Thursday, October 16, 2014

Sierra Club Endorses Charlie Crist For Governor

Sierra Club, the country’s largest grassroots environmental organization, officially endorsed Charlie Crist for Florida Governor today.

“Charlie Crist is committed to build on his excellent record and to reverse the damage done to environmental protection in Florida by our current Governor Rick Scott.” said Frank Jackalone, Sierra Club Florida Staff Director.

“The choice is clear: Charlie Crist understands our state’s environmental challenges and will work to lead Florida on a path toward conservation, sustainability and environmental restoration,” said Sierra Club Florida Political Chair Cecilia Height.

Sierra Club noted four major environmental accomplishments during his tenure as Governor from 2007-2010:

1. Crist advised the Florida Public Service Commission to reject new coal plants in Florida which led to the cancellation of six massive coal-fired power plants that Florida utilities had proposed.
2. Crist took a strong leadership position recognizing the impact climate change will have on Florida and put the state on the path to set strong renewable energy goals, an action that was later reversed by the Florida Legislature.
3. Crist negotiated an agreement with US Sugar Corporation that provides the State with the option to buy all 187,000 acres of land owned by US Sugar in the Everglades.
4. Crist appointed Tom Pelham as the director of the Department of Community Affairs, who turned DCA into a major champion of growth management. (Scott eliminated the Department when he took office.)

Sierra Club Florida said it expected Crist would be a leader in the following areas: protecting wild Florida, stopping new fracking and drilling, combating climate change, expanding solar energy, growing mass transit and electric vehicles, cleaning up Florida’s polluted waters, restoring the Everglades, and enforcing environmental laws.

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