Sierra Club in the News

Turnpike Meeting Brings Out Hundreds of Concerned Residents

By Michael D. Bates
Citrus County Chronicle
Dec. 11, 2021
 
Hundreds of Citrus County residents let their concerns be known at a meeting hosted by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on a proposed northern extension of Florida's Turnpike from where it now ends at Interstate 75 in Wildwood. Four potential routes are on the table, with the proposed extension linking the turnpike with the Suncoast Parkway somewhere between Crystal River and Chiefland. All of them go through the rural areas of Citrus, Sumter, Marion and Levy counties. Folks representing the No Roads to Ruin Coalition passed out green "No Build" signs to people as they arrived. "People don't want to see the congestion, like in south Florida,” said Michael McGrath, the Sierra Club community organizer who gathered comments from attendees. "It's called the Nature Coast for a reason."

 

Packed House: In Dunnellon, a Resounding No for Florida's Proposed Northern Turnpike Extension

By Austin L. Miller
Ocala Star-Banner
Dec. 9, 2021
 
The Dunnellon City Council on Wednesday directed staff to draft a letter opposing the possible northern extension of the Florida Turnpike. Mayor Bill White and council members Jan Cubbage, Louise Kenny, Anita Williams and Valerie Hanchar spoke against the project during a well attended workshop at City Hall. A quick survey by the mayor on the crowd's feelings about the issue was unanimous: No one supported the proposed turnpike extension. Michael McGrath, representing Sierra Club Florida and the No Roads to Ruin Coalition, handed out pamphlets that highlight the plan's flaws. McGrath said in the failed toll road plan state officials wanted last year, 93 percent of people were not in favor of it. With this current plan, he said, state officials are ignoring public opposition.

 

Avoiding Words 'Climate Change,' DeSantis Says Global Warming Concerns Involve 'Left-Wing Stuff'

By Laura Cassels
Florida Phoenix
Dec. 7, 2021
 
At an event in Pinellas County about defending cities from sea levels rising around Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis answered a reporter's question about climate change by talking about "left-wing stuff." Emily Gorman, director of Sierra Club Florida, said the impacts of climate change will not affect people based on their party affiliations. "Implementing clean energy, improving energy affordability and preventing worsening impacts of climate change are not left or right issues. They are issues of quality of life, survival, economy and community wellbeing. Voters across the political spectrum agree that climate change is caused by humans and is a top priority for government action. If the governor is serious about responding to global warming, no solution should be off the table and no stakeholder should be excluded from the conversation."

 

Congress and Florida Legislature Should Approve Bills to Crack Down on PFAS

By Susan Steinhauser
Sun Sentinel
Dec. 2, 2021
 
Susan Steinhauser, chair of the Sierra Club Broward group's political committee, wrote an op-ed about the dangers of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and the need for action by Congress and the Florida Legislature. PFAS are harmful chemicals found in everything from food packaging to raincoats to waterproof makeup. They are linked to an array of health issues including cancer, decreased fertility and harm to the immune system, and can persist in the environment for hundreds of years. Steinhauser called for PFAS to be banned from food packaging.

 

Talk About Preemption: FL Legislature Could Let Businesses Ride Herd on Local Governments

By Michael Moline
Florida Phoenix
Dec. 1, 2021
 

The Florida Legislature may soon empower business owners to sue cities and counties for passing ordinances that cause them financial losses. Republican Travis Hutson pitched his proposal as a form of preemption — that is, a way to overrule local ordinances that offend the GOP’s conception of free enterprise. Opponents to the bill include the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of Counties, Florida Conservation Voters and Sierra Club Florida. Sierra Club's David Cullen said the bill would force taxpayers to bear the cost of remediating harms businesses inflict on communities’ quality of life or environment. "One of the primary roles of government is to protect its citizens. This bill would cripple local governments' ability to fulfil that responsibility," Cullen said.


