Category Archives: Democrat

What Will Nikki Do?

That’s the question I’ve had on my mind a lot over the last month.

What will Nikki do?

That’s Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture and 2022 Democratic candidate for Florida Governor Nikki Fried. Three friends of mine and I filed what’s called a Petition for Rulemaking to demand that her office comply with a 2006 Florida law that calls for our government agencies to create the rules and steps for businesses to reduce carbon pollution, while also eliminating the systemic cause of that pollution: fossil fuels.  Friday, February 5th will mark 30 days since my friends and I filed our Petition and the law allows the government 30 days to respond to our request.

Yesterday my friends, our lawyers, and I met with the Commissioner and her Staff to discuss our Petition, its status, and her office’s next steps. I don’t yet know what the Department of Agriculture and, within it the Office of Energy, will do but I can say that the time has come for Florida’s political leaders to follow the 2006 law, something that has sadly not happened since it was implemented nearly two decades ago. Just think about that. Nearly two decades after a law was created to commence eliminating fossil fuels and to shift energy sources to sustainable ones in one of the most fragile places on the planet, and our entire government has done exactly nothing to create the rules and processes to demand compliance. And we wonder why our climate crisis only gets worse by the day.

Commissioner Fried has frequently talked about our climate crisis but has thus far failed to take any meaningful action to address the cause of the pollution caused by fossil fuels. In 2019 Commissioner Fried, for example,  addressed the attendees of the Florida Energy & Climate Summit and talked about the urgent need for Florida and America to address energy and climate issues including saying this:

“It’s time as the nation’s third largest state – using the third-most energy – to face the facts on climate change and energy efficiency, and start preparing for the future. There’s no time to wait. Greenhouse gases are up 400% since 1950, and over 900 people move to Florida every day – we have to change how we use energy. That’s why today, I’ve unveiled an ambitious package of legislation to address greenhouse gas emissions, fund research on climate resilience and sustainability, and help fund energy and water efficiency upgrades on Florida’s farms.”

Florida Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried, October 3rd, 2019

Or, consider that in early 2021 the Commissioner said the following:

“Florida is one of the states most vulnerable to the climate crisis. Our leaders should be moving forward on clean energy-instead they are upholding a system that raises costs for consumers and protects special interests at the expense of our future. We have to break the system.”

Florida Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried

I sure do agree with that sentiment. Yes, we do need to “break the system,” our antiquated use of fossil fuels, and along with it our energy distribution system, including the overt control of power creation and distribution by monopolistic public utilities far more interested in their investors and profits than eliminating pollution no matter what their expensive advertising might otherwise suggest. But, the issue is that such comments and speeches are just talk.

It is now essential that we see actual action and, thus, this week’s response to our Petition, a petition that young people all over Florida have enthusiastically signed on to support (thanks everyone!), holds the promise of allowing Florida to take a serious, meaningful step towards addressing the cause of our climate change crisis.

So tonight, on the eve of the Commissioner’s deadline to respond to the Petition that my friends and I have presented to demand that the talk comes to an end and the solutions commence, let’s all ask and wonder “what will Nikki do?” And here’s to hoping she does the right thing, the bold thing, and, remarkably, the thing that none of Florida’s so-called leaders have been willing to do in the 16 years since the law that called for action was created.

To learn more about our petition or to join us as we demand that the state of Florida take action to address the cause of our climate crisis please visit the petition website here.

Petition 1

Climate Change, Commissioner of Agriculture, Delaney Reynolds, Democrat, Eco Warrior, Florida, Florida Governor, Florida Petition for Rulemaking, Global Warming, Governor, Miami, Miamisearise.com, Nikki Fried, Petition for Rulemaking, Politics, Renewable Energy, Sea Level Rise, Sea Rise, State of Florida, Sustainable Energy, The Sink or Swim Project

Why Things Are Different (& Better) Three Years Later

920x920

Two evenings in March of 2016 taught me much of what I ever needed to know about Presidential politics, as well as a few things I wish none of us had to ever learn. That spring provided our community and country an amazing opportunity to discuss what is easily the most important challenge that my generation will ever face during our time here on earth: our global climate crisis. That’s when both the Republican and Democratic Party each held nationally televised debates right here in Miami amongst the then six remaining candidates.

