'Reclaiming Our Seat At The Environmental Table': Miami Young Republicans Host Climate Change Rally At Biscayne Park

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Conservative Republicans had an unconventional message about climate change at Biscayne Park on Saturday.

"Today, conservatives are reclaiming our seat at the environmental table," said one "American Conservative Climate Rally" speaker.

The unconventional message was from the group Miami Young Republicans, who pointed to science and climate change impacts they are seeing locally.

"My city is directly on Biscayne Bay, we are one of the only municipalities that we see on a day to day basis what's happening to our waters," said Julianna Strout, a North Bay Village commissioner. "And I can't speak on what everyone says, but we want to be that positive motion moving forward."

To highlight the efforts, the group toted the climate friendly legislation they supported like restoring the Everglades and Biscayne Bay, and they say that's just the beginning.

"My home has run on solar for the last five years, I drive an electric car and I passed some of the most stringent legislation to climate change for sustainability and the environmental stewardship in the state of Florida and the country," said Coral Gables Mayor Vince Largo. "So what I'm trying to do today is get people engaged in the topic no matter what party your involved in."

Organizers said that effort includes American innovation versus what they call the traditional democratic approach, which they say includes additional regulation and red tape.

"Millions of Americans have been misled to think there is only one side of the economy that is supporting the environment and the other side is not. What you know, and I know, that is not the case," said one of the speakers.

Officials said after making history on Saturday with the first conservative Republican climate change rally, they will move forward with the first conservative Republican climate change summit next year in South Florida.