 
 
By Jorden Bowen
WTVT FOX 13
Nov. 16, 2021
 

Gov. Ron DeSantis is pledging to spend nearly $1 billion on Everglades restoration and water quality improvements in his next budget, but environmental advocates are concerned about how the money will be spent. "The devil is in the details," said Sierra Club organizing representative Diana Umpierre. Part of the funding would go toward putting a deep water reservoir in the Everglades Agricultural Area. "That's not restoration, putting in what's basically going to be another cesspool of dirty water," Umpierre said. Instead, the Sierra Club has been advocating for water storage south of Lake Okeechobee, which would require the state to purchase land currently owned by the sugar industry.


 
 
By Steve Newborn
WUSF Public Media
Nov. 10, 2021
 

Pinellas County Commissioners have agreed to join Sierra Club's Ready for 100 campaign. It commits the county to using 40 percent renewable energy sources by 2030; 100 percent for operations by 2040; and 100 percent for the entire county by 2050. Pinellas joins nine states, 14 counties and 180 cities — including Dunedin, Largo, Safety Harbor and St. Petersburg — in adopting the Sierra Club's plan.


 

Florida Mayors Seek Solutions At World Climate Conference; State Government Reps Absent

By Laura Cassels
Florida Phoenix
Nov. 5, 2021
 
No state administration officials from Florida are known to be among the attendees at COP26, despite Florida being widely considered ground zero in the U.S. for suffering the earliest and most severe impacts of climate change. However, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez joined leaders from around the world to support climate action. "With so much at stake, it is heartening to see local leaders in Glasgow for COP26," said Emily Gorman, Sierra Club Florida director. "Of the top 25 U.S. cities most impacted by climate change and sea level rise, 12 are located in Florida."

 
 
By Seán Kinane
WMNF 88.5 FM
Nov. 3, 2021
 
Bryan Beckman, chair of the Suncoast group's executive committee, was interviewed about Sierra Club's Ready for 100 campaign efforts in Pinellas County. The Pinellas County Commission will vote this month on whether to set a zero-emission target, which would be partly accomplished through a transition to renewable energy. Several cities in Pinellas have already committed to a 100% clean energy future, including St. Petersburg, Largo, Dunedin and Safety Harbor. "Cities should and can lead a national transition to clean energy," said Beckman.
 
 
By Laura Cassels
Florida Phoenix
Oct. 18, 2021
 
Swaths of wetlands and waterways in Florida left unprotected when the Trump administration weakened federal standards in early 2020 are being developed in Florida — despite a federal ruling that struck down the Trump rules eight weeks ago. At least 300,000 acres of wetlands and waterways in Florida are likely subject to regulation under the stronger, pre-Trump standards, but state regulators have announced no change in course. In response, Sierra Club, Earthjustice and other environmental groups have filed comments with the EPA. Diana Umpierre, Sierra Club organizing representative, said that wetlands around the nation, including parts of the Florida Everglades, are at risk of permanent damage while regulators debate the issue.

 
 
By Janelle Irwin Taylor
Florida Politics
Oct. 18, 2021
 

About 50 people gathered as the Suncoast Sierra Club group celebrated local candidates it had endorsed for the St. Petersburg municipal election, including mayoral candidate Ken Welch and City Council candidates Copley Gerdes, Lisett Hanewicz, Gina Driscoll and Richie Floyd. The event included national board president Ramón Cruz, who emphasized Sierra Club's commitment to the intersection of social justice and climate action when selecting endorsements. "We can't think of protecting the environment without asking who are we are protecting it for," Cruz said. "The environmental struggle, it's also a social justice struggle, a gender equity struggle — unless we deal with all of these issues, then we will really not get ahead of the game in dealing with the climate crisis."


 

 
By Jorgelina Manna-Rea
WUSF Public Media
Oct. 18, 2021
 

Climate activists, Sierra Club leaders and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor gathered in Progress Village to discuss their concerns with TECO Energy's recent proposal to the Florida Public Service Commission to raise rates for customers by 14%, some of which will pay for converting a generating unit at its Big Bend power station from coal-burning to natural gas. Sierra Club National President Ramón Cruz said with today's technology, there is no longer an excuse for utilities not to make the move toward cleaner energy. "Florida is the epicenter of the climate crisis, it's so vulnerable and we have seen already people here, not only in terms of heat waves and powerful hurricanes, people live in fear and especially the communities that we are in today, Progress Village, are very susceptible," said Cruz.