Climate change was, as it is today, on a great many people’s minds and yet the media and most of the candidates failed America in 2016. Over the course of those two nights and their four hours of nationally televised “debate”, the candidates spent just 9½ minutes discussing climate change. And what did the national media do to address the most important topic of our time? They asked just two questions, one each night. Talk about a “fail”.

The topic was so overlooked that on one of those nights the question on climate did not surface until 1½ hours into the two hour event. To say it was not a priority to the candidates or media is an understatement and was, in many ways, educational to my then 16 year old self. You can read more about those debates in a blog that I wrote at the time entitled 9½ Minutes by clicking here.

Screenshot (37)

Fast forward three years and three months later and we have a candidate, Washington state Governor Jay Inslee, who is largely running on one single topic: protecting our environment with a specific focus on our climate change crisis. Something tells me that the good Governor himself might just spend more than 9½ minutes on the topic later this week whether the journalists prompt him to or not.

We also now have the New Green Deal, a potentially transformational prospective plan to address our climate crisis that’s being embraced by many of the Democratic candidates.

And perhaps most importantly, each of the candidates, all 20 that will appear on television from Miami later this week, are openly and often even aggressively talking about their plans to address climate change. More than half of them have pledged to not accept money from fossil fuel businesses. All have created plans to address the issue.

In 2016 two candidates, Senator Cruz from oil rich Texas, and the man who shockingly became President, Donald Trump, unsurprisingly never even mentioned climate change. That can’t happen this or next year. At every debate, starting with this week’s two Democratic events here in Miami, the media must press the candidates to speak to the issue. Journalists and candidates have a moral obligation to my generation and all that shall follow to address this topic and make it the priority. Almost 100% of democratic voters believe that our climate change crisis is a matter of great importance to our country and, thus, I hope that NBC News, which is moderating, will act like it understands that people want to hear candidates address the issue. Rather than bury it deep into the night, how about we start each evening’s questions here in Miami by discussing climate change?

In the time since being elected, President Trump and his administration have done everything possible to embrace fossil fuel producers and polluters, roll back America’s Clean Power Plan, pull out of the Paris Climate Acord, tout “clean coal” (there is no such thing, it’s a lie) and diminish scientists and the science, including the Administration’s very own November 2018 National Climate Assessment that (once again) made clear that earth is warming and humans’ use of fossil fuels are the key cause. In places all over America, and especially here in South Florida, we no longer have room for such nonsense. We can’t allow Republicans to sell their souls and our future by supporting gas and coal in return for polluted votes. We must (and we can) elect leaders at all levels of our government that support the absolute elimination of fossil fuel use within my lifetime and, in doing so, transition our economy to sustainable energy. Time is running out.

The stakes over this issue are much greater than those votes in coal and gas rich states or, for that matter, the brief time one would hold an elected office. And, yes, even in those states that still rely on coal and gas, a future of clean, well-paying jobs in sustainable energy should be seen as part of the solution in regions that are often desperate for hope. And, of course, the very survival of places like where this week’s debates will actually be held (South Florida) is also at stake and we need to be discussing that before our region disappears under water to the point where future debates can’t be held here.

So come on NBC News and the 20 assembled candidates that will be in sunny South Florida this week, show us that things are different in 2019! Show us that you are truly serious about taking bold steps to solve our climate crisis and helping transform America. Dig deep and get away from the sound bites and prove that you understand what’s at stake as our climate warms. Voters are watching and this time we expect more than 9½ lousy minutes on the topic that defines our generation.

2019 Democratic Debate, 2020 Presidential Election, Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, AOC, Bernie Sanders, Climate Change, Corey Booker, Delaney Reynolds, Democrat, Donald Trump, Eco Warrior, Elizabeth Warren, Florida, Global Warming, Joe Biden, Miami, Miamisearise.com, NBC, NBCNews, Pete Buttigieg, Politics, Sea Level Rise, Sea Rise, The New Green Deal, The Sink or Swim Project, Trump Digs Coal, Univision

Business As “Usual”

When I started college I knew there would be times like this where my school work, environmental work, lectures and all else might keep me from posting to my blog as often as I’d like and the last two months have been just that. I’ve been “radio silent” for some time between traveling overseas for an incredible experience that I will soon share with you, final exams, a new job I’ll tell you about soon, and one marine science expedition after another to start the summer. I will be back on the “high seas” on a week long shark tagging trip later this week, but will do my best to write a post or two between now and then given all that’s going on in the world starting with Business As Usual…

Cowardly Lion

I was going to title this post Cowards but I generally see myself as a polite, respectful person and thus settled on Business As “Usual” instead.

