DeSantis rejects link between climate change and Hurricane Idalia.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Slams Claims Linking Hurricane Idalia to Climate Change
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has strongly criticized claims that climate change was responsible for the devastating Hurricane Idalia that hit northwestern Florida last month. During a recent tour, the governor and GOP presidential candidate responded to President Joe Biden’s statement suggesting that climate change was behind a series of natural disasters, including Hurricane Idalia.
“Well, I think if you look, there was a storm that went on this almost exact track in 1896. And it had 125-mile-an-hour winds just like this one,” Mr. DeSantis said in response.
He referred to a storm that occurred over 120 years ago, long before the widespread use of gas-powered cars and during the early stages of industrialization in the United States.
Historical Perspective
Governor DeSantis highlighted the Labor Day hurricane of 1935, which remains the most powerful storm ever recorded in Florida with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour. He emphasized that hurricanes are not a new phenomenon and that attributing them solely to climate change is false.
“The notion that somehow hurricanes are something new, that’s just false. We’ve got to stop politicizing the weather and stop politicizing natural disasters,” DeSantis stated.
He urged people to gain perspective and cautioned against using storms as a pretext to advance political agendas.
Engaging with the Issue
Recent years have seen a tendency among some scientists and media outlets to immediately link hurricanes to climate change, suggesting that behavioral changes are necessary. Hurricane Idalia was no exception, with publications like The Washington Post, The Associated Press, CNN, and Reuters asserting a connection between the storm and climate change.
However, Governor DeSantis firmly rejected this viewpoint, calling it a “lie.” He emphasized the need to avoid politicizing weather events and natural disasters.
“The notion that somehow if we just adopt very left-wing policies at the federal level, that somehow we will not have hurricanes, that is a lie,” DeSantis asserted.
He criticized those who exploit the suffering caused by natural disasters to push their own agendas and vowed that Florida would not engage in such practices.
Campaign and Recovery Efforts
Before Hurricane Idalia struck Florida, Governor DeSantis canceled his presidential campaign events to focus on storm preparations and recovery efforts. The storm even caused damage to the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee.
President Biden visited Florida to assess the storm’s impact, while some media outlets highlighted DeSantis’s absence during the visit. However, President Biden clarified that he was not disappointed and acknowledged DeSantis’s involvement in planning the response with FEMA.
Regarding future campaign activities, it remains uncertain when Governor DeSantis will resume his campaign. However, a super PAC supporting him, called “Never Back Down,” has temporarily paused voter canvassing in several states and set higher fundraising goals for the upcoming quarters.
The PAC’s communications director, Erin Perri, stated, “We see real opportunities in the first three. The first three are going to set the conditions for the March states.”
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