 
Sierra Club Inspiring Youth to Connect with Nature with Free Outdoor Adventures
 
By Tony Sadiku
WTVT FOX 13
Oct. 7, 2021
 

Sierra Club is helping youth from the inner city and underserved populations get outdoors and experience the wonder of nature. Tampa Bay Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) organizes free trips staffed by volunteers to promote an awareness and appreciation of the natural environment. They typically organize 25-30 trips a year for local students in partnership with area schools. It is one of more than 50 similar programs nationwide. Learn more about Tampa Bay ICO.


 
'Tampa Bay Toxic Bus Tour' Highlights Energy Inequality and Potential Disaster Zones in Hillsborough
 
By Jessica Meszaros
WUSF Public Media

Sept. 1, 2021

Tampa Bay area residents and activists were guided on a "toxic bus tour" through Hillsborough County by Sierra Club staff members Walter Smith and Gonzalo Valdes, to highlight potential disaster zones, underserved areas, issues of energy inequality and possible solutions. Smith and Valdes are part of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, which seeks to close all coal-burning plants in the U.S. and replace them with clean energy sources.


 
Three Area Nonprofits Call for End to Coal Ash Transport Through Jacksonville
 
By Sydney Boles
WJCT News
Aug. 25, 2021
 
The St. Johns Riverkeeper, Northeast Florida Sierra Club and Surfrider Foundation’s First Coast Chapter are calling for the city of Jacksonville to stop accepting coal ash through local ports after a barge from Puerto Rico spilled as much as 4,000 tons of the industrial byproduct into coastal waterways. "Importing coal ash waste through the Jacksonville Port produces limited financial benefit, while putting area beaches and waterways at risk," said Logan Cross, chair of Northeast Florida group.

 
'A Complete Failure of the State': Authorities Didn’t Heed Researchers' Calls to Study Health Effects of Burning Sugar Cane
 
By Lulu Ramadan
The Palm Beach Post
Aug. 19, 2021
 
Health officials in Florida's sugar belt failed to act on recommendations to study the health impact of cane burning, despite decades of internal research and complaints from residents. In 2015, some residents who were the most vocal critics of cane burning partnered with the Sierra Club to launch a Stop the Burn campaign, which has led to a counter-campaign from the sugar industry. An analysis conducted by The Palm Beach Post and ProPublica found that for patients from Belle Glade, hospital and emergency room visits for respiratory illness rose by 35% during the burning seasons.

 

Red Tide Is Here, and It'll Be Here Again. What Have Lawmakers Done to Help?

By Romy Ellenbogen and Jake Sheridan
Tampa Bay Times
Aug. 17, 2021
 

Bryan Beckman, chairperson of Sierra Club Florida's Suncoast group, was interviewed for an article about the state Legislature's efforts to monitor and mitigate Red Tide. He said these measures are necessary but not enough. "Unfortunately, I think it can lull people to sleep," he said, saying there needs to be more focus on prevention. He called for more effort to improve sewage treatment, monitor and regulate agricultural fertilizer, prohibit urban fertilizer during rainy seasons and clean Piney Point's phosphogypsum stacks.


 
Red Tides Return to Florida, Leaving Beaches Covered in Dead Fish
 
By Garin Flowers
Yahoo News
Aug. 6, 2021
 
Senior Organizing Manager Cris Costello was interviewed about the devastating red tide bloom along Florida's Gulf Coast. Sierra Club believes pollution is a part of the problem and sent a letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis calling for action. "Nutrient pollution gets there through fertilizer, both urban and agricultural fertilizer, undertreated or inadequately treated wastewater, whether from septic tanks or wastewater treatment plants that aren't as high level as they need to be," said Costello.

