CFO SINK
AND COMMISSIONER BRONSON ANNOUNCE “CONVERSATIONS ON CLIMATE CHANGE” WEB
SITEFloridians can log on to
www.floridaclimatechange.com for more information.
The first of four half-day “Conversations on Climate Change” initiated
by Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Commissioner of Agriculture and
Consumer Services Charles Bronson was held in Tallahassee this week with
serious discussions about the effects of climate change in Florida.
The official website for Florida Climate Change is now online. By
logging onto
www.floridaclimatechange.com, Floridians can learn about climate
change, watch a
video of Tuesday’s workshop, review the speakers' presentations and
read about initiatives in other states.
“Conversations on Climate Change” is a series of four half-day Cabinet
workshops that focus on climate change, how Florida’s economy is
affected by changes in climate and the need to expand renewable energy
sources.
“Climate change is a reality, and we need to learn as much as we can
about the potential impact on our state’s financial health,” said CFO
Sink. “As a government official concerned about Florida’s economy, I am
focused on protecting the vitality of our financial and insurance
markets.”
Commissioner Bronson launched Florida’s “Farm to Fuel” program, which
partners with “25x25,” the national bi-partisan organization whose goal
is to see U.S. agriculture produce 25 percent of the nation’s energy
needs by the year 2025. “It is my hope that these discussions will
inform the people of Florida of the importance of renewable energy
production in Florida,” said Commissioner Bronson. “With the amount of
renewable energy sources in our state, we should strive to be a national
leader in this emerging industry.”
“Conversations on Climate Change” was held on Tuesday, April 3, 2007with
“Climate Change: An Overview.” Future workshops are scheduled after the
June 12, September 18, and November 14, 2007, Florida Cabinet meetings.
Each workshop will feature a new topic and national experts in areas
such as: the science of rising sea levels, renewable energy sources, the
impact of climate change on the insurance and financial industries, and
more. The sessions will also give elected officials, business leaders
and Floridians the opportunity to understand how these challenges and
potential solutions present opportunities for the growth of new
industries in our state.
Special guest former New York Governor George Pataki, who made the
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a priority in his administration,
is planning to participate in the June workshop with other experts.
Former Governor Pataki has been nationally recognized for his leadership
on increasing awareness of climate change among the Northeastern states.
The workshop “Climate Change: An Overview” featured the
following discussions:
• From the Tree Tops- A High-Level View of Our Climate: Margaret Lowman,
Ph.D., Director of Environmental Initiatives, New College of Florida
• Florida’s Future and the Science of Climate Change: Stephen Mulkey,
Ph.D., Science Advisor, Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida
• Florida’s Beaches and Sea Level Rise: Stephen Leatherman, Ph.D.,
Director of the International Hurricane Research Center and Coastal
Research Laboratory at Florida International University
• An Insurance Perspective on Climate Risk: Tim Wagner, Nebraska
Insurance Commissioner and Director of the U.S. National Association of
Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
• Clean Energy Investments: Kenneth Locklin, Clean Energy Group
• International Relationship - Carbon and the UK: Keith Allan, British
Consulate-General
• Farm to Fuel- Opportunity in Renewables: Mike Bowman, Farm to Fuel
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