Climate change could virtually disappear in Florida — at least according to state law

abcnews.go.com:

Florida is on the verge of repealing what’s left of a 16-year-old law that puts climate change as a priority when making energy policy decisions

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida, perhaps the most vulnerable state to sea-level rise and extreme weather, is on the verge of repealing what's left of a 16-year-old law that lists climate change as a priority when making energy policy decisions. Instead, the state would make energy affordability and availability its main focus.

A bill waiting to be signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis would strip the term “climate change” from much of state law and reverse a policy then-Gov. Charlie Crist championed as he built a reputation for being a rare Republican fighting to promote green energy over fossil fuels.

While Florida is distinct for having an enormous coastline and being flat — Miami's average elevation is roughly 6 to 7 feet (2 meters) above sea level — the chairman of House Infrastructure Strategies Committee said it also has unique challenges and the climate change language in law makes meeting them more difficult.

“We're protecting consumers, we're protecting consumer pricing, we're protecting them with great reliability and we're protecting to make sure we don't have a lack of energy security in our state. That's where we're moving as far as our policies,” said Republican Rep. Bobby Payne.

But critics say now is not the time to go backwards when it comes to climate change policy, including Crist, who is now a Democrat who last served in the U.S. House.

“It’s disappointing to see a continuing lurch in the wrong direction, particularly when Florida, with our coastline, is probably the most vulnerable to rising sea levels, I mean if we don’t address it, who’s going to?” Crist