DeSantis rebukes Republicans for backing bill for carbon sequestration task force: 'Absolutely embarrassing'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described it as "embarrassing" after the Sunshine State's GOP-dominated House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee voted to advance a bill that proposes creating a carbon sequestration task force.
The subcommittee favorably reported the measure in a 15-2 vote on Tuesday, April 1.
Just two Republicans opposed it, while 10 Republicans and all five Democrats voted in favor of it.
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"Is this Sacramento or Tallahassee?" DeSantis asked when commenting on the vote result, adding, "Absolutely embarrassing."
The task force would "provide recommendations for the development of a statewide carbon sequestration program," according to the measure, which defines carbon sequestration as "the long-term storage of carbon in plants, soils, geologic formations, and the ocean through land and aquatic habitat management."
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In a video posted on social media the day before the vote, DeSantis called carbon sequestration a "scam" that is a facet of "climate ideology."
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"Don't indulge the left with carbon sequestration," he declared.
The text of the governor's tweet described the prospect of dumping carbon into the soil, aquifers, or the ocean floor as a "non-starter."
But Democratic Florida state Rep. Lindsay Cross pushed back, tweeting, "We aren't pumping carbon anywhere."
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"#CarbonSequestration is Science & happening all around us. Plants pull carbon from the air & store in their roots/soil. We aren't pumping carbon anywhere. This bipartisan bill will make FL a leader; ready to leverage private investments to conserve & manage natural & ag areas," she wrote in response to the governor.Original article source: DeSantis rebukes Republicans for backing bill for carbon sequestration task force: 'Absolutely embarrassing'
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