With the election at the forefront of our collective imagination, environmentalists in Florida are hoping voters will make the connection between elections and a clean environment.
In mid-September, activists spent a week rallying behind the cause of curbing climate change — and electing politicians who want to do the same.
The activists hoped the events, which make up their annual Climate Week, will help draw attention to the sharp contrast between many candidates on environmental issues, given that some acknowledge that the earth is warming largely due to human activity, and some that deny that humans have had any impact. They say in Florida, electing candidates who want to fight climate change and corporate pollution is especially important, given how vulnerable the state's environment is.
“Climate Week ramped up the education on the impacts of dangerous carbon pollution in the Tampa Bay area…we need our voices to be louder when the Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump, says he is going to roll back both the historic Paris climate agreement and the US EPA's clean power plan,” said Susan Glickman of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Action Fund.
The power of the vote was frequently emphasized as one of the best ways a person can help curb further harm to the planet — especially in Florida, a swing state where major elections can be decided by just a few thousand votes. The first event of the week: a protest outside U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s Tampa district office.
The protest aimed to highlight Rubio's climate denial and his derisive comments on the U.S.'s decision to cut back on carbon emissions as outlined in the 2015 UNFCCC Paris Climate Accord. Among the protesters were members of activist organizations like Float the Vote, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Action Fund and Florida VoteVets.
“Senator Rubio is failing Floridians and our environment.” Glickman said. “While Rubio sits on his hands, the threats to Florida’s coasts are increasing.”
Senator Rubio has a history of denying human contributions to global climate change. In a debate held during his failed presidential bid earlier this year, when asked if he acknowledged climate change and would do anything about it, he said, “sure the climate is changing, and one of the reasons the climate is changing is because the climate has always been changing.”
He also accused the Obama administration of trying to appeal to a liberal base in taking part in the Paris climate talks. He went on to say that the decision would not change the "weather" but would damage the economy, cost people their jobs, cause energy bills to skyrocket and funnel billions in tax dollars toward aiding other countries such as China in their efforts to reduce emissions.
The activists believe there is a simple explanation behind Rubio’s steadfast refusal to consider clean energy alternatives.
“We’ve seen time and time again whether it’s the tobacco industry, or the sugar industry, or the fossil fuel industry that the influence of money on the political process often gets outcomes that are not good for consumers and not good for our environment,” Glickman said.
To illustrate their message, the protesters brought along a prop: a canoe filled with protest signs and flotation devices covered in messages relating to sea-level rise, a symptom of climate change that's expected to dramatically impact Florida.
Security guards and police stood nearby as protesters assembled a makeshift podium on which to deliver their message.
First to speak was Lanny Smith, a nationally known environmental activist with Float the Vote, a grassroots organization dedicated to educating voters on climate change. Smith spoke on the importance of science in policymaking and touted a flotilla event scheduled for the following Saturday.
“We are inviting anyone who wants to call action to climate change and the danger of sea level rise to paddle in kayaks, water bikes, and boats on the Hillsborough River.” Smith said.
Last to speak was Jerry Green, a U.S. Army veteran and Florida Director of Outreach for the group VoteVets. Green spoke about his experiences in the military and how climate change affects those serving.
“When droughts and resource shortages destabilize already fragile parts of the world, the US military is often involved in stabilization efforts," Green said.
Afterwards, Green and Glickman entered the office to meet with members of Rubio’s office staff, who cordially agreed to pass along the message.
The protest concluded with a march down West Kennedy Blvd. Protesters held up signs and chanted rallying calls. Adding to the lively atmosphere, a man identifying himself as Izzy played folk protest songs on guitar “because there’s no such thing as a protest without music.”
As the protesters went their separate ways, Smith and others recovered from the hot weather in a nearby hotel bar. Smith continued to talk on the importance of accountability in carbon emission.
“If a policeman sees you throwing something on the ground, you can get a ticket…but nobody tickets industries that are putting massive amounts of pollution into the atmosphere…we must overcome this challenge, have our government leaders, our industry leaders, and we the people come together to create a resilient and sustainable future for our kids,” she said.
The canoe protest was a part of a ‘Week of Climate Action’ which also included a panel discussion and a ‘Float the Vote’ event along the downtown Tampa waterfront.
This article appears in Sep 22-29, 2016.