Philip Stoddard Urges FPL to Combat Climate Change
Philip Stoddard has been an outspoken critic of the Turkey Point nuclear reactors operated by the Florida Power & Light (FPL) Company for many years. He also led the drive to stop the construction of additional transmission lines in South Miami-Dade and passionately fought the company’s $22 million push for a dishonest amendment to the Florida Constitution that was portrayed to voters as being pro-solar power.
FPL has been a longtime political supporter of state officials, according to former Mayor Stoddard, who pointed out that the company gave state politicians $8 million in the year of 2016 and another $8 million to pursue the anti-solar legislation. After the loss of Amendment 1 in Florida, Stoddard shares the optimism of his fellow environmentalists there. Elon Musk, former CEO of Tesla’s $2 billion subsidiary SolarCity, announced in December of 2016 that the company would be expanding into Florida, beginning in the Orlando area, because of the loss of the amendment.
However, in recent years things haven’t been so bright everywhere in the United States. As Donald Trump prepares to run for president again, it was in office he advocated for increased coal consumption. To add insult to injury, the White House website page on climate change was taken down within minutes after his inauguration in 2017. Meanwhile, coastal communities from South Miami to California are coming to the realization that they cannot sit back and wait for the federal government to act. They are instead engaging in climate change resistance on their own.