Polk County Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida

05/01/2025

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (Enterprise), will hold a Corridor Alternatives Public Information Meeting for the Central Polk Parkway East, from State Road 60 to US 17/92.

The Enterprise will provide several options for participating in this meeting. You may join virtually/online at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 5, 2025, using a computer, tablet, smartphone, or by telephone in listen-only mode. Alternatively, you may attend in person from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at the Tom Fellows Community Center, 207 North Boulevard West, Davenport, FL 33837. The in-person meeting will be held in an open house format.

Please visit the project website, www.CentralPolkParkwayEast.com, to register for the virtual Corridor Alternatives Public Information Meeting. Registration works best with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, or Firefox. Registration is not required for in-person attendance.

This meeting will provide interested persons the opportunity to review the corridor alternatives, ask questions, and provide comments regarding the potential social, economic, and environmental effects of the proposed improvements. Displays illustrating the corridor alternatives and informational videos will be available at the meeting. All meeting materials will be posted to the project website on the day of the virtual meeting.

Anyone wishing to submit written or verbal comments or questions may do so at the meeting or may contact the Project Manager, Jazlyn Heywood, P.E., via email at [email protected] or by phone at (407) 264-3298.

04/14/2025

Media Alert

Polk Takes Part in Drive Electric Earth Month

Polk County electric vehicle drivers will join with Bok Towers to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 26. Electric vehicle owners will answer questions about their vehicles and provide brochures to highlight the clean air benefits and cost-savings of electric cars.

The EV show, which runs from 1:00-5:00 pm is one of many other special activities being held at Bok Tower, located at 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, FL 33853. Families can connect with nature and celebrate Earth Day with these other events.

10 a.m. – 12 p.m. The Bats Roost Educational Table (Alexander Discovery Center) and Drop-In Pine Cone Birdfeeder Making for Kids (Ramble Barn in Hammock Hollow)

1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Electric Vehicle Display in Parking Lot -- Join local sponsor Polk Clean Energy Alliance and speak with electric car and truck owners to get current information on EV costs, government rebates, tax credits and technical information on driving electric.

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Ocean Celebration: A Presentation with Kristiana Heath (Visitor Center Theater)

3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Food Experiences for Purchase (Cafe Terrace and Oval Lawn)
1. Chef Matt’s Chicken Quesadilla– chicken, corn and poblano mix, shredded cheese, baja sauce and a cilantro cream sauce for dipping.
2. Mexican Street Corn Salad
3. Southwestern Chicken Salad in Mason Jar
4. Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Parfait
5. Local Draft Beers

6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Live concert with REMEDY TREE (Oval Lawn). Remedy Tree combines the love for bluegrass, an Appalachian old-time spirit, and the folk melodies that started it all, creating a genuinely unique Americana experience that provides a fresh perspective into where bluegrass is headed in the future.

Price – Free for Bok Tower Members / $20 for non-member adults, $10 for non-member child (includes admission) Children 5 and under receive free admission.

"Drive Electric Earth Month” sponsors electric vehicle shows across the US. For other events, go to DriveElectricMonth.org Drive Electric Earth Month is presented by Plug In America, Electric Vehicle Association, Sierra Club, EVHybridNoire, and Drive Electric USA."

03/31/2025

The losses in soil moisture already pose issues for farming, irrigation systems and critical water resources for humans. But new research shows how the declines are contributing to sea-level rise more than previously thought.

03/07/2025

Maybe climate deniers should consider that ignoring clean energy means that the US is now a second class country compared to China.

China now eclipses every other country in the world — including the United States — in the green technologies of the future. Here’s how it achieved this lead.

03/01/2025

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/01/the-endangered-florida-panther-faces-the-dual-threats-of-urban-sprawl-and-increased-traffic/

In 2024, 36 panther deaths were recorded by state wildlife officials, which was the most since 2016. The majority of those deaths are the result of collisions with vehicles, including one that was …

02/20/2025

Lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) batteries last longer, cost less and have fewer fires than the nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries in most U.S. and European EVs.

02/19/2025

Tomorrow at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Leslie Kemp Poole will be the guest speaker discussing her book “Tracing Florida Journeys: Explorers, Travelers, and Landscapes Then and Now”. She is a professor of environmental studies at Rollins College.

I have a prior commitment but I hope some of our members are able to attend!

Leslie Kemp Poole, an associate professor of environmental studies at Rollins College, will speak Thursday at Florida Southern College in Lakeland.

02/13/2025

As promised, I have planned our first nature walk. Please join us this Saturday at 9 am at Circle B Bar Reserve.

Sign up on the mobilize link to let me know if you will be attending.

02/11/2025

Most countries failed to submit national emissions plans to the United Nations, suggesting that the global framework for addressing climate change is wobbling.

01/26/2025

Let's all welcome Megan Annunciata as the new president of the Polk environmental caucus. We are all grateful that she volunteered to keep the caucus going and are confident that she will do a great job and bring new ideas to the group.

Please everyone, let's do what we can to help Megan and Mike Murray, our vice president by volunteering and adding our voices to efforts to protect the environment in this critical times. Again, thank you Megan and Mike.

01/23/2025

Heat pumps keep EVs warm with much less energy, allowing their batteries to last longer in cold winter weather. New data shows which models have the best range.