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The Eco-Voice Daily Digest
May 15, 2017
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Headlines - scroll down for details
Administration on Climate Change - Real, Really?
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As Gov. Rick Scott contemplates whether to veto a budget that ignores nearly all of his priorities, he's been getting advice from some of the candidates vying to replace him in 2018.
Democratic candidate
Gwen Graham called on Scott to veto the spending plan because of what she views as a lack of K-12 education funding.
GOP candidate
Adam Putnam, who had input on the budget as the state's current agriculture commissioner, said Thursday during a stop in Sarasota that
"I certainly have some concerns about the budget and how it was done."
Putnam was alluding to the fact that the final budget deal was largely negotiated behind closed doors, leading to criticism from Scott and others about a lack of transparency. Scott is particularly incensed that lawmakers eliminated funding for the economic incentives doled out by Enterprise Florida, and reduced the tourism promotion dollars awarded to Visit Florida.
Asked about those cuts after his speech to the Sarasota GOP, Putnam said: "when you take job creation for granted it slips away."
"I believe that we ought to be focused on creating jobs, we ought to market Florida, we ought to compete with the other states and win to have new jobs grow organically in our state and steal them for other places," Putnam said. "I think we ought to be shameless about stealing jobs from other places."
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Ann Shortelle, executive director of the St. Johns River Water Management District, in a May 5 letter to the editor, informed Orlando Sentinel readers that "protecting Florida's springs is a year-round focus for the St. Johns River Water Management District." While this sounds like a wonderful mission, the district's actions to date leave much to be desired for our springs, and Shortelle's empty promises to the public demand a response.
The private, nonprofit Florida Springs Institute that I direct has become the leading springs fact-checker since Gov. Rick Scott abolished the state's Springs Initiative in 2011. After years of futile requests that Florida's water-management districts inventory exactly how much groundwater is needed to protect the state's 1,000-plus springs, FSI filled this vital knowledge gap by assessing the overall water balance for the entire Floridan Aquifer and the spring flows it supports.
The results validated the public's ongoing observations of devastating declines in spring flows throughout North and Central Florida. The 151 documented artesian springs in the St. Johns River basin have lost more than 275 million gallons per day of average flow, equivalent to drying up more than four first magnitude springs the size of Silver Glen Springs in the Ocala National Forest.
Florida's 1,000-plus springs have collectively lost more than 3 billion gallons per day, or 32 percent of their former average flows.
In Shortelle's district, the overall springs flow decline is 22 percent, and estimated average annual groundwater pumping is nearly 1 billion gallons. Silver Springs, historically the largest spring in Florida in terms of flow, has lost between 30 percent and 40 percent of its former flow, reducing this famous spring group to a shadow of its natural function and aesthetic beauty. Compare this documented flow decline to a finding by district staff that anything more than a 5 percent flow reduction will cause significant harm to the water and human-resource values of Silver Springs, and the absurdity of Shortelle's written and spoken words is clear.
In response to this devastating loss of flow, the St. Johns River district governing board, with the full support of its executive director, has approved an even lower minimum flow for Silver Springs that will result in additional environmental and economic harm. In the face of several legal challenges to this distressing decision brought by concerned citizens and environmental organizations, the district is using taxpayer revenues to fight the very public's interest it was employed to protect.
Florida's springs, and the citizens who appreciate a healthy aquatic environment, need leaders who can protect their future health and welfare from the special interests that profit from over-pumping and polluting the Floridan Aquifer. The governance of the St. Johns River Water Management District is not fulfilling its mandate to manage the public's water resources for the best interests of current and future residents and tourists.
If Shortelle, and the governing board she answers to, cannot fulfill this basic function, they should be replaced by public servants who will stop the bleeding from Florida's liquid heart.
Robert Knight has studied Florida's springs over the past 40 years. He is director of the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute and author of
"Silenced Springs - Moving from Tragedy to Hope." To learn more about Florida's springs, visit the North Florida Springs Environmental Center in High Springs.
