People need to understand that the decisions they make every day affect their surroundings. Too many people move to Florida from up north and try to grow plants/trees more conducive to the northern climate. This leads to the over use of water & fertilizers. It also creates a dangerous situation during hurricane season, when non-native trees come crashing down or lose large limbs, while native trees take a beating, but remain standing. I learned that lesson during the infamous 2004 hurricane season. My native plants and trees were fine, but I lost the rest of my landscaping. Now I only plant native plants. My husband used to call them native weeds, but since I've changed over to native plants he's thrilled with all the wildlife we see feeding off the plants. I'm also very selective about which plants I put in. I want my yard to look nice and not spend a lot of time trimming the plants back.
Of course this is not something to do cold turkey. Start out by having an ordinance with a certain percentage native and/or xeriscape. Get cooperation from local nursery's, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.