"It is the height of irresponsibility and neglect for anybody in a position of authority not to recognize that Florida will be the most at risk of climate change of any of our states," yelled Hillary Clinton to the crowd of about 1300 at The Ritz in Ybor on Thursday.
"I was told your Governor sent out a directive telling everyone who works for the state not to use the words "climate change," is that right?" asked the former Secretary of State to her supporters.
"I mean that is like the Republicans, including your Senator [Rubio] who when they're asked, 'what do you think of climate change?' They say, well I don't know I'm not a scientist. Now I've been going around the country saying there's a way to cure that: go talk to a scientist and actually listen to a scientist," said Clinton.
Florida Governor Rick Scott famously said he was "not a scientist" when asked about climate change in the past, and has denied the allegations that his administration banned use of the terms "climate change" and "global warming."
The Florida Center for Investigative Reporting quoted former employees and contractors in a report who said they were told not to use those terms.
Gov. Scott has openly said he is skeptical of climate change, which is real according to NASA, NOAA, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the National Academy of Sciences, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and the American Meteorological Society, among other respected groups of scientists.
"You can actually make a tour of Florida and see some of the challenges we're already confronting because of climate change," said Clinton, referencing flash flooding problems in Miami and salt water overflow issues in central Florida water systems.
Clinton's solution, she said, is investing in alternative energy, like solar power.
"It's a beautiful day in Tampa. There's a lot of sun!" said Clinton, who pointed out that Florida lags behind states that don't have nearly as much sunshine, like Massachusetts and New Jersey.
"What are Governor Scott and Senator Rubio thinking about?" asked Clinton. "Do they not understand what we're facing as a nation? So I'll give you another pledge: as President I'll do everything I can to help Florida get ready for and deal with climate change and create more clean, renewable energy jobs," said Clinton to cheers.
