Until recently, Florida was my home. It's still home to me, but work has me sitting behind a desk in Atlanta. Why would I give up the Florida sunshine, blue water and amazing fishing for a desk in Atlanta? Well, because Florida is a place worth fighting for. The Florida that I love is the Ten Thousand Islands, the grass flats of the Big Bend, the reefs off the Florida Keys, Biscayne Bay, Indian River Lagoon, Tampa Bay and Lake O. These Florida jewels represent some of the best fishing in the world and I want it to stay that way. That is why I am in Atlanta working for the National Wildlife Federation and I am spreading the word amongst Florida's anglers about Global Warming and its threat to our beaches, our economy and our fishing way of life.

You've probably heard about global warming, but I bet you're thinking, what is it? Is it real? Is it going to affect me? Let's start with the last two questions: yes, and yes. I'll get to why in a minute, but first, let's back up to the first question: what is global warming?

The short of it is, all the carbon dioxide and other gases we create when we burn oil, coal and natural gas go up into the atmosphere, where they stay for about 100 years, creating a thicker and thicker blanket, or "greenhouse" effect that traps heat on Earth. Some of the stuff that's up there is natural—which is why Earth is a pretty comfortable planet to live on, but more and more of the gases in the atmosphere come from the growing number of coal plants, oil refineries and other big manufacturers that burn tons of fossil fuels. Add to that the oil and gas we use in our cars, trucks and boats, and these greenhouse gases really add up. In a nutshell, it's getting hotter, and we're partly to blame.

Reality check No. 1: It's real. Florida's temperature has gone up by more than one degree Fahrenheit in the last century, and it could rise by another three to four degrees by the end of this century. Think that's not a big deal? Think again. Any good angler knows that even a slight temperature change can affect not only the fish, but its habitat. The snook, the redfish, the grouper, the billfish, the pompano, the bonefish, the permits that we love to catch have adapted over thousands of years to the climate variations here. Change them in a few decades, and some of them won't survive.

Reality check No. 2: Anyone have beachfront property, or want it someday? You might check the sea-level rise projections for Florida. Thanks to melting polar ice caps in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, sea levels here in Florida are expected to rise by anywhere from 8 to 30 inches by 2100. Not only could coastal wetlands, estuaries and beaches be inundated, but the battering from hurricanes could get way worse. And did I mention what warmer ocean temperatures could mean for our coral reefs? Anyone who was around for the 1998 coral bleaching along the Florida Keys knows what I'm talking about. Warmer water along the Florida coast could spell disaster for reef fish.

So, here's the deal. We care about the mangroves, the sea grasses, the coral reefs, the estuaries and all of the other essential habitats fish need to keep their populations thriving. And we also share the desire to protect Florida's coasts for fishing so that our kids and grandkids can someday enjoy the sport as much as we do today.

Now's the time to do something about global warming, and a great first step is for Congress to pass the Climate Stewardship Act, which would force major polluters to cut greenhouse gas emissions back to what they were in 2000, and they'd have until 2010 to do it. And, the bill would create 34,000 new energy jobs in Florida by 2020. We've got boatloads of solar energy shining down on us almost every day. And we've got wind and biomass from crops. Why shouldn't we use it? The faster we can harness renewable energy, the more secure we'll be in preventing offshore drilling along Florida's priceless horizon.

So, back to my desk job in Atlanta. Don't let it fool you—I'm in Florida all the time getting the word out to anglers like us who read GAFF that we need to beat the drums. We need to ask mayors from every Florida town to sign the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement, a pledge to set limits for local global warming pollution. Already, mayors from Hollywood, West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie and Tamarac have signed it. Has your mayor signed it? Then we need to demand that the state of Florida do its share to cut pollution statewide. And most importantly, we need to call on our Florida congressional delegation to demand a vote now on the Climate Stewardship Act.

Anyone who lives on the coastline is now on the frontline. With loud enough voices, we will be heard, and we will be part of the solution to global warming. So join me—help me spread the word to other fishing maniacs. Together we really can make a difference.

Jerry Karnas spends as much time in Florida as possible, and can be spotted fishing most often in Florida's Big Bend. Otherwise, he can be reached at the National Wildlife Federation's Atlanta office, 404-876-8733 ext. 224 or karnas@nwf.org.