"Climate change can no longer be denied," Obama says in Everglades 9th MIAMI, Fla. — President Barack Obama paid his first visit to the Florida Everglades on Wednesday to give an Earth Day speech. He spoke about the risk of climate change to the endangered national park and the entire nation. But his decision to give the speech in South Florida clearly had a political goal. Voters will elect the next president in 18 months. The Republican candidates for president, including one from Florida, question whether climate change is manmade. Important scientific research has concluded that climate change, also called global warming, is mainly caused by pollution from fossil fuels like oil. In a speech delivered at Everglades National Park, the president also got a dig in at Florida Governor Rick Scott. The governor, a Republican, has come under fire for ordering state workers to avoid the term “climate change.” “Climate change can no longer be denied … cannot be edited out of the conversation,” Obama said. Scott, who turned down an invitation to join Obama in the Everglades, has denied that state workers are forbidden to use the term. "Everglades: River Of Grass" Before his speech, the president and park rangers walked the Anhinga Trail, the park’s most popular tourist stop. They passed baby alligators, cormorants and a pair of black vultures, which are famous for eating the rubber off visitors’ vehicles. Obama said he could think of “no better place” to spend Earth Day than the River of Grass, as the Everglades is called. The president was also in South Florida to speak about the steps he has taken to tackle environmental problems. Most notably, his government has limited pollution and also spent $2.2 billion on a project to restore the Everglades, the administration said. Obama was expected to reveal new conservation efforts in four areas of the country, including Southwest Florida. The National Park Service also will designate Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ cottage in Florida as a national monument. Douglas is a pioneering preservationist who inspired people to restore the Everglades with her nonfiction book, "Everglades: River of Grass." The Presidential Campaign Obama’s decision to focus on climate change in South Florida also could have an effect on the 2016 presidential campaign. It may pressure Republican candidates into an open discussion of the subject. The candidate from Florida, Republican Senator Marco Rubio, is skeptical that climate change is manmade. Obama's trip to Florida to warn about climate change will hardly go unnoticed in the early days of the 2016 campaign. “This is not an effort necessarily to go to anybody’s home state,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. Earnest said Obama's speech was intended to open debate on the issue. He said that the Republicans who deny the reality of climate change only do harm to the people that they were elected to represent. On Tuesday, Governor Scott called on the federal government to give Florida the $58 million it owes to restore the Everglades. The White House admits that the government has owed the project money since even before Obama took office. Florida is spending $1.9 billion for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project, nearly a billion dollars more than the federal government. “President Obama needs to live up to his commitment on the Everglades,” Scott said. He added that critical parts of the project have been delayed for more than a year. Earnest suggested Scott make the funding request to the Republicancontrolled Congress. The Republicans oppose many of the policies from President Obama, who is a Democrat. Preservation Becoming Critical Obama’s visit comes at a critical time for the Everglades. Last November, Florida residents overwhelmingly voted to buy land for restoration projects. Yet state lawmakers hesitated to spend the money to buy about 46,000 acres. Preserving the Everglades is also becoming critical as the seas are rising, which is another effect of climate change. This week, scientists announced new research that showed even more dramatic changes could occur as a result of climate change. The United Nations group predicted increases in temperature, sea level and ocean salinity, or saltiness. Mangrove forests, which protect the Everglades against storms and floods, could disappear, studies found. Scientists predicted that soil will become more salty, allowing the ocean to flood into the Everglades, shrinking it. The Everglades wetlands, which provides much of South Florida’s freshwater, are already half their original size. Evelyn Gaiser is an ecologist at Florida International University. She was invited to meet with Obama after his speech. Gaiser said now that public recognition is growing about climate climate, she suggested that awareness about the Everglades could be an example for other natural areas around the world. Obama talks about climate change as he walks a trail in the Everglades 6th MIAMI, Fla. — President Barack Obama spoke about climate change during his first visit to the Florida Everglades Wednesday. He said the global threat is putting the national park in danger. Before his speech, the president and park rangers walked the Anhinga Trail, the national park’s most popular tourist stop. They passed baby alligators and a pair of black vultures. The birds are famous for eating the rubber off visitors’ vehicles. Obama said he could think of “no better place” to spend Earth Day than the River of Grass, as the Everglades is called. But his decision to give the speech in South Florida clearly had another purpose. Voters will elect the next president in 18 months. The Republican candidates for president, including one from Florida, doubt whether climate change is manmade. However, important scientific research says that climate change is mainly caused by pollution from fuels like oil and gas. Climate change is also called global warming because these emissions are causing the Earth to slowly become hotter. "Can No Longer Be Denied" In his speech, the president also took a verbal shot at Florida Governor Rick Scott. The Republican governor has been criticized for ordering state workers not to use the term “climate change.” “Climate change can no longer be denied," Obama said. It "cannot be edited out of the conversation." Scott has denied that state workers were told not to use the term. He also turned down an invitation to join Obama in the Everglades. The president was also in South Florida to speak about his role in solving environmental problems. His government has limited the pollution which causes climate change. It also spent $2.2 billion on a project to save the Everglades. Obama was expected to speak about new environmental efforts in four areas of the country. One of them is Southwest Florida. The National Park Service also will make Marjory Stoneman Douglas' cottage a national monument. Douglas inspired people to restore the Everglades with her nonfiction book, "Everglades: River of Grass." Obama’s decision to speak about climate change could influence the presidential campaign. It may pressure Republican candidates to openly discuss the subject. Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has announced he will run for president. Restoring The Everglades Josh Earnest is Obama's spokesman. He said Obama's speech was intended to start a debate on the issue. He said that the Republicans who deny climate change harm the people that they were elected to represent. On Tuesday, Governor Scott called on the federal government to give Florida the $58 million it promised to restore the Everglades. The White House admits that the government has owed the money since before Obama took office. Florida is spending $1.9 billion to save the Everglades, nearly a billion dollars more than the federal government. “President Obama needs to live up to his commitment on the Everglades,” Scott said. He added that important parts of the project have been delayed for more than a year because of the lack of money. Earnest suggested that Scott ask the Republicancontrolled Congress to give Florida the money. Congress is in charge of giving out money. The Republicans are opposed to Obama's political group, the Democrats. Florida's Wetlands In Danger Obama’s visit comes at a critical time for the Everglades. Last November, Florida residents voted to buy land to save the Everglades. Yet state lawmakers did not want to spend the money to buy about 46,000 acres. This week, scientists announced new research that showed even more dramatic changes could occur as a result of climate change. The United Nations group predicts increases in temperature, sea level and ocean salt. This puts the Everglades, which is partially underwater, in danger. Mangrove forests along the Everglade's coast protect it against storms and floods. As climate change becomes worse, the trees could disappear, studies found. Studies also predict that soil will become more salty. As this happens, ocean water will flood into the Everglades, making it even smaller. The Everglades wetlands, which provides much of South Florida’s freshwater, are already half their original size. Evelyn Gaiser is an ecologist at Florida International University. She was invited to meet with Obama after his speech. Gaiser said the public is finally recognizing the effects of climate change. What is happening in the Everglades has made more people take notice. She said the Everglades could be an example for other places endangered by climate change around the world. Obama: "Climate change cannot be edited out of the conversation" 12th MIAMI, Fla. — President Barack Obama on Wednesday paid his first visit to the Everglades, delivering an Earth Day speech that tied the threat rising seas pose for the imperiled River of Grass to wider climate change risks across the nation. But his choice of South Florida as a venue also was clearly calculated to make political points. Voters will elect Obama’s successor in 18 months, and the Republican field so far is teeming with wouldbe candidates, including two from Florida, who question whether climate change is manmade, despite significant scientific scholarship concluding that it is largely a result of carbon emissions. In a speech delivered at Everglades National Park, the president also got a subtle dig in at Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who has come under fire for ordering state staffers to avoid the term “climate change.” “Climate change can no longer be denied … cannot be edited out of the conversation,” Obama said. The governor, who declined an invitation to join Obama on his Glades tour, has denied such a mandate exists. Before his speech, the president and park rangers walked the Anhinga Trail, the park’s most popular tourist stop, passing baby alligators, sleek cormorants and a pair of black vultures, which are infamous for occasionally eating the rubber off visitors’ vehicles. Obama said he could think of “no better place” to spend Earth Day and extolled the virtues of the Everglades, remarking that it provides habitat for both alligators and crocodiles. “I’m told this is a good thing,” he joked. In addition to making an economic, public health and national security case for confronting the risks of climate change and rising seas, the president was in South Florida to tout his administration’s record on tackling environmental problems, including imposing a historic cap on carbon pollution and spending $2.2 billion on Everglades restoration projects, the administration said. Obama was expected to reveal new conservation efforts in four areas of the country, including Southwest Florida. And in a move some say is long overdue, the National Park Service will designate as a national historic landmark Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ cottage in Coconut Grove, which several years ago sparked a contentious fight between preservationists and neighbors. The pioneering preservationist is largely credited with sparking Everglades restoration. Obama’s decision to focus on climate change in South Florida also could have campaign implications by pressuring Republicans into a more robust debate of a touchy subject for the GOP. Among the climatechange skeptics are U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and, to a lesser extent, former Gov. Jeb Bush, both of Miami. While Obama is not expected to single out any presidential contender, a trip to Bush’s and Rubio’s backyard will hardly go unnoticed in the early days of the 2016 campaign. “This is not an effort necessarily to go to anybody’s home state,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday before the speech. “This is an effort to raise this debate, and the truth is those Republicans that choose to deny the reality of climate change, they do that to the detriment of the people that they’re elected to represent.” Scott on Tuesday called on the federal government to speed up funding to Everglades restoration, which the White House admits has been slow from the outset, before Obama took office. The state has invested $1.9 billion in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project, nearly a billion more than the feds. “President Obama needs to live up to his commitment on the Everglades and find a way to fund the $58 million in backlog funding Everglades National Park hasn’t received from the federal government,” Scott said in a statement. “This has caused critical maintenance delays in the Everglades to linger for over a year.” Earnest suggested Scott make the funding request to the GOPcontrolled Congress — and referred to the governor’s criticism as “a little rich” given the Scott administration’s aversion to the term “climate change.” Obama’s visit comes at a critical time for Everglades restoration, which has dragged on for nearly 15 years. Last November, voters overwhelmingly approved a land conservation amendment to buy land for restoration projects, yet state lawmakers have balked at using the money to buy about 46,000 acres on a deal that expires in the fall. Restoration work is also becoming more critical as impacts from rising seas begin taking a toll on the wetlands. This week, scores of scientists meeting in Broward County revealed new research that showed even more dramatic changes in store under climate change projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations group that predicts increases in temperature, sea level and ocean salinity. Protective mangrove coasts could disappear, studies found, and soils collapse under increasingly salty conditions, allowing Florida Bay to grow and the Everglades to shrink. The wetlands, which provides much of South Florida’s freshwater, are already half their original size. “We’re at this key moment where there’s crucial public recognition,” said Florida International University ecologist Evelyn Gaiser, who has been invited to meet with Obama after his speech. “The exposure in South Florida is an opportunity to provide a global model.”