News

Florida Climate Crisis Statues

 

The Climate Leadership Engagement Opportunities (CLEO) Institute launched its #FLClimateCrisis Campaign. The CLEO Institute is a nonprofit organization for climate science education. Their #FLClimateCrisis Campaign is meant to bring awareness and educate the public on the rising temperatures in Florida and its consequences. Statues were placed across the state in Tampa, Orlando, and Miami. These statues were made of a biodegradable wax that will melt in Florida heat. As they melt, they are meant to represent the threats the climate crisis has to creatures around Florida. The unveiling of the statue at Zoo Tampa was done by US Rep Kathy Castor, City of Tampa Sustainability & Resiliency Officer, Whit Remer and PCGS faculty Dr. Brooke Hansen. The installation in Tampa is that of a Florida panther and her cubs which, is one of the most endangered species in the state. After a couple of days in the Florida sun, the sculpture melted completely. An article by Fox 13 new on the unveiling featured a quote by Dr. Brooke Hansen, "'We've got to be more resilient and plan for the future,'.. 'At USF, we're revising our climate action plan right now. We're also engaging in new forms of sustainability accounting and reporting.''' Our college is pleased to have such an interesting event in connection to us.