Rock Aboujaoude, Jr. grew up in Southwest Florida, where he developed a strong appreciation for the environment and the importance of protecting our fragile climate while working towards becoming an Eagle Scout. We first met him in 2020 when he ran for the Florida House. This cycle, he’s running for Congress in the district north of Tampa that Gus Bilirakis inherited from his father in 2007 (Citrus and Hernando counties plus most of Pasco County). The PVI is R+17 and Trump beat Biden there 63.9% to 35.1%; very tough territory for a Democrat.
In 2020, he wrote the origins of what is now the Florida Green New Deal— more on that below— and he has been recruiting other Florida candidates to us either as part of their platforms.
While a Masters student, he taught at UF as an assistant lecturer and he’s working towards a PhD in Climate Science. He was warned multiple times not to go “too heavy” on the climate talk by administrators who are afraid of Ron DeSantis. “I never listened,” he told me. “Now, my PhD studies are in jeopardy as UF is constantly gutting environmental and climate programs. I will be lucky to be funded as a student in January. It's important to state that I am not a politician, but rather an issues advocate. My “big issue” is the climate crisis. I often say that everyone’s issues matter, but the climate crisis is the most urgent issue of all. If we don't address it head-on and get on the right path, it will only make every other challenge we face— whether it's healthcare, the economy, or reproductive freedom— much worse. Climate action is the foundation upon which we can build solutions for all our other important issues.”
Other than the climate crisis, he is a big supporter of Reproductive Freedom, legalization of marijuana, and ensuring healthcare access for all. Please consider contributing to his campaign here.
About the Florida Green New Deal (FLGND)
-by Rock Aboujaoude, Jr.
The Florida Green New Deal is a comprehensive plan I’ve developed to tackle Florida’s toughest environmental and economic challenges. It’s centered on two key elements: demanding climate action through a resolution that reaffirms our rights to Life, Liberty, Property, and Future, and creating four task forces dedicated to enhancing our state’s resiliency, adapting to climate impacts, scaling green technologies, and investing in future innovations. The FLGND is about making Florida a leader in the fight against climate change and ensuring a sustainable future for all.
The Florida Green New Deal is divided into two parts:
1. A Resolution for Climate Action
At the heart of the FLGND is a call to reaffirm our shared rights and demand urgent climate action. This resolution emphasizes that addressing climate change is not just an environmental necessity but a fundamental responsibility to protect our way of life, economy, and the future of our children. It recognizes that the impacts of climate change— such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and increasing temperatures— pose direct threats to Floridians’ health, safety, and prosperity.
The resolution sets forth a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, transitioning to renewable energy, and implementing sustainable practices across all sectors of the economy. It also stresses the need for climate justice, ensuring that vulnerable communities, who often bear the brunt of environmental harm, are prioritized in our efforts to build a resilient and equitable Florida.
In summary, the FLGND resolution posits that we ought to change the famous "Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness", to "Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness, and a guaranteed Future" for everyone.
2. The Formation of the Four Task Forces:
The FLGND recognizes that you simply can't throw money at the climate crisis and expect it to go away. This is why you create plans, and have the experts, not the politicians, design the plans such that they conform to science and not stupidity:
A. Resiliency Task Force:
Purpose: To assess Florida’s vulnerabilities to climate impacts and develop strategies to enhance the state’s infrastructure, communities, and ecosystems.
Focus: This task force will concentrate on building resilience against natural disasters such as hurricanes, flooding, and sea-level rise. By strengthening our infrastructure and preparing our communities, the Resiliency Task Force aims to reduce the damage and costs associated with climate-related events, ultimately safeguarding lives and property.
Members: Experts in disaster preparedness, urban planning, environmental science, engineering, and public policy.
B. Adaptation Task Force:
Purpose: To identify and implement measures that help Florida’s communities and sectors adapt to the current and anticipated impacts of climate change. This may include plans to relocate citizens away from coastlines or areas susceptible to high flooding. It is important to recognize that science cares little for human comforts, and that the expectation that humans can constantly live carefree in what will become dangerous flood zones is unsustainable. Adaptation also includes food insecurity, and preparation for Florida to move away from a tourism industry, and embrace plans for green energy development which can be explored in Task Force D.
Focus: This task force will work on actionable plans to help sectors like agriculture, water management, and public health adjust to new climate realities. By ensuring that these essential areas can adapt, the Adaptation Task Force aims to maintain the viability of Florida’s economy and quality of life in the face of changing conditions.
Members: Professionals from agriculture, healthcare, water resources, environmental management, and local government.
C. Green Technology Scaling Task Force:
Purpose: To accelerate the deployment of existing green technologies that are ready for immediate implementation throughout Florida.
Focus: This task force will identify and promote opportunities to scale renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, and other technologies that can reduce emissions and improve sustainability. By driving the adoption of these solutions, the Green Technology Scaling Task Force aims to reduce Florida’s carbon footprint and transition the state towards a greener economy.
Members: Engineers, technologists, energy experts, representatives from the business community, and innovators in clean tech.
D. Future Technologies and Investment Task Force:
Purpose: To explore and evaluate emerging technologies that have the potential to significantly impact Florida’s climate strategy in the long term.
Focus: This task force is tasked with researching and recommending areas for investment in innovative solutions that are not yet fully developed but show promise for the future. This includes cutting-edge technologies in renewable energy, carbon capture, and sustainable agriculture, among others. The goal is to guide strategic investments that can position Florida as a leader in the global transition to a sustainable economy.
Members: Researchers, economists, investors, and industry leaders specializing in technology, innovation, and environmental sustainability.
Each of these task forces constitutes one element of Florida's future. Three of these task forces are designed to create plans for immediate implementation with additional steps for the future. The last task force is set to identify technologies which must be invested in now to yield dividends later.
If we value the economic approach to decarbonization, I believe this GND sets the record straight for how to do it successfully. Every additional year we wait to act, the price to transition gets just a little more steep.
Adaptation: (to skip to the punch line of a very old joke) "learn to live under water".
It's never a waste to thoroughly diagnose a problem. However, as they may or may not find out, it's already too late to mitigate warming and the inevitable meters-deep sea level rise.
I wish him well.