Welcome back from the long weekend. Here’s what’s on our radar today.
Upstanders: Check out this film, The Disappearing Island, which chronicles Tangier, Virginia, population just north of 400, where Bob Inglis recently met Mayor James “Ooker” Eskridge and hosted a town hall-style meeting with residents on the impacts climate change is having on this rapidly disappearing “ground zero” island. The Mayor estimates about two-thirds of the island has disappeared in the last 100 years, though most residents do not attribute land loss to a changing climate. “I’m not just going to take the scientists’ word for it,” Eskridge says. “We’re going with what we see.” Bob skillfully and thoughtfully led the conversation. “I don’t think I changed any minds, but I think I opened some minds here on Tangier Island,” he said.
Miami Mayor’s last push: Republican Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado attributes his recent conversion on the need for climate change to early morning talks with his son and a 2015 visit to Montreal, where he met with world leaders confronting the climate crisis. He quickly followed up by issuing climate-related questions to both parties in the presidential debates last year and recently invited President Donald Trump to talk about climate change. As he ends two-plus decades in office, he seeks support for a $400 million “MIami Forever” plan, half of which would protect the city from sea level rise, which he attributes to climate change. “It’s an uphill battle,” he said of passage of the bond.
Miami’s outgoing Republican mayor as a morning storm dumps rain on downtown Miami https://t.co/zoHxUEbkuH
Alex Daugherty (@alextdaugherty) October 5, 2017
Reflections on a life of public service: Speaking of Florida, retiring Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen reflects on what she’s learned after nearly 30 years in Congress. Look. We say that we’re the party of level thinkers. Well, look at the science. Listen to the scientists when they tell you what is going on with our climate.”
Climate rule repeal: Today the Trump Administration will begin the process to formally withdraw the Clean Power Plan without putting in place a replacement option for curbing carbon emissions. “The war against coal is over,” says EPA Administrator and chief climate jester Scott Pruitt.
Thoughts and prayers go out to Californians in the path of wildfires that are ravaging Napa and Sonoma counties.