A TV meteorologist condemned Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ so-called “don’t say climate change” bill over the air and urged viewers to vote.
Steve MacLaughlin of WTVJ in Miami addressed viewers Saturday amid rising heat records across the state, saying, “On Thursday we reported … that Florida’s government has begun rolling back really important climate change legislation and really important language about climate change. .”
MacLaughin condemned DeSantis’ position on the matter, saying it came about “despite the fact that in recent years the state of Florida has had record heat, record flooding, record rain, record insurance rates and the corals are all dying. around the state”.
He said: “The whole world is looking to Florida to lead on climate change, and our government says climate change is no longer the priority it once was.
“Keep in mind that the most powerful solution to climate change is the one you already have in your hands: voting rights. And we will never tell you who to vote for, but we will tell you this: We implore you to please do your research and know that there are candidates who believe in climate change and that there are solutions. And there are candidates who don’t do that.”
McLaughlin made his comments after DeSantis recently signed several bills that the governor claimed aimed to “restore common sense to our approach to energy and reject the agenda of the radical green fanatics.”
“Radical green fanatics want to impose their climate agenda on people through restrictions, regulations and taxes,” said a message from DeSantis.
In addition to the ban on offshore and near-shore wind farms, the bill prioritizes the expansion of natural gas, strengthens protections against the ban on gas appliances and repeals climate policies introduced during Barack Obama’s presidency.
The gas industry has contributed to climate change and its resulting impacts, including severe weather events becoming increasingly common.
Over the weekend, South Florida experienced record temperatures, with Fort Lauderdale and Miami each hitting record highs of 95F (35C) on Sunday. Typical highs for this time of year are around 86F (30C), the Palm Beach Post reported.
Since McLaughlin shared his clip on X on May 18, it has been viewed nearly 407,000 times on the platform, with more than 3,300 likes and 1,400 reshares.
Many were quick to praise McLaughlin for speaking out, with one user proverb: “I know there is often pressure on meteorologists not to speak up. Thanks for speaking.”
Another user wrote: “Thanks, Steve, for giving me the facts.”
Someone else said: “As needed. Thank you for this.”
Meteorologists in the US have faced harassment over their reporting on the climate crisis.
Last year, Sean Sublette, a former TV meteorologist who now works at the Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper in Virginia, said in a speech to the Associated Press: “More than once I’ve had people call me names or say I’m stupid or of those things that I come across. kind of intimidating stuff, just because they’re sharing information they didn’t want to hear.”
Meanwhile, meteorologist Chris Gloninger announced last July that he was resigning from Des Moines’ CBS TV station KCCI due to post-traumatic stress disorder he developed as a result of threats over his reporting on the climate crisis.
