Tracking from the nonprofit group The CLEO Institute found that Donalds has received $1.79 million in campaign contributions from Florida’s major power utilities while in office. He is the state’s second-highest recipient.
“I see it as a freedom issue,” said Raymer Maguire, Director of Campaigns and Policy at The CLEO Institute, a Miami-based organization focused on climate education and advocacy. “Every year, Florida is getting a little less free.” SB 180 is Florida’s most expansive preemption law, but it is far from the only one. In the past decade, state lawmakers have passed a spate of prohibitions limiting local control over issues such as firearms, LGBTQ issues and, increasingly, environment and climate regulation.
Because some teachers are hesitant to discuss climate change in class because of the possibility of community backlash, "some schools are turning to organizations like the [CLEO] Institute in Florida. This organization trains teachers, provides them with educational resources, and raises students' awareness of the climate crisis."
“ While Resilient Florida is necessary, it's not sufficient,” said Yoca Arditi-Rocha, CEO of The CLEO Institute, a nonpartisan, climate-focused nonprofit. Local governments are bringing forward projects to protect critical assets like main roads, hospitals and water treatment facilities. “The state is not keeping pace with the demand,” Arditi-Rocha said.
“If you have a neighbor who’s a senior, if you have a relative who’s a senior, check on them, because many heat-related illnesses can lead to death. And sometimes those preventable deaths happen because no one realizes that someone got ill from the heat.”
You cannot make change by complaining and dwelling on the situation; calling, emailing or coming in person to see your legislators is the only way for your voice to be heard and for real change to happen.
“It means that everyone is going to pay more money on their power bills, and there are plenty of people who can absorb a higher energy bill. But there are a lot of people who cannot, and this is coming at a time when housing prices are up, groceries are up, and insurance prices are high. And so there are people who are suffering out there.”
“It means that everyone is going to pay more money on their power bills, and there are plenty of people who can absorb a higher energy bill,” Susan Glickman said. “But there are a lot of people who cannot, and this is coming at a time when housing prices are up, groceries are up and insurance prices are high. And so there are people who are suffering out there.”
They advocate for climate and biodiversity action by participating in a number of local organizations, including the Marine Resource Council, Tampa Bay Regional Resilience Coalition, and Miami Waterkeeper. They collaborate with climate-minded groups like The CLEO Institute and educational institutions like the Sea Level Solutions Center at Florida International University.
“Coal is the most expensive form of electricity”
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