactly when do we retire some plants and what do we replace those plants with, and all of that still is very much being analyzed,” said Chris Castro, the city’s director of sustainability and resilience.

Across Florida, uniquely prone to climate change, local governments are bracing for higher tides and fiercer hurricanes. Some like Miami Beach are installing pumps and raising roads. Others like Satellite Beach are moving critical infrastructure to higher ground. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican elected with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, has appointed the state’s first chief resilience officer to help guide the efforts. The appointment came as part of a sweeping environmental reform by the new governor after toxic algae gripped the state in 2018, although some environmental groups point out the policy does nothing on the human-made emissions responsible for a warming world. Read the rest and listen here. 

Endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrows Released Into The Wild Despite Concerns

By Amy Green
NPR
There are fewer than 80 Florida grasshopper sparrows left in the wild. As researchers release more into the wild, there's a fight brewing about whether that's the best plan to save them. Listen here.

Florida’s new governor brings a new approach to climate change

By Amy Green
Marketplace
Communities in Florida, one of the states most vulnerable to climate change, are grappling with erosion and loss of property. In a break from recent precedent, the state’s new governor, Ron DeSantis, is not only acknowledging climate change, but is willing to pay to help communities that are affected. Listen here. 

Concern And Worry As Recovery Of North America's Most Endangered Bird Moves Ahead

By Amy Green
WMFE
It’s a milestone in the effort to save North America’s most endangered bird: For the first time wildlife managers are releasing captive-raised Florida grasshopper sparrows in the wild.
They hope to augment the fast-dwindling population on the Central Florida prairie. But they are moving ahead despite strong opposition from some researchers who say the releases could harm the sparrows on the brink of extinction. Listen here. 

Trump Visit Comes As Floridians Ask, How Much Water Should Lake Okeechobee Hold?

By Amy Green
WMFE
President Donald Trump is visiting Lake Okeechobee on Friday. The trip to the troubled lake comes as top Republican leaders in the state say the president’s proposed spending on Everglades restoration is not enough. Lake Okeechobee is among the state’s most significant natural resources, and there’s debate after last year’s toxic algae over just how much water the lake should hold. Listen here.

One Year After Irma, Everglades City Struggles to Rebuild

State climate change denial leaves coastal communities on their own to face the risks.
By Amy Green
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
This report, part of an FCIR series on climate change, was produced in partnership with WMFE, the NPR member station in Orlando. Click on the player below to hear a radio version.
EVERGLADES CITY – Three presidents have slept in Tina Collins’ home.
Her mint-colored cottage sheltered Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and other VIP guests to this frontier outpost of the southwest Florida wilderness, where the Barron River, Everglades and Gulf of Mexico converge. Read the full report and listen to the radio version here.

With Governor and Legislators in Denial, This Tiny Florida Town Tries to Adapt to Climate Change

Yankeetown looks to natural environment for protection
By Amy Green
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
This report, part of an FCIR series on climate change, was produced in partnership with WMFE, the NPR member station in Orlando.

YANKEETOWN, Florida – While Florida state government bans the terms “climate change” and “global warming” in official business, this coastal fishing village of about 500 people and more water than dry land is being swallowed by the sea with almost no public attention or concern. Read the full report and listen to a radio version here.