 

With 6 Months to Go, Florida Already Broke the Record For Most Manatee Deaths In a Year

By Justin Garcia
Creative Loafing
July 12, 2021
 

Florida's manatees are dying at an unprecedented rate, sounding alarm bells for environmentalists. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has reported 841 manatees deaths so far in 2021, overshadowing the record set in 2013, when 830 died. "It is distressing to see manatees being starved because we have done a poor job of protecting seagrass beds," said Gary Gibbons, vice chair of Sierra Club Florida's Tampa Bay group. He said nutrient runoff from fertilized yards, agriculture, unregulated leaking septic tanks and recreational horseback riding through grass flats has led Florida to a tipping point that demands urgent attention from state and local governments.


 

The Smoke Comes Every Year. Sugar Companies Say the Air Is Safe.

By Lulu Ramadan, The Palm Beach Post, and
Ash Ngu and Maya Miller, ProPublica
July 8, 2021
 
To harvest more than half of America's cane sugar, billion-dollar companies set fire to fields, a money-saving practice that's being banned by other countries. Since 2015, some Glades residents have pushed back, working with the Sierra Club on a campaign to end cane burning. The Sierra Club released a study in May that found that the single monitor in Belle Glade cannot capture smoke pollution across the region. Environmentalists and residents leaned on the report to push for better air monitoring and no-burn buffer zones near towns.

 

Environmentalists Blast Gov. DeSantis for Blocking Local Phase-outs of Oil and Gas as Fuel Sources

By Laura Cassels
Florida Phoenix
June 22, 2021
 
Disregarding warnings about worsening climate change, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a measure that prevents local governments from moving away from oil and gas. The new law will slow down local government efforts to convert fully to clean energy, such as solar and wind. "Refusing to veto some of the most regressive energy legislation in the country makes it clear that DeSantis is no environmentalist," said Emily Gorman, Sierra Club organizer. "Leaders in Tallahassee have clearly signaled their allegiance to national gas and petroleum lobbyists over the interests of Floridians."

 

To Fix Florida’s Latest Toxic Algae Crisis, Fix the DEP

By Craig Pittman
Florida Phoenix
June 3, 2021
 
Sierra Club senior organizing manager Cris Costello was interviewed with other environmental activists about what the state's Department of Environmental Protection should be doing to battle toxic blue-green algae blooms. "Stop agricultural pollution at its source," said Costello. "That means mandatory, verified and confirmed protective best management practices to keep stormwater and irrigation runoff from receiving water bodies. That would require retaining and either recycling or treating that water before it leaves the farm."

 

Rights of Nature Lawsuit Pits 2 Lakes, 2 Creeks and Marsh Against Developer in Lake Nona

By Stephen Hudak
Orlando Sentinel
May 3, 2021
 

Wielding for the first time the voter-approved Orange County charter amendment intended to protect county waterways, environmentalists recently sued to stop a developer from filling in 115 acres of wetlands for a mammoth project near Lake Nona. The lawsuit filed in circuit court was unusual because the plaintiffs include two lakes, two creeks and a marsh. "Destruction of wetlands for 'non‐water‐dependent' activities such as housing and commercial development pose significant adverse environmental consequences," said Marjorie Holt, chair of Sierra Club's Central Florida group.


 
DeSantis Urged to Veto Bills That Would Make It Harder for Cities to Reduce Emissions
 
By Brendan Rivers
WJCT News
April 27, 2021
 

The Sierra Club of Florida has sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis urging him to veto 12 bills, including some that would make it harder for local governments to reduce fossil fuel emissions, the leading driver of climate change. The letter sent Monday lists 12 bills that Sierra Club staff, members and supporters have labeled as anti-environment and/or anti-democracy. "Sierra Club is appalled by the Legislature's unprecedented attack on our state's natural resources and the transparent, fair processes that Floridians have used to protect the environment and public health in the past," said Deborah Foote, acting Florida chapter director.


