A roundup of news items related to climate change and other environmental issues in Florida:
Florida turns down $320 million from feds to reduce tailpipe pollution | News Service of Florida
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue has turned down $320 million in federal money aimed at reducing tailpipe emissions, arguing federal transportation officials are overstepping their authority in the program.
Perdue on Nov. 13 notified U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg the state will not participate in the federal Carbon Reduction Program, a five-year, $6.4 billion effort focused on emissions that contribute to global warming.
The program was authorized in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a $1.2 trillion federal law intended to rebuild and invest in the nation’s transportation system.
Building boom looming for Florida Keys? State considers easing decades-old growth limits | Miami Herald
The state is considering easing strict long-standing limits on development in the Florida Keys, a move that could fuel the biggest building boom in the ecologically fragile island chain in nearly a half-century.
It could — at least potentially — open the door to as many as 8,000 new homes and businesses in one of Florida’s most famous tourist destinations and supercharge Monroe County’s construction industry and economy.
But it also would pack more people into a hurricane hot zone already experiencing increasing tidal flooding and facing billions of dollars in projects to raise roads and repair aging wastewater and water supply systems — and would almost certainly increase impacts on declining coral reefs, fish populations and sea grass beds.
A wet future: South Florida’s plan to fight flooding if sea levels rise 3 feet by 2075 | South Florida Sun Sentinel
Everyone had to soak: South Florida’s western suburbs faced rain floods, and coastal properties were inundated by king tides.
Last month, over the course of a few days, 12 inches of rain fell on much of Broward and Miami-Dade counties. As western suburbs began to flood, king tides pushed in from the ocean, and there was nowhere for the floodwater to go.
Twenty years ago, the South Florida Water Management District would have simply opened spillways and sent the flood water to the ocean. But not this time. The king tides were just as high or higher than the flood waters to the west.
If you have any news items of note that you think we should include in our next roundup, please email The Invading Sea Editor Nathan Crabbe at ncrabbe@fau.edu. Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here.
There should be no residential construction with in 2 miles of the coast. Commercial construction should be elevated at least 20 feet. I lost a home to flooding in 1999 . We rebuilt our home better than Fema’s guide lines . Our house was elevated 7 feet. This cost me $75.000 dollars. It would have been better to move. We had resorces to invest. All of our costs were born by us no government money. There are though decisions to make . Republicans still do not admit there is Climate Change and Europaens and their progeny did it . To see our future geography go look at map from 70 million years ago when there was no ice. Our population will drop precipitisly by us carefully and compassion or by nature catistrouphily. Our choice!