Looking for advice on keeping conversations civil at Thanksgiving? Rebecca Fishkin of C-Change Conversations writes about discussing climate change with skeptical family: "With the right tools and approach, it can be food for thought instead of a fight."

Happy Thanksgiving! Joe Murphy writes about taking advantage of enjoying the outdoors in Florida around the holiday: "Of all the holidays one could associate with nature in Florida, Thanksgiving is surely the frontrunner."

The Miami Herald Editorial Board writes that if there’s any upside to the Trump administration’s plan for oil drilling closer to Florida's coast, it’s that the "pushback against this bad idea is united, bipartisan — and especially fierce from Republicans."

Chris Hildreth writes about the benefits that returning to streetcars would offer: "Not only will our carbon footprint recede, it may just be possible our affordability crisis will subside as well if there’s so many lines that people begin to do the math."

Nature Coast environmental advocate Joe Murphy writes about his experience with birding in Florida: "For me, birding is an opportunity to connect with nature, to explore wild places."

“What’s fun for me is that when you go out with a team of scientists who are curious people and are asking questions, you never know what you’re going to discover,” said Gabby Salazar, photographer and National Geographic Explorer. Read more on theinvadingsea.com

Florida’s political leaders and environmental advocates are pushing back against a new White House plan which could open the eastern Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil and gas drilling, Trimmel Gomes reports for Florida News Connection.

The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board writes about news that two key species in Florida’s coral reefs are “functionally extinct” and the impact of corals dying on the state: "This is an environmental emergency, and one whose damage could spread statewide."

Lisa Moore of Save Crystal River writes about protecting the area's barrier islands and how it "reflects a growing global challenge — the loss of coastal and island ecosystems that quietly shield communities from rising seas and stronger storms."

Kathleen Biggins of C-Change Conversations writes about Bill Gates' recent statements on climate change and the reaction of some pundits to them: "We all know it’s wrong to shout 'fire' in a movie theater when there is no danger. What about the opposite?"

Our latest bite-sized video explores the benefits that sargassum seaweed provides for marine life, but how warming oceans and pollution are fueling its growth and problems when it piles up on Florida beaches. Watch here:

As Thanksgiving approaches, Joe Murphy writes about his family connecting their holiday traditions to nature and outdoor recreation in Florida: "Thanksgiving is the ultimate outdoor, nature-based holiday in Florida."

An independent environmental science institute could be an alternative to a dismantled EPA office, Alessandro Hammond and Arnav Sharma write: "In an era of proliferating climate threats, we have a moral obligation to preserve this scientific capacity."

Anne Vilen of @dailyyonder.bsky.social writes that a 7,000-mile trip across the U.S. showed her that “Americans from every ZIP code, walk of life and political persuasion love their public lands” and "don’t want to sell them, develop them or monetize them."

The Florida Public Archeology Network works to promote the preservation of archeological sites facing growing climate impacts. Read about how the network's Heritage Monitoring Scouts program allows the public to take an active role in these efforts:

Mark McNees writes that "surging demand, rising fuel costs and infrastructure failures" are causing electric bills to increase: "The good news? There are real solutions, some you can implement today, others that require smarter policy choices."

Thais Lopez Vogel of VoLo Foundation writes about the idea of creating a Category 6 as climate change intensifies hurricanes: "The ocean’s surface temperature is rising and the extra heat is fueling hurricanes, making them more powerful and lethal."

Bonnie Jean Feldkamp writes about the military aiding conservation efforts in Florida through sentinel landscapes: "(T)he need to buffer military areas from development makes partnerships with conservation groups and working lands ideal."

Zoe Middleton of @ucs.org writes about a new report on the impact of extreme heat on affordable housing: "Florida ranked fourth in the number of affordable homes exposed to one or more weeks’ worth of heat alerts, with 321,147 homes exposed."

"Florida’s Big Bend is a vast area of locations with archaeological, cultural, ecological and geological significance," write Tony Murray, James Dunbar and Madeleine Hirsiger Carr in making the case for the Big Bend to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Raymer Maguire of the The CLEO Institute writes that the Orlando Utilities Commission's reliance on fossil fuels to produce electricity, with 84% of its power coming from burning coal and natural gas, "has made Orlando dirtier, less healthy and more expensive."

Rafe Pomerance writes about climate impacts at the location of next year's G20 summit: "Hosting the G20 in Miami, a city highly vulnerable to rising sea levels, highlights the need for world leaders to take global action that will affect coastlines everywhere."

Angela Larck and Chelsea Henderson of republicEn write about Bill Gates’ recent statement on climate change: "His message was that climate change is serious but solvable, and that policy, innovation, adaptation and human welfare must advance together."

Julie Moyle writes about taking steps like improving the power grid to make hospitals more resilient to hurricanes and other climate impacts: "For Florida’s health care system, power is not a convenience; it is essential to caring for 23 million Floridians."

Joe Murphy writes about the power of language to inspire environmental protection, calling on Floridians to seek out the state's nature writers: "We are blessed with wonderful voices, some well known and some emerging, who create a chorus for conservation."