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SecState Tillerson signs declaration recognizing climate change
The move appears at odds with the Trump administration's broad skepticism of climate change and comes at a time when President Trump is weighing a potential withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on fighting its effects.
Tillerson signed the
Fairbanks Declaration in Fairbanks, Alask,a at a meeting of the Arctic Council, a forum made up of indigenous groups and eight countries with territory bordering the Arctic Circle.
"In the United States, we are currently reviewing several important policies, including how the Trump administration will approach the issue of climate change," Tillerson said at the meeting.
"We are appreciative that each of you has an important point of view, and you should know that we are taking the time to understand your concerns. We're not going to rush to make a decision. We're going to work to make the right decision for the United States."
Trump and some of his top administration officials have expressed deep skepticism in climate change, despite overwhelming agreement among scientists that it is real and caused by humans. Trump himself has called the phenomenon a "hoax," and vowed on the campaign trail to pull the U.S. out of the Paris agreement.
Arctic Ice
Arctic sea ice extent for April 2017 tied with April 2016 for the lowest in the satellite record for the month. Warm weather conditions and lower-than-average sea ice extent prevailed over the Pacific side of the Arctic, while relatively cool conditions were the rule in northern Europe and eastern North America. In the Southern Hemisphere, Antarctic sea ice extent remained lower than average.
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History
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By BRIAN C. BLACK
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY
"How Big Oil Bought the White House and Tried to Steal the Country" is the subtitle of a book that tells the story of a presidential election in which a candidate allowed money from big oil companies to help him win office and then rewarded them with plum appointments in his cabinet.
With President Donald Trump picking former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, one might think the book is an early exposé of the presidential election of 2016.
Instead, it's from "The Teapot Dome Scandal," a book that tells the story of a corruption scandal that rocked the term of President Warren G. Harding's administration in the 1920s.
In the context of Tillerson's controversial appointment, history is a useful guide to understand the rising political power of Big Oil over the past century, a subject I've studied and written about. And with Tillerson, the political influence of the energy sector has reached a high point, particularly because it strikes the president-elect and other observers as a sensible, mainstream selection.
But this is only the latest episode of a tight relationship between energy and the U.S. government that stretches over decades.
Access to energy
In 1921, when Albert Fall accepted his position as secretary of the interior, he interpreted his responsibility to accelerate energy development on federal lands, including some in an out-ofthe- way place known as Teapot Dome, Wyoming. And he believed that this mea! nt involving private entities.
He brokered a deal with Harry Sinclair and Edward Doheny, major players in the booming American oil fields of the early 1900s, blazing a new trail for federal policy - a trail that laid clear the crucial relationship between energy development and political power. In Fall's case, he personally accepted cash to allow this access to oil developers, which made him the first cabinet official to go to jail for crimes committed while serving in office.
Albert B. Fall, the former secretary of the interior, became the first cabinet official to go to jail for accepting money from oil companies to clear the way for drilling on public lands.
Library of Congress
Since its indiscreet beginning with Teapot Dome, of course, oil has only become more ess ential to the lives of every American. If we follow the lead of Life magazine creator Henry Luce, who referred to the 20th century as the "American Century," we are by association also declaring it the era of fossil fuels and particularly of petroleum. Oil and other fossil fuels were the relatively inexpensive energy resources that provided the foundation for the modern consumer society and political policy often focused on ensuring that supplies be assured and kept stable.
Despite energy being central to our society, though, the policy influence of Big Oil most often functioned behind the scenes. For example, President Franklin Roosevelt in 1945 struck a deal in a secret meeting with King Ibn Saud to allow the U.S. and its allies to have access to Saudi oil for decades to come. During the ensuing decades, foreign oil development was carried out by international companies but often required the s upport, if discreet, of the U.S. government.
Out from behind the scenes
In domestic politics after 1950, the executives of oil corporations were often involved informally in elections, particularly as donors or lobbyists to candidates more friendly to the industry than others. Most often, though, Big Oil remained in the background.
