water supply

Florida’s Water Readiness

Florida is one of the states least ready to deal with water issues due to climate change, according to an April 5 report by the National Resources Defense Council. The ratings are based on a list of criteria including rainfall predictions, water supply challenges, extreme storm events sea leave rise, saltwater intrusion, and preparedness.

In her NRDC blog Rebecca Hammer discussed her take on some of the reasons Florida fared poorly in the report:

Florida lags far behind other states in preparing for climate change impacts.  Under former Governor Charlie Crist, the state seemed well on its way to getting ready—statewide greenhouse gas pollution reduction goals were set, and the Florida Energy and Climate Commission was established to implement actions to reduce emissions of global warming pollution and prepare for climate impacts.  However, under the administration of current Governor Rick Scott (who doesn’t believe in man-made climate change), the commission has been abolished and state agencies are doing very little to prepare for climate change.

Visit the NRDC Web page for an interactive map of the U.S. showing each state’s preparedness, a list and explanation of the criteria involved in creating the rankings as well as a pdf of the NRDC brief on the report.

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