Climate Change

Sixty percent of the nation's heavily polluted Superfund sites—nearly 950 of them—are at risk from the impacts of climate change, including hurricane storm surges and flooding that could spread their toxic legacies into waterways, communities and farmland, a new federal report warns.

Jacksonville City Council President Scott Wilson has announced the formation of a committee that will look to make the city more resilient to flooding, sea level rise, and severe weather.

The last time the Florida building code changed, it required any new construction along the coast to elevate buildings a whole foot. Just three years later, that doesn’t look like enough. There’s a call to go up yet another foot.

Jacksonville’s Naval Station Mayport is among the many military bases that will have to deal with significantly hotter days, according to a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Mayport has historically seen eight days a year with heat index values over 100 degrees. By 2050, that number is projected to jump to 74 days.

A group of scientists and academics from local universities and colleges have signed onto a letter asking Mayor Lenny Curry and the City Council to develop a plan for reducing fossil fuel emissions in Jacksonville and to start preparing the city for the impacts of climate change.

The American Flood Coalition is hosting its first Florida Mayors Summit in Washington, D.C., Monday and Tuesday, where 19 current mayors, representing more than 2.6 million Floridians, will hear from experts and talk to members of Congress about flooding and sea level rise.

Gov. Ron DeSantis this week announced environmental proposals for the 2020 legislative session, based on recommendations from the Blue-Green Algae Task Force, that are designed to expedite water quality improvements throughout Florida.

Florida lawmakers Monday dug into issues involving climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, phrases mostly kept under wraps by state Republican leaders before last year’s elections.

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Thursday plans to roll out legislative priorities focused on climate change. 

This week, the Jacksonville City Council passed a last-minute budget amendment to end the city’s annual financial contribution to be part of the Northeast Florida Regional Council.

About 100 people gathered at Hemming Park in Downtown Jacksonville Friday to participate in a youth-led climate strike.