In the modern era of heightened environmental awareness, Republican administrations typically created policies that benefited the oil companies. It was, for instance, the Reagan administration that sought to undermine the new environmental regulations of the 1970s, particularly with Anne Gorsuch as head of the Environmental Protection Agency and James Watt as secretary of the interior. It was Watt who allowed extensive energy development on federal lands under his jurisdiction - however, with no payment to himself.
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It's been seven years since the BP oil spill and the Gulf of Mexico still hasn't fully recovered.
Mangrove islands have disappeared, dolphin and oyster populations continue to struggle, and nearly 30 percent of the oil that was spilt was never accounted for.
Despite the Republican led Congress never enacting tougher safety regulations on offshore drilling since, Trump is plowing ahead with his plan to open Florida's coasts, our coasts, to offshore drilling.
That's why Senator Bill Nelson, myself and others are pushing forward with a plan that would extend a ban on offshore drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
All it takes is one mistake, one oil spill to wreak havoc on local communities, our economy, the environment, and maritime life.
Fishing in Florida supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and generates billions in revenue. Last year more than 110 million tourists visited our beautiful state, supporting millions of jobs.
Thank you,
Debbie Wasserman Schlutz
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Eco-Voice, Inc. is a non-partisan, independent communication portal for individuals interested in the issues impacting the south Florida environment.
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Commentary by
Alan "
Gimleteye
" Farago
Florida AG Pam Bondi Helming Effort On Behalf Of Big Sugar To Undo 30 Years Of Federal Environmental Law Protecting The Everglades ... by gimleteye
After its successful legislative session in Tallahassee, Big Sugar is deploying a novel attack in Washington against federal pollution rules settled through decades of federal litigation by environmentalists in a case once overseen by Judge William Hoeveler.
Once upon a time, the Florida's governor (the late Lawton Chiles) capitulated to evidence that its non-existent enforcement against Big Sugar polluters caused the Everglades ecosystem to crash. Dexter Lehtinen, the US Attorney in Miami in the late 80's, fought on behalf of the Everglades against Florida's institutional managers: the state's wealthiest and most powerful campaign contributors US Sugar and Florida Crystals, owned by the Fanjul billionaires.
Lehtinen won, and ever since the resulting federal state settlement agreement in the early 1990's, Big Sugar has been looking for cracks and openings to increase its profits by reducing the impacts of regulation. Its ceaseless enterprise is fueled by hundreds of millions in profits extracted through favorable subsidies embedded in the federal Farm Bill, that ensures the cost of sugar paid by consumers is nearly twice the world market price.
Sugar is wildly profitable, and the industry carefully sprinkles a portion of its gains throughout the political universe; from county commission races, to the state legislature, Congress, and the executive branch.
Bit by bit, year by year, Big Sugar has pushed its case that the industry is self-regulating its pollution through toxic farm run-off, using various schemes (like mixing averages to dilute end of pipe phosphorous measurements) to assert its compliance.
In this session of the Florida legislature, Big Sugar succeeded in locking down further privileges in return for minimal concessions.
Now the industry's attention turns to a case so old that William Hoeveler in no longer involved. Miami federal judge Federico Moreno has been supervising the state federal consent agreement for years.
In February the Miami Herald reported:
A quarter century after the state promised to clean up polluted farm water fouling the Everglades in a historic federal court order, water managers say its time to end the judicial oversight.
In an email earlier this month, an attorney for the South Florida Water Management District asked the U.S. Department of Justice to agree to terminate a "consent order" struck to end a bitter legal battle over dirty water flowing off sugarcane fields and into Everglades National Park and the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. The district, which has repeatedly pushed to end the judicial oversight, argues that with water in 90 percent of the Everglades now meeting targets and construction on schedule for clean-up projects, the order is no longer needed.
"This protracted litigation ... stands today as an antiquated and inequitable vestige of a bygone era," attorney James Nutt wrote in a draft motion he forwarded to DOJ attorneys Feb. 10. "It is the right time to acknowledge the State parties' remarkable achievements."
In fact, fixing the Everglades is so far from over that certainty has been pushed well into the late 2020's. It will take more than a decade for any assurances to emerge that water quality standards can be met. Everglades scientists, meanwhile, are convinced that the state has not done enough to secure the future of dying River of Grass. That did not deter Florida legislators from pressing forward with a new bill, recently signed into law by Gov. Scott, largely written and approved by Big Sugar.
