Fernando Figueroa covers the environment and climate change for The Ithaca Voice in NY. Figueroa previously worked as the environment beat reporter at The Independent Florida Alligator covering local protests, hurricanes, and the University of Florida administrative transition’s implications on university climate policy. He also worked at WUFT covering Florida’s water quality, Gainesville’s regenerative agriculture, and sustainable architecture. Figueroa grew up in Venezuela and is fluent in Spanish. Outside of the newsroom, he loves to cook for his friends and will never miss an opportunity to dance.
Beat: Environment and Climate Change in Tompkins County
There is a massive environmental coverage gap in Tompkins County, despite the area's uniquely vulnerable location that puts it at considerable risk for climate change's impacts. Severe flood risks and costly insurance, increasing threats to the local water supply, ambitious but uneven efforts to reduce Ithaca's carbon emissions and rapidly shifting weather patterns are just a few. This reporter will identify new developments as they happen, with an eye towards enforcing accountability for the strategies that are being implemented to combat these impacts.