As I sit on the front porch of my little bungalow in Pensacola,FL, we are nearly two months into the pandemic shutdown. Looking out upon the vegetable garden, petunias and nasturtiums are in full bloom, and tomato plants are the darkest of green as they reach toward the sky. All is well in the garden, …
This was the year. The one in which the Florida legislature was going to get serious about fixing the state’s toxic algae crisis. Actually, I said that last year, when Florida’s elected officials convened on the heels of a devastating 15 months of blue green algae and red tide fouling waterways on both the Gulf …
Disappointments and small wins: the 2020 FL Legislature Read More »
The holidays are upon us, and I’m asking the Florida Legislature to give a gift to our state’s waterways and environment. It’s a gift of finally taking action to solve the problems of toxic algae, bacterial contamination, loss of forests and open space, and myriad other maladies that threaten the very essence of life in …
Toxic algae is getting worse in Florida’s waterways, putting people, pets, and wildlife at risk. Now there’s a chance to protect public health and the environment from these dangerous outbreaks. Join with fellow Floridians in demanding that Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) protect environmental and human health by including limits on blue green algae …
Help protect people and wildlife from toxic algae blooms Read More »
-1024x765.jpg)
It’s early July and high season on the northern Gulf coast beaches of Northwest Florida and South Alabama where I live. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are here for their annual beach vacations, making memories with friends and family as they swim, fish, and enjoy our beaches and waters. But is the water safe for …
The 2019 FL Legislature just wrapped up without passing any new environmental legislation.
Florida is still reeling from a disastrous 2018 in which south Florida waterways suffered a double whammy of blue green algae and red tide. Meanwhile, here in the panhandle the powerful Hurricane Michael caused historic damage and highlighted continued weaknesses in our sewage infrastructure. Now, the Florida legislature has just convened, and we’re pushing for …
Florida legislators begin to address algae and water crisis Read More »
A bit of bipartisanship snuck into the holiday season, and thousands of acres of dunes, seagrass beds, and other coastal habitat in Florida is all the better for it. On December 21, 2018, President Trump signed into law H.R. 5787 the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act of 2018. Out of 435 members of the House of …
A holiday gift from Washington: Good news for the Florida coast Read More »
The House of Representatives actually got something right. In an age of growing frustration at political divisions that create legislative gridlock, the House did something that most citizens say they want more of: They passed a bipartisan bill. Even better it’s one that’s good for our environment and the Gulf of Mexico. In this case, …
Common sense and bipartisanship work for the Gulf Read More »
Imagine showing up for a day at the beach and being told that you’re on private property and have to leave. That’s what’s happening on Gulf beaches in the Florida panhandle, where the public’s ability to simply dip their toes into the waters of the Gulf is at risk. The flashpoint in all of this …
If you can’t get to the Gulf, how can you care about the Gulf? Read More »