As much of the world now knows, this week President Trump clearly announced that he’d not have any reservations over accepting information about a political opponent from a foreign government (sound familiar?), nor feel compelled to inform the FBI if ever contacted about such information.

I will leave it to the expert political scientists to evaluate most of the President’s troubling comments but should anyone wonder whether his comments are acceptable (or legal), you need only read the unprecedented statement that the head of the Federal Elections Committee, a Trump appointee, issued while also wondering out loud why her office would even need to explain that working with a foreign government, or not informing authorities about being approached, should be common sense. You can read all about it here from a Washington Post article which starts with the following:

Federal Election Commission Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub released a statement Thursday making clear that candidates for public office may not receive help from a foreign government, in what appeared to be a warning to President Trump, who said he would consider taking information about an opponent from another country. 

 

 

 

Tweeting her statement, Weintraub wrote, “I would not have thought that I needed to say this.”

The President and his profound lack of character is now well known to the world and frankly I’m over it and him. His record speaks loudly for itself and the sooner we can replace him, the better (November 2020 can’t come soon enough!).

However, what actually concerns me is the fact that nearly his entire political party, yes the Republicans, are so systemically silent in response.

Politics aside, as an American it’s truly troubling that virtually all members of his party run so scared of the man (and why, for fear of an early morning tweet?) that they avoid calling him out over those comments and countless others. Their silence facilitates the fire to grow and grow.

These educated men and women in our Congress and Senate are in prominent positions to act like leaders, to be examples for others, especially young people, to follow. They hold in their hands the morals, ethics and laws of our nation and yet virtually all of them remain silent as a storm that erodes our country rages around them.

Their silence has become their accepted approach to politics, it is how they conduct their business but it does not go unnoticed. And I am certain that I am not alone in these observations nor in thinking that they are cowards to stand silent and by doing so condone his behavior.

I can’t say I am surprised, the Republicans’ silence has for too long been their typical “business” strategy to all things climate change. As they sit silently, or worse when they enthusiastically promote antiquated industries such as oil and coal in places like West Virginia, Kentucky, Texas and elsewhere in hopes of garnering votes and political donations to perpetuate their time in office, Republicans are placing their selfish political interests above serving our country and that, most certainly, is shameful.

In order to solve our climate crisis, all of our elected leaders, no matter their party affiliation, are going to need to become involved in creating meaningful solutions, to actively engage in productive debate over what is happening right before our eyes and in supporting solutions to the problem by helping our country transition away from fossil fuels and to our sustainable futures. To avoid these topics, or for that matter avoid scolding a terribly misguided President, will not make things better and likely makes them worse. And while we can likely tolerate the circus that is the Trump White House until the next election, we do not have any time to waste when it comes to our climate crisis.

To solve the climate crisis we need and deserve patriots and leaders, not cowards.

Business as usual will not work.

Policies and products that emit carbon pollution into our atmosphere and oceans must end. We need elected officials who will make the hard choices to support transformational changes that in many cases will threaten their ability to be re-elected and that put our nation and environment ahead of politics. Avoiding the topic as happened over the last 8 years here in Florida under Governor, now Senator, Rick Scott or is happening in Washington right now, is no longer acceptable.

All of us likely need to be a bit less polite and far less patient when it comes to saving our planet.

And you know what? On second thought, I should have titled this blog Cowards. That’s what those who stand silent and allow this to happen to our country and planet are: COWARDS.

#BeInconvenient, #RatherBeInCourt, #SaveMiami, 2019, 2020 Democratic Debate, 2020 Presidential Election, Bernie Sanders, Business As Usual, Climate Change, Coward, Cowardly Lion, Delaney Reynolds, Democracy, Democrat, Democratic National Party, Democratic Party, Democrats, Donald Trump, Eco Warrior, Ellen Weintraub, Federal Elections Committee, Global Warming, Miami, Miamisearise.com, Politics, President Trump, Republican, Republican National Party, Republican Party, Republicans, Resilient Miami, Sea Level Rise, Sea Rise, The Sink or Swim Project, Twitter
1 2 3