A roundup of news items related to climate change and other environmental issues in Florida:
DeSantis seeks energy-saving rebates in apparent change of heart | Orlando Sentinel
TALLAHASSEE — In an apparent about-face, Gov. Ron DeSantis is trying to reclaim some of the $346 million in federal funds he rejected six months ago when he vetoed $30 million for the state to administer a home energy rebate program.
At the same time, a group of Florida congressional Democrats has introduced a bill that would allow city and county governments to run the home energy rebate program so that low-income Floridians can upgrade appliances and lower their energy bills.
“Gov. DeSantis’ harmful decision to block hundreds of millions of federal dollars to help Florida families adopt clean energy makes it clear we cannot count on our state leadership to help us fight the climate crisis, but we won’t take no for an answer,” said Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, D-Orlando.
How sea rise could reshape South Florida neighborhoods: Retreat here, growth there | Miami Herald
As sea levels push ever higher, the question of when — and where — it will affect South Florida’s real estate market is a big one.
Research suggests people aren’t interested in paying a lot of money for a home that floods, and the number of properties at risk of flooding is only expected to rise in the coming decades. For an economy that relies on a booming real estate market to function, predicting which spots could lose value and when is crucial.
A study published Monday in the journal Nature Communications takes a stab at the question that looms over South Florida’s future. It found that, while population will likely continue to grow overall in Miami-Dade and Broward County this century — dozens of neighborhoods prone to flooding now could see people move out, permanently.
New Florida toll road will charge electric vehicles as they drive, CFX says | WESH Orlando
Thursday marked a big development for people who drive between Lake and Orange Counties.
Construction to build a new expressway linking the two areas got the green light.
The Central Florida Expressway Authority, or CFX, plans to build a toll road linking Highway 27 to State Road 429.
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.
