Global warming and rising sea levels could lead to some of Florida's biggest cities sitting under water. You'd think preparing for such a scenario would be at the top of the list of Florida leader's agenda.
Well, for the first time since taking off Gov. Rick Scott actually had a brief meeting with some of the state's leading climate change scientists yesterday. It lasted all of 30 minutes.
And all Scott really wanted to know is if the scientist's students had gotten jobs.
The scientists, a group of oceanographers, marine biologists, geologists and chemists from Florida's top universities, wrote Scott in July asking for a meeting. Scott originally said he'd have an aide meet with them, but then changed his mind and decided to give the scientists 30 minutes of his own time.
The scientists wanted to urge Scott to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state and urge a switch to renewable energy.
According to the News Service of Florida, Scott didn't seem that interested:
Scott, a Republican running for re-election, said little, other than to ask whether the professors' students were getting jobs in Florida."He didn't reflect on the science," [Eckerd College scientist Dave] Hastings said afterward. "So he asked modest questions, but he did not ask questions that reflected his understanding of the material."
During his 2010 campaign Scott said he wasn't convinced global warming was manmade and has since deflected questions on the topic by declaring that he's "not a scientist."
And yet when he finally meets with actual scientists, he doesn't have much at all to say.
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