Jessica Meszaros

ESG stands for environment, social, and governance. It's a way to track how a company handles risks like climate change, how it impacts the environment, and how it governs itself.

The fossil fuel industry was a big player in Florida's last legislative session, especially in proposals involving buzzwords like "renewable” natural gas and "green” hydrogen.

State wildlife officials lobbied for the change before they announced Operation Viper, in which people were busted for allegedly illegally selling venomous snakes.

As sea levels rise, saltwater intrusion and heat will create challenges for certain plants and trees to survive in the coming years, and Florida is on the front lines.

On March 7, the Florida Public Service Commission is expected to decide whether to approve some utility rate hikes because of rising natural gas costs and expensive storm preparations.

“Florida bonneted bats desperately need critical habitat protection, and the Fish and Wildlife Service has excluded crucial areas threatened by development right now,” said attorney Ragan Whitlock with the Center for Biological Diversity.

The absence of chemical signatures in some areas could indicate that repopulation is moving the water and sediment around, but marine chemistry student John Hilliard says he wants to continue his research.

Acidification is “not terribly bad right now” in the Gulf, but due to climate change, the water will likely become more acidic in the future. This threatens the estimated $2.04 trillion annual marine economy.

Wildlife commission staff brought in law enforcement and an expert on global turtle trafficking to make the case against captive breeding of diamondback terrapins, while the majority of public commenters were for it.

The captive breeding of diamondback terrapins has not been allowed in Florida since 2006, but wildlife officials on Wednesday will discuss whether to bring it back.