(#5730) Did the hurricanes and tornadoes give Florida a wake up call?

      The aftermath of both weather phenomenons is now upon us. Those who were affected in Florida are coming out into the day to assess the damage that they have had to endure. Many are traveling back to their possessions with apprehension and hope. What they find will surely be a mess however the size and depth of the mess is yet to be determined. That will be their focus today, to find out what they are facing for the next many weeks and months of cleanup and restoration. But in the back of their minds they must now be questioning if this is not over yet. When is the next major weather phenomenon coming?
     In the past Floridians had understood there were weather related problems that were consistent but manageable. Now they know that the intensity and direction of weather phenomenons are not predictable nor manageable. A new chapter in the weather that affects them is being written and they must be wondering if they will be part of that story or not. Will they think about pulling up roots and moving to less intense weather devastations or will they do something that I hope they will do. Change their outlook on the catastrophes that are inherent within climate change. Floridians elected a governor who has mostly eliminated the phrase climate change from state law. It is rather silly on the face of it because denying an event does nothing to mitigate it.
     It is my hope that the smart people of Florida will finally see out beyond the political rhetoric of their current representatives and make the necessary changes in the next 26 days to rectify how the state of Florida combats the root cause of climate change and its worsening effects. Having just lived through an event like the last two hurricanes and hundreds of tornados I would hope that reality would overrule incorrect political rhetoric. It would seem to me that the last few weeks in Florida, although terrible and with unnecessary loss of life, can serve as a wake up call. Those who have survived may be given the motivation to change their thoughts and actions toward addressing the causes of climate change instead of the denial of said climate change.