Last weekend Latino residents from around Central Florida heard about environmental issues related to heat exposure and proposed utility rate increases,
The information came during an all-day conference in Haines City organized by the League of United Latin American Citizens that dealt with a number of issues ranging from voter registration to women entrepreneurs.
The audience heard that the major for-profit electric utilities that serve the area are poised to see a major rate increase in coming months.
The requests will be the topic of in-person and virtual public hearings before the Florida Public Service Commission.
Members representatives from the Alianza Center in Orlando discussed the impact of higher temperatures brought by climate change on communities.
They said the problem will worsen in coming decades and speculated at some point the heat will become so extreme it could deter tourists from visiting Florida.
The heat could also be devastating to people with health problems and people living from paycheck to paycheck that could face challenges from higher utility bills/
It is important, they said, for people in the various communities together and discuss how to become more resilient.
For more information on the Alianza Center, go to https://alianzacenter.org/ . To learn more about LULAC, go to https://lulac.org/ .