Florida governor and environmental savior Rick Scott hasdone it again — made a determination found primarily on his concern for the environs . Actually , strike that and put back with the opposition .
Politically expedientand climate alteration deny Gov. Scott made a calculation that pushing back against offshore boring along Florida ’s coastlines — which the Trump administration peril to do with its modish plan — would be in person beneficial , especially considering his likely run at the open Senate tooshie this year as his governorship winds down .
How do we acknowledge this ? A slight something called a track record .
But first , a picture setter .
Late Tuesday , Secretary of the Interior andperpetually disappointing outdoorsmanRyan Zinke tweeted that , even though justfive days beforehe’d announced that the Trump administration plans to give near the entire outer continental ledge to vegetable oil and accelerator pedal drilling , he ’d commute his mind about Florida — and only Florida . Why ? A brief get together with Gov. Scott where the regulator expressed concerns about the shitty plan , peculiarly its effects on tourism . Apparently , that ’s all it takes .
After spill the beans with @FLGovScott , I am removing#Floridafrom the bill of exchange seaward plan.pic.twitter.com/lZIfdCDNOR
— Secretary Ryan Zinke ( @SecretaryZinke)January 9 , 2018
Zinke called Gov. Scott a “ straightforward leader , ” add up that he support Scott ’s posture that “ Florida is singular . ”
Read my full statement on taking#Floridaoff the table for seaward oil and gun . Local voice matters.pic.twitter.com/fJhv0p0CDC
Thebacklash to the tweetas almost as swift as the backlash to the original marriage offer to set about drilling in long - protect coastal weewee . Take Bill Nelson , Gov. Scott ’s Democratic opponent in the Senate backwash , who is strongly against the drilling programme .
“ I have spent my entire lifespan struggle to keep oil rigs away from our coasts . But now , suddenly , Secretary Zinke announce plans to exercise off Florida ’s glide and four days later agrees to ‘ take Florida off the tabular array ? ’ I do n’t trust it , ” Nelson said in astatement . “ This is a political stunt orchestrate by the Trump administration to help Rick Scott , who has wanted to drill off Florida ’s coast his intact career . We should n’t be bet political sympathies with the futurity of Florida . ”
Although both parties in Florida have long fight seaward boring due to its potential impact on touristry ( as is the case in many coastal Department of State ) , Gov. Scott is otherwise no friend of the environment . In his first term , he made major budget cuts to the land ’s Department of Environmental Protection and regional water direction territorial dominion , and opened up state parks to private ventures . accord tothe Florida Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility , the DEP has opened 75 percent fewer pollution regularization enforcement cases since 2011 , when Gov. Scott came into office .
AsHuffPost points out , Gov. Scott has also been highly discrepant in his views on seaward drilling , even go as far as to support it just week after the devastating BP Deepwater Horizon disaster in nearby waters in 2010 .
In a 2014 op - ed , the Tampa Bay TimescalledGov . Scott ’s environmental phonograph recording a “ catastrophe ” :
Scott has bulldozed a record of environmental protective cover that his Republican and Democratic predecessors spent decennium edifice . He dampen the enforcement of environmental Pentateuch and cut funding for clean water , conservation and other programme . He at the same time made it easier for the boastful polluters and private diligence to degrade the State Department ’s natural resource . While the first - term Republican attempts to transmute himself into an environmentalist during his re - election movement , his record reflects a callous disregard for the State Department ’s natural resources and no understanding of how deep Floridians care about their state of matter ’s beauty and treasure .
In 2015 , the Florida Center for Investigative Reportingbroke the storythat administrators in his Department of Environmental Protection were banned from using the terms “ orbicular thawing ” or “ climate change , ” an especially ludicrous move considering Florida is one of the states most threatened with ruinous impacts .
Like a lawful politician , Gov. Scott generally avert compact at once into the climate change debate — could be politically harmful — insteadoften choosing to go withthe democratic and asinine pronounce “ I ’m not a scientist , ” which was very voguish before President Trump made it so words did n’t really matter anymore . According toPolitifact , his instruction about his endeavour to deal with sea level rise have been largely overdone .
lawful to expedient frame though , in the last twelvemonth or so Scott ’s awoken to the fact that a significant turn of people care about the emergence in his swing state , and if he wants to win another election , he might have to act like he does , too .
Last May , Gov. Scottsigned a lawthat would make a artificial lake to send more water to thefrequentlydrought - strickenEverglades and prevent polluting discharges from Lake Okeechobee , a major environmental effect in South Florida . Also in 2016,he sign ontothe “ Legacy Florida ” bill that create a dedicated investment trust for Everglades and springs refurbishment .
As noted in the Tampa Bay Times op - ed , Scott frequently get into his environmentalist roof going into election campaigns . This time , it just feels a routine too obvious , but that ’s a hallmark of the Trump era .
In fact , it ’s reminiscent ofthe timeVice President Mike Pence went to an NFL game just so he could leave in protestation when musician get a articulatio genus during the national hymn . The Trump administration has no shame when it comes to telegraphing their symbolism .
Climate changeryan zinke
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