At the same time, the chaos of the most incompetent presidency in U.S. history has opened the way for Trump insiders -- Gov. Rick Scott and State AG Pam Bondi -- to wage the argument directly and behind closed doors with sympathetic principals (ie. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt) that the federal government ought to get out of the business of environmental regulation in Florida's Everglades.
In 2018 Scott will run for the US Senate seat held by Everglades friend, Bill Nelson. Big Sugar's designated successor to Scott, Agriculture Secretary Adam Putnam, is preparing to compete to be the next GOP candidate for governor of Florida. Bondi, who earned Trump's support by closing her eyes to the Trump University scandal during the presidential campaign, is the logical person to helm Big Sugar's effort to undo the federal consent decree protecting the Everglades.
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There is no denying that Washington is in a dark place. But today we saw a bright light when The Problem Solvers Caucus came together to call on President Trump to act on one of his chief campaign promises.
Thirty-six Democrats and Republicans delivered a letter to President Trump, asking him to pursue a comprehensive infrastructure and tax reform package -- a deal that would immediately put Americans back to work and allow businesses to invent, innovate and hire.
In this hostile political climate, it is more important than ever that we support lawmakers who make a good faith effort to work together. And that means thanking leaders when they put our country first.
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Dear Friend of the National Parks,
Fresh off my second small ship journey with
UnCruise Adventures
, I've been eager to share my experiences. I just returned from 7 nights aboard the Wilderness Discoverer exploring the Salish Sea's coastal waters in Washington state, including
Olympic and the San Juan Islands
.
After boarding, our small ship navigated through Seattle's historic locks and snaked into passages of Puget Sound. Along the way, green unfolded in every direction. Every day brought new highlights on this adventure cruise. Hiking through Douglas-fir trees colored with neon lichen in
Olympic National Park
... watching harbor seals playing hide and seek around my kayak in the
San Juan Islands
... tasting fresh-shucked Hama Hama oysters from a local oyster farmer ... all capped off with incredible meals crafted on-board with locally sourced ingredients.
UnCruise
has a special way of sharing the world. They take an up-close and hands-on approach to exploring the wilderness, so the whims of nature can lead the way. And these small ships can access hidden reaches that bigger boats can't get to. Enjoy explorations in the most beautiful places in the world - including our national parks.
This offer is available only for a limited time, so follow up with my UnCruise colleagues today at 888.862.8881 or
sales@uncruise.com
and be sure to mention code
NPCA2018
. You can also reach me at 202.454.3305 or
travel@npca.org
.
See you in the parks!
Ben Sander
Travel Program Manager
*Rules & restrictions apply to savings. Must mention code NPCA2018 to receive savings. Inquire for complete details.
Photo: Kayaking with UnCruise Adventures © UnCruise Adventures.
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| Coal fired Big Bend in Tampa |
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Posted: 12 May 2017 12:26 PM PDT
For the first time in years, many Floridians are suffering from high levels of unhealthy smog.
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Orlando is still suffering from its worst smog in years.
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This week, smog levels have spiked in cities like Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale. That's hazardous for people with asthma, heart disease and COPD, reaching levels unhealthy for everyone. The main source, emissions from our cars, trucks and buses' tailpipes, has been exacerbated recently by additional nitrogen oxide from fires. Today, as smog levels begin to decline in the Tampa Bay area, cities like Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando are still suffering from dangerously high levels that mean that exercise outdoors in the late afternoon is off limits for sensitive people, and not a good idea for anyone.
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Most Floridians have had a rough time breathing this week.
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Where does smog come from?