"For years, climate policy has been defined by extremes: the need for more federal regulation or complete denial of climate science," writes Mary Anna Mancuso, who instead calls for "pragmatic adaptation" through investing in infrastructure and innovation.

Leslie Chapman-Henderson of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes writes that there are about 2.6 million septic systems across Florida, many outdated, but septic-to-sewer conversions would keep them from polluting springs and waterways: "Clean water is worth the investment."

Kendra Kay writes about concerns over plans for a nuclear-powered AI data center: "What we need is clean water and good jobs, not the risk of nuclear disasters. And we can’t pay our bills or feed our kids with false promises of a glittering AI future."

Eric Eikenberg and Paul Hindsley of The Everglades Foundation write that the Everglades generates $31.5 billion in economic benefits every year: "The Everglades is an economic powerhouse that fuels much of the economy of South Florida and supports millions of jobs."

Stacey Balkan writes about improving infrastructure for cyclists in Boca Raton: "As a lifelong bicycle commuter and advocate for safe streets, my experience in Boca Raton has been sorely disappointing."

Rock Aboujaoude Jr. writes about journeying down the Amazon in advance of the U.N. climate conference: "We’re not tourists, we’re witnesses, documenting the Amazon’s changing climate and carrying those lessons to the world stage at COP30 in Belém, Brazil."

Lorna Perez of Moms Clean Air Force write about the benefits of clean energy for Florida children and families: "With our famous sunny skies, we’re an ideal place to expand solar power – an energy source that’s good for both our health and our wallets."

In this photo essay, FAU Associate Professor of Anthropology Adriana María Garriga-López shares her impressions and images of changes in Puerto Rico as sea levels rise and coastlines erode.

Brandon Tucker of the Florida Landowners Association writes that the governor and Cabinet deserve credit for the recent purchase of land at Destin's Norriego Point: "We should celebrate the visionary leadership that values legacy over headlines."

The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board writes that “the state wildly overpaid” in spending $83 million for 4 acres in Destin that is “unlikely to be used as significant habitat” and “is situated in an area that is highly likely to flood" during hurricanes.

"Slashing methane is the climate’s emergency brake, which could slow the runaway train of warming long enough for us to get other greenhouse gas emissions under control," writes Daphne Wysham of Methane Action.

Jorge Herrera of Nopetro Energy writes about using methane captured from South Florida landfills to fuel heavy-duty vehicles: "This waste-to-fuel approach creates a circular system and turns a local liability into a local asset."

Katy Saeger writes that conserving wetlands, mangroves and other natural infrastructure benefits Florida's economy: "Every dollar invested in natural infrastructure pays dividends — saving millions in storm recovery, property loss and insurance premiums."

Bonnie Jean Feldkamp writes about doing more to protect gopher tortoises than just relocating them from development sites: "Without federal protection for the species across its range, conservationists might be only moving the problem, not solving it."

Red states are leading the sustainable energy transition, Mark McNees writes: "Six of the 10 leading renewable energy states voted Republican in 2024, suggesting that resource availability and economic fundamentals, not ideology, drive deployment decisions."

Firefly populations are on the decline due to threats such as habitat loss, pesticides, light pollution and climate change, Benjamin Coward writes, but homeowners can help save them: "Fireflies are an important part of our ecosystem and our own lives."

Eve Samples of Friends of the Everglades writes that the National Environmental Policy Act was ignored when a detention camp was built in the Everglades: "That’s ironic because the law came into being as the result of a government’s reckless insults to this very land."

The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board writes that a new Florida law that is supposed to aid in storm recovery actually "crushes the ability of local leaders to make their communities more storm-resistant" and undermines local growth-management decisions.

Priscilla Card Fuller writes about sustainability becoming a selling point for retirement communities in Florida: "Maintaining a thriving environment for wildlife as well as plant life can also positively affect residents in subtle ways."

Joseph Bonasia writes that Pope Leo's comments "emphasizing that confronting climate change is a spiritual imperative and responsibility" were a "source of hope," signaling that the environment is becoming a Catholic Church focus with growing prominence.

Joe Murphy writes that the $83 million used by the state to buy 4 acres in Destin could have instead bought "thousands of acres of public land ... to connect and expand wildlife corridors and greenways in some of the most endangered ecosystems in Florida."

West Palm Beach-based filmmaker Katie Carpenter writes about the impacts of both recent king tides and the government shutdown on Florida: "King tides during a government shutdown reveal to us how precarious our flood risk situation really is."

Former state Rep. Don Brown writes that Florida needs to address factors raising insurance costs like building codes and coastal development: "Florida cannot keep expanding development into the most storm-prone areas without expecting astronomical losses."

Victoria Machado writes that Alligator Alcatraz is a “a glaring environmental mistake” due to its impact on the Florida Everglades: “The last thing the Everglades needed was a detention center plopped down in the middle of it."

Retired U.S. Navy rear admiral William McQuilkin writes about the EPA seeking to repeal the basis for greenhouse gas regulations: "I am a sailor, not a scientist, but it just makes sense to protect humanity and all living things on this rapidly warming planet."