By Ashton Maddox, genCLEO
In one’s life, there are pivotal moments.
Similarly, there are pivotal moments in the fight to protect our fragile environment. Young people in Florida – and around the world for that matter – recognize that this is such a moment.
That’s why over 300 students will make the trip to Florida’s Capitol as the state Legislature’s 60-day session gets underway. Young people will join together to meet with lawmakers, raise awareness and rally support to protect the natural environment and Florida’s unique and remarkable ecosystems.
This week, hundreds of young environmental and energy justice advocates from the Panhandle to the Keys will rally ahead of an Earth Advocacy Day. They will urge legislators to protect the people and places we love from the impacts of a warming planet.
We all are seeing how a changing climate is putting our safety, our economy and our homes at risk with extreme weather, heat, rising sea levels, recurrent flooding, droughts and wildfires.
There are many ways in which we are already paying the price with these disasters and, sadly, some are paying with their very lives.
We are all bearing enormous costs with disaster after disaster. And in the aftermath, insurance rates are skyrocketing and predicted to keep rising. This state – which we love – is becoming unaffordable and dangerous.
Take extreme heat. It’s escalating. The Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that January 2025 was 1.75°C above the pre-industrial level and was the 18th month in the last 19 months for which the global-average surface air temperature was more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level.
That’s why we hope state legislators will pass the Pause Act so utilities – which are getting or are seeking historic rate hikes – can’t shut off power to those who can’t afford their expensive power bill when the heat and humidity index is 90 degrees or higher.
Florida utilities are at the back of the pack in offering conservation and efficiency programs for customers. We fully understand that power companies are in it for the money – they want to sell electricity, but enough is enough. They are contributing to the problem of extreme weather and then profiting from it with a hefty return on storm costs.
We need leaders who will protect our future rather than doing the bidding of oil and gas companies who put their profits ahead of our future.
Keeping Florida’s state parks undeveloped will provide habitat for wildlife while also leaving recreation opportunities for all. Leaving nature-based solutions to help with flooding is crucial at a time when we have increasingly heavy precipitation with warmer oceans causing more rain and flooding. If we pave over more green space, this problem will only worsen over time.
Lastly, we must preserve the constitutional amendment petition process so the voices of young people may be heard. We oppose proposed changes that will create even more barriers to an already difficult process. In Florida, there is no statutory revision process for community members to have recourse when the Legislature fails to address critical issues.
There are very few competitive seats in elections due to gerrymandered districts and the influence of money in the political process is undeniable. We have seen the ballot initiative process made more difficult year after year. The threshold was 50% and now it’s 60%, along with onerous restrictions for signature gathering.
For all these reasons and more, young people are coming together. Organizations like The CLEO Institute, Youth Action Fund, Engage Miami, genCLEO Action Fund, Alianza for Progress, Sunrise Movement and Florida Student Power are leading the way.
Join us to pave the way for a brighter future. The choices we make today will determine our tomorrow.
Ashton Maddox is a University of South Florida senior that has been working to develop his climate leadership skills as an organizer with genCLEO for the last year and a half. Banner photo: The Florida Historic Capitol building at dawn (iStock image).
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