Protesters Gear Up After Florida Declines $320 Million to Cut Carbon Emissions

In the Sunshine State, public restrooms, school libraries, and Disney World have become ground zero for the DeSantis administration's political skirmishes.

The battlefield has now extended to the state highway system.

In November, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) declined $320 million in federal funds to combat climate change and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, claiming the federal government is overreaching and "politicizing roadways." The move came two months after Gov. Ron DeSantis said liberals were trying to "politicize the weather" by suggesting hurricanes are growing stronger because of climate change.

Florida is the only state to have turned down federal funding under the $6.4 billion Carbon Reduction Program, which is designed to help states track carbon emissions on their roadways and develop environmentally sound transportation infrastructure.

In a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation, FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue complained that the feds are attempting to legislate through administrative action.

"Nothing within the law explicitly allows for federally induced mandates for states to track, or achieve a certain level, of reduced CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions," Perdue, a DeSantis appointee, wrote to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. "Rather than support the politicization of our roadways, FDOT's time, money, and resources will be focused on building roads and bridges — not reducing carbon emissions."

Local nonprofit Transit Alliance Miami will be protesting FDOT's decision on Wednesday, December 20, at Maurice A. Ferré Park in downtown Miami. The group says that South Florida has more to lose than any other region in the country from "sea level rise, extreme weather, and contamination of drinking water due to climate change."

"Transportation and land use are responsible for 55 percent of Miami-Dade County's carbon pollution. The $320 million in Carbon Reduction Program funds that FDOT has left on the table was intended to help our community tackle these problems head-on," the nonprofit wrote ahead of the event.

Tala Habash, communication associate for Transit Alliance, tells New Times the state transportation department's decision is in "flagrant disregard" for South Florida residents' concerns over flooding and climate change.

"In the face of extreme weather conditions, this decision to reject this money just does not reflect the needs on the ground," she adds.

The Tampa Bay Times reported last week that FDOT had publicly posted a "Carbon Reduction Quick Guide," which included plans for the state's use of federal funding to reduce carbon emissions, but that the document was removed from the department's website.

In his letter to Buttigieg, Perdue wrote that "it became clear that conflicts exist between the authority granted" to the U.S Department of Transportation by Congress "and the broad interpretation that [the department] seeks to implement."

While Perdue boasted that the state has the "cleanest air on record with emissions continuing to fall as fast as our state grows," the Times pointed out that FDOT's own site noted that Florida is among the top 15 U.S. states for diesel emissions.

"He's making sure that you hear that buzzword," Habash tells New Times. "He's not actually talking about the real pollutants, not just the dirty carbon. He's assuming that you're not checking the facts on the record."

FDOT says in a statement that Florida declined to submit a plan under the Carbon Reduction Program because the U.S. Department of Transportation "failed to publish or provide guidance it committed to in April 2022" regarding the process for certifying states' transportation emissions reduction.

The DeSantis administration's pushback against federal climate change initiatives has been on full display in recent months.

In August, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton, railed against federal proposed rules to regulate carbon emissions at coal and gas-fired power plants — mandates that would force existing coal-fired plants to retire if they don't drastically reduce emissions by 2040.

"The proposed rules put states like Florida at greater risk, by attempting to force unproven transitional energy practices ahead of generating the energy capacity necessary to meet the demand of our residents, visitors, and businesses," Hamilton, a DeSantis appointee, wrote to the feds.

Florida was the state with the third-most funding allotted under the Carbon Reduction Program, behind California and Texas.

Mark Merwitzer, policy manager for Transit Alliance, says the funding could have been used to invest in bike infrastructure, traffic management, pedestrian safety, and street drainage. Rather than focusing on big-ticket highway projects, he says, the money could have helped improve the overall livability of South Florida.

"We have people coming to Florida, moving to Miami-Dade County, and then on a clear, sunny day, they will step outside and their block is flooded," Merwitzer tells New Times. "That should be addressed with this money. That's such low hanging fruit that impacts everyone."