 
Piney Point Crisis Striking Concerns In Other Communities With Gypsum Stacks
 
By Olivia Steen
WFLA-TV
April 6, 2021
 
There are 25 gypsum stacks across the state of Florida, according to the DEP. Walter Smith, Sierra Club organizing representative, said every one of them needs to be re-evaluated, because what happened at Piney Point can't happen again. In February, a group of Florida environmentalists sent a petition asking the EPA to provide more oversight with gypsum stacks. "From local to federal, every level needs to be involved in the review and process of everything that's going on here," said Smith, adding that it can't just be the government doing the legwork. He said corporations need to be more transparent about the risks of these sites and communities need to educate themselves on what's in their backyards.

 

Florida Agriculture Officials Ban Citrus Pesticide Approved Near End of Trump Administration

By Bruce Ritchie
Politico
April 4, 2021
 
Florida agriculture officials announced that the insecticide aldicarb will remain banned in Florida. Sierra Club Florida and other groups had asked the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to revoke the pesticide's registration. "Commissioner Nikki Fried has taken a courageous stand by denying its use in Florida, sending a clear message that the health of our farmworkers, public health, child development and environmental quality will not be compromised by approval of extremely hazardous chemicals in our state," said Deborah Foote, acting Florida chapter director.

 

Conservation Groups Ask Haaland to Block Oil Drilling In Florida Preserve

By Zack Budryk
The Hill
March 30, 2021
 
A coalition of conservation groups including Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, Earth Action and the South Florida Audubon Society have called on Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to deny requests to drill for oil in a section of the Florida Everglades in a letter. The Burnett Oil Company is seeking permits from the state DEP for a new oil well and access road near the Big Cypress National Preserve, as well as a second well in close vicinity of Miccosukee tribal lands. "Both proposed well sites are located in wetlands and primary Florida panther habitat. These proposed oil wells and their associated land clearing ... disposal wells, reserve pits, and potential oil spills would be detrimental to the explicit purposes of the Preserve," the letter states.

 

Judge Orders U.S. Wildlife Managers to Release Report Contemplating Loosening Protections for Key Deer

By Jenny Staletovich
WLRN-FM
March 3, 2021
 
As the result of a Sierra Club lawsuit, a federal judge ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to release a report that was part of an effort to loosen protections for endangered Key deer. "It's ridiculous that it took three years and a lawsuit for (the Service) to allow Key deer advocates to finally see this report," said Diana Umpierre, the Sierra Club's Everglades representative. "Instead of hiding public records they should have been spending their energy to save a species."

 
 
By Valerie Vande Panne
WGCU Public Media
March 3, 2021
 
Sierra Club Florida released its 2020 report cards, grading the work of Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried. The governor received a failing grade in 16 of 25 categories, including for signing legislation that further weakens growth management, and for raiding the Land Acquisition Trust Fund for purposes other than land acquisition. Fried received a failing grade in three of eight categories, including for her failure to address sugarcane field burning, for allowing the use of antibiotic pesticides and for making no effort to reduce single-use plastics and polystyrene.

 

Sierra Gives Kudos for OUC Climate Action on Coal Plants

By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
Feb. 18, 2021
 
Sierra Club has given Orlando and its municipal utility the environmental group's highest rating in the Southeast for the city's local initiative to end decades of burning coal at a pair of power plants in east Orange County to generate electricity. "Cities across the country are demonstrating the economic feasibility of planning a decarbonized future," said Raquel Fernandez Makarov, Orlando-based organizer for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign in Florida. "Mayor Buddy Dyer and OUC have done more than the average city and utility, but we can realize an energy future — now — that is fossil fuel free."

 

Environmental Groups Oppose DeSantis' Anti-Protest Bills

By Joshua Ceballos
Miami New Times
Jan. 12, 2021
 
Two anti-protest bills introduced in Florida are drawing opposition from a seemingly unlikely source: environmentalists. The Center for Biological Diversity condemned the bills as an affront to Floridians' constitutional rights and called the proposed legislation "shockingly un-American," and environmentalists at the Sierra Club also publicly opposed the legislation. "(Protesting) is the basis on which Sierra Club works. We put pressure on decisionmakers and make clear the will of the people," said Cris Costello, a senior organizing manager. "Without protection from misguided attempts to rein in that right to demonstrate, we are at a serious disadvantage."