Our tailpipes' nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions combine with Florida sunshine throughout the day to convert to ozone. Power plants burning coal and, to a lesser degree, natural gas, also contribute, but not at levels as significant as our own cars' tailpipes. Smog levels increase throughout the afternoon, peaking as people get off work and go walk the dog or jog, and then rapidly decreasing after sunset. Summer rains help wash nitrogen out the air (and into lakes and rivers!), but in May, with our seasonal dry conditions, smog builds up. Combine that with a stagnant high pressure system and wildfires that contribute more nitrogen along with particulate, and you have what Hillsborough County EPC Air Quality staff Alain Watson today described to us as a "perfect storm" for unhealthy smog.
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Florida's had several days in both the Orange and Red Alert levels this week.
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You can't see and smell smog like you can the particulate-laden smoke from fires, so being aware of the risk is important, especially those whose asthma or other conditions make them more sensitive. Media in central and south Florida have been busy alerting the community this week. The Hillsborough Environmental Protection Commission's Air Quality office sends alerts upon request. You can get on EPC's list by calling 813-627-2600, ext. 1298.
What can you do to make the air healthier for everyone to breathe? Maybe you can't fight forest fires like Smokey the Bear, but you can fight smog at its main source.
This weekend, take Mom for a test drive in an Electric Vehicle
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Lake O Conditions: Foot below target level
Caloosahatchee Condition
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Portions of 143-mile embankment are 80 years old and eroding away
LAURA RUANE
USA TODAY NETWORK - FLORIDA
"My biggest concern is the integrity of the (Herbert Hoover) Dike," said Hillary Hyslope, executive director of the Clewiston Chamber of Commerce.....
Portions of the 143-mile Herbert Hoover Dike are 80 years old and eroding away.
It's not so much of a problem during this dry winter. The concern intensifies during the summer rainy season. Studies indicate water seepage over the years, even absent a hurricane, is eroding the dike.
So when lake water levels rise, so do the risks.
If the dike should fail, at immediate risk are more than 40,000 residents and their homes and businesses nearest the lake, with "far-reaching effects for the whole of southern Florida," according to a risk analysis by insurance giant Lloyd's of London.
The Lloyd's report further noted the three counties immediately southeast of Lake Okeechobee "have a combined population in excess of 5 million residents.
Recovery could take years, with economic losses likely to run to the tens of billions of dollars."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for Herbert Hoover Dike operations and rehabilitation.
Repairs got started in the early 2000s. To date, about $870 million has been spent on actions including installing a partial cutoff wall, removing and replacing culverts, and conducting studies and technical reviews to help ensure South Floridians' safety
Army Corps spokesman John Campbell estimated it will take another $800 million and work into the mid 2020s to complete the dike's rehab.
The dike is "safer than it was 10 years ago," Campbell said.
Spillways are designed to safely release floodwaters so they don't pour over the top of a dam or destroy it.
Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee has no spillway, said Campbell, adding, "there is no mechanism in place to rapidly adjust the levels of the lake."
The Army Corps briefly considered spillways for the dike rehab, but dismissed them because "the acquisition of land associated with that would be too expensive - in the billions of dollars," according to Campbell, who added that estimate didn't include construction and related costs.
The most risk of dike failure occurs when the lake level reaches 18 feet or higher. So the corps doesn't allow that to happen.
When the lake level reaches to about 15 feet or higher, "we release water to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers," Campbell said.
The rub is that big freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee are problems for those two rivers and their estuaries, which serve as nurseries for sea life.
Last January was unseasonably rainy. That prompted more frequent and voluminous lake releases that sent brown and black plumes into San Carlos Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
Tourism and fishing industries cried foul.
As outrage over the releases heightened on Florida's east and west coasts, state Sen. Joe Negron proposed a $2.4 billion federal/state project to buy about 60,000 acres south of Lake O and build a 120 billion-gallon reservoir to curb harmful discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee
rivers.
That legislation cleared the Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee last Tuesday.
Changes to the bill are likely before it reaches the full Senate Legislature.
Connect with this reporter @Alvascribe (Twitter) and LauraPatrickRuane (Facebook).
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Commentary: Opinion
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in the exercise of personal and political power.
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Circulation changes caused by warming waters and melting polar ice are the most probable explanations for the rapidly falling levels of oxygen in the ocean.
Climate News Network, United Kingdom.
May 10
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