 

U.S. Gives Florida Wider Authority Over Wetland Development

By Scott Sutton
The Associated Press
Dec. 17, 2020
 

The federal government has granted Florida's request for wider authority over wetlands. The move long sought by developers and Republicans removes key layers of federal scrutiny over developments projects that could make it easier for builders to obtain permits for construction projects on Wetlands. "Today's decision by the Trump EPA will lead to the destruction of many of Florida's remaining wetlands and will harm the state's wildlife and fisheries dependent on those wetlands for survival," said Frank Jackalone, Sierra Club Florida chapter director. "The big losers will be millions of Florida residents whose quality of life will be greatly diminished."


 
What’s Next for Climate Change in Florida Legislature?
 
By Zachary T. Sampson
Tampa Bay Times
Dec. 7, 2020
 
Some progressives thought Florida might swing on the climate vote in 2020. It did not. The Sierra Club Florida tallied 21 House wins — and 36 losses — for candidates friendly to its cause across the primary and general election, said Deborah Foote, the group's government affairs and political director. In the Senate, she said, they managed an even record. "The brighter light is shining on those local races where we are seeing a significant number of our endorsed candidates winning," Foote said shortly after the election. "I think that's where we're going to see continued change and innovation, on the local level."

 

Community Should Have Input in Solar Development

By Emily Gorman, Sarah Younger and Tim Martin
The Gainesville Sun
Dec. 3, 2020
 
Sierra Club organizing representative Emily Gorman and volunteers Sarah Younger and Tim Martin wrote a guest column about a failed proposal to build a 620-acre solar farm in Archer, FL, that did not take into account the input or concerns of the local community. It is Sierra Club's hope that potential developers of clean and renewable energy will learn from these missteps and make the necessary changes to realize the full benefits and potential of solar energy.

 

Sierra Club of Florida Expands Legal Concerns Over Pasco Road Project

By Barbara Behrendt
Tampa Bay Times
Sept. 18, 2020
 
Already in litigation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the controversial Ridge Road Extension, Sierra Club Florida has given notice that it is expanding its legal challenges of that agency's permitting and adding similar concerns about the job done by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Opponents to the road argue that it is being built to open up previously inaccessible rural areas to future development. "Congress passed the Endangered Species Act nearly 50 years ago. We are currently facing a massive global extinction of species. Upholding this bedrock environmental law is more important than ever," said Tim Martin, conservation chair for Sierra Club Florida.

 

Analysis: 3 Planned Toll Roads, Including Project From Polk to Collier, Not Fiscally Feasible

By Gary White
Lakeland Ledger
Sept. 16, 2020
 

An analysis of three proposed toll roads in Florida has found that none meets the Florida Department of Transportation’s standards for financial feasibility. Members of Cornell Consulting, a student-led firm at Cornell University, presented the main details of their analysis during a videoconference with reporters. The Sierra Club commissioned the study in coordination with the No Roads to Ruin coalition. "M-CORES is a financially risky project with a significant price tag and little data demonstrating a true transportation need," the Cornell analysis said. "Furthermore, the proposed corridors run through highly sensitive environmental areas, run the risk of encouraging sprawl in communities that do not want it, and during COVID-19 have reduced demand."


 
Environmentalists Oppose Tying Broadband Expansion To Toll Roads
 
By Blaise Gainey
WFSU
June 5, 2020
 
Sierra Club Florida believes that building three new toll roads will cause harm to rural environments and is unnecessary, especially if the goal is to expand broadband access. Michael McGrath, Sierra Club organizing representative, says it would be a lot cheaper to just focus on broadband. "The lower estimate for how much that would cost is around $110 million, and the upper estimate is around $209 million for deploying broadband access to all those county areas," he said. The toll road project is expected to cost more than $10 billion. McGrath says not only does it save money to focus solely on broadband expansion, but it also saves the ecosystems of small communities that the new roads would travel through.

 

Protecting Florida Panthers' Last Stand In South Florida

By Diana Umpierre
Naples Daily News
Feb. 4, 2020
 
Sierra Club organizing representative Diana Umpierre wrote an article about the dangerous impact of two road expansion projects in Florida's pather country. Vehicle collisions are the number one cause of panther deaths. Sierra Club and the Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida have filed a federal lawsuit against the Florida Department of Transportation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to stop the projects. "We believe the continued survival of our state animal depends on proper environmental review and protection, and that has just not happened in these road projects," she wrote. "Our government must do better for panthers and people."

 

Florida's 'Green' Governor Gets a D on Sierra Club's Environmental Report Card

By Adriana Brasileiro
Miami Herald
Jan. 14, 2020
 
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who spent his first year in office building a green image and pitching science-based solutions for the state’s environmental woes, barely passed a test by one of the country’s oldest conservation organizations. DeSantis got a D in his report card from the Sierra Club for failing to protect Florida’s springs and rivers and for authorizing toll roads that kill Florida panthers, black bears and other protected wildlife. He received Fs for staying silent on plans to convert the state to 100 percent renewable energy and barely passed the test on a key issue: climate change. Overall, the governor failed five out of 13 categories in the organization’s report card, and only got one B, his highest grade, for actions on reducing plastic waste.

 

Environmentalists Concerned About Major State Road Project, Others in Support

By Breana Ross and Jack Lowenstein
WINK-TV
Dec. 9, 2019
 
For hours, Southwest-Central Florida Connector Task Force members discussed the pros and cons of a possible corridor running through the center of the state from Collier County to Polk County. Members of the public, including Sierra Club organizing representatives Michael McGrath and Diana Umpierre, had a chance to comment. "We don't want to see this project happen at all," said McGrath. "We are trying to push for a no-build option for this project." The No Roads To Ruin coalition is made up of businesses and organizations with a common concern: The impact of this new road on Florida's environment. "We really don't need to keep destroying more of our wetlands, more of our precious habitats," said Umpierre.

 

DEP Hosts Sixth Blue-Green Algae Task Force Meeting

By Briana Nespral
WGFL CBS4
Oct. 7, 2019
 

Deputy Chapter Director Deborah Foote spoke at a meeting of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force, which makes recommendations on how to protect water resources. During public comments, most people voiced their concerns on the importance of prevention versus remediation to stop algae outbreaks. "We don’t believe that we can mitigate our way out of the problem," said Foote. "That would just be too costly for us to continue to have to try and abate pollution after it occurs."


 
Sierra Club Says It Won't Back Down On Toll Road Battle
 
By Angie Angers
Bay News 9
May 18, 2019
 
Sierra Club Florida Director Frank Jackalone says the group has no plans to back down, one day after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a controversial toll road expansion bill that would take the initial steps to expand the Suncoast Parkway from Citrus County to the Georgia border; extend the Florida Turnpike west; and add a new toll road from Polk County to the Fort Myers area. DeSantis signed the bill despite strong opposition from environmental groups, who say the new roads will hurt the environment. "This is the beginning of a war between developers and big money interests who want to make a profit and destroy the environment at the same time," said Jackalone. "Versus us, who want to save what is left of Florida."
 

 
 
By Bill Maxwell
Tampa Bay Times
June 3, 2018
 
Big Sugar uses a process called "pre-harvest burning" to make its fortune. The fires send billows of smoke and stench into the air. Residents of the western Everglades Agricultural Area, mostly low-income African Americans and foreign temporary laborers, call the falling ash "black snow." A small group of activists began meeting to find ways to encourage sugar growers to switch to "green harvesting," the use of machines and human labor rather than fire. "A shift to green harvesting would benefit the industry in the long-term rather than put them out of business," said Patrick Ferguson of the Sierra Club. "Investing in the infrastructure to utilize the trash, instead of wasting it, would create more local jobs and provide new sources of revenue for sugar growers. Green harvesting is a win-win-win."