Our Neighborhood

Earth

Keeping It Green

 
Florida's Phosphate Risk

 

Green Living Toolkit

Essential Guide to Florida Suncoast Living

Apr. 15, 2022,-They break it down to show you the most effective solutions, curated especially for Sarasota and Manatee County residents.

We connect you with local events and experts on energy, food, waste, water, and nature. The Toolkit is designed with options to meet you where you’re at, then help you level up to live smart and future-focused. Every step you take accrues personal and community benefits, now and for future generations.

The Right to Clean and Healthy Waters

This is a #WatershedMoment

FloridaCleanWater.org-It has become clear that the current system of water protection has failed; the state executive branch is not enforcing clean water legislation according to environmental laws, legislative intent and constitutional policy. Although a right to clean water already exists by statute, it defers too much to state executive agencies to guard against harm.

Click now to learn what you can do.

ECO SUMMIT +EXPO

Get Free Tickets

Science & Environment Council-December 2 and 3, 10am-5pm. One ticket includes General Admission for up to 5 people. City of Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, 801 North Tamiami Trail.

Click now to learn more.

Florida
Environmental Action

Eco Summit+Expo

Page Updated:
Sept. 16, 2025

 

The Sink or
Swim Newsletter

Ecology Florida

• • Florida's Most Alligator-Infested
  Rivers Include One Near Sarasota, Venice

  An Estimated 1.3 Million Alligators Live Throughout All 67 Counties in Florida
  
  
  

  Sept. 15, 2025 - It's generally assumed that any body of water in Florida has an alligator in it.

  According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, they prefer freshwater lakes and slow-moving rivers and their associated wetlands, but they also can be found in brackish water habitats and occasionally even in salt water.

  Seeing Florida's alligators pop up in viral videos, on front porches, golf courses, in pools or at the beach while scrolling through social media is a common occurrence.

• • How Hurricanes and Falling Vaccine Rates Could Collide in Florida

  Contagious Diseases Could Spread More Quickly in Hurricane Shelters After Florida Revokes Its Vaccination Requirements
  
  {E&E NEWS }
  
  

  Sept. 12, 2025 -As Florida works to scrap its vaccine requirements, public health experts worry that rising risks of infectious diseases and intensifying hurricanes could collide to present graver dangers to the public.

  The state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, announced earlier this month that the state Department of Health would begin the process of allowing people to opt out of vaccine mandates for “personal health benefits.” The move, which has been criticized by many medical professionals, echoes the Make America Healthy Again initiative led by U.S. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic.

• • Years of Fighting Sarasota Recycling Plan
  Over Dust, Noise Has Residents Feeling Hopeless

  Sarasota Residents Fight Dust From Nearby Concrete Facility
  
  
  
  

  Sept. 12, 2025 -In Central Cocoanut, which sits just north of downtown Sarasota, residents are caught in a familiar cycle: They complain about the nearby U.S. Recycling plant, about the dust and the noise they deal with daily. That attracts the attention of local government officials and the media. Promises are made; meetings are held. The attention dies down, local officials and the media move on to something else, promises are forgotten, and all that remains are the residents and the industrial plant.

  Rinse and repeat.

  U.S. Recycling was the subject of Herald-Tribune investigations in 2021 and 2022. Many of the same people who spoke to the newspaper back then were interviewed for the latest effort to push for improvements and were wary of once again getting their hopes up for a solution, only to be let down again by the machinations of local government.

• • Closure of the Most Troublesome Pond at
  Manatee County's Piney Point Fertilizer Plant Near

  Piney Point Fertilizer Processing Plant in Manatee County, Florida, Will Soon Be Filled Permanently
  
  
  
  

  Sept. 10, 2025 -A troublesome pond at the former Piney Point fertilizer processing plant that has caused environmental disaster multiple times over the decades in Manatee County will soon be filled once and for all.

  The Piney Point facility has not operated since then-owner Mulberry Corp. filed for bankruptcy in 2001, but large ponds of contaminated wastewater that remained at the facility have continued to be at the center of environmental disasters in Manatee County. The facility last breached in 2021, when it released about 215 million gallons of polluted wastewater into Tampa Bay, leading Florida legislators to pledge about $210 million toward the permanent closure of the facility.

• • Swimming is Now Banned at This Popular Florida Beach

  Here’s the Reason Why
  
  
  
  

  Sept. 8, 2025 -Every year tourists flock to Anna Maria Island, a popular small-town Gulf Coast destination with white sand beaches and a stunning clear emerald sea. But "no swim zone" signs have been posted around Bean Point Beach on the island and the city will be considering banning swimming there altogether after three people drowned in the area within the last month.

  A body later identified as that of 20-year-old Abhigyan Patel was recovered from the water one mile west of Anna Maria Island on Aug. 31 during the Labor Day weekend.

• • Vibrio Vulnificus Florida Update:
  'Flesh-Eating' Bacteria Cases up to 25

  A Pensacola Woman Nearly Lost Her Leg, and Her Life, After an Infection From Swimming
  
  
  
  

  Sept. 5, 2025 -Cases of Vibrio vulnificus, the so-called "flesh-eating" bacteria, continue to surge in Florida with two more cases reported Sept. 4 by the state Department of Health.

  That makes 25 cases so far this year. The two new cases were in Escambia County and Volusia County. according to FDOH data. The number of Vibrio vulnificus-related deaths this year has remained steady at five.

  The five deaths happened in Bay, Broward, Hillsborough and St. Johns, the FDOH said.

• • Florida Health Department Clears Palma Sola South For Swimming

  The Water at Palma Sola South Now Shows an Acceptable Level of Enterococcus Bacteria
  
  
  
  

  Sept. 4, 2025 -The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County lifted a water quality health advisory for Palma Dola South beach on Sept. 4.

  Tests completed on Sept. 2 indicate that the water at Palma Sola South now shows an acceptable level of Enterococcus bacteria.

  The initial advisory was issued ahead of Labor Day weekend on Aug. 29 after water samples collected at the beach failed to meet recreational safety standards because of high levels of the bacteria.

  Test results are available at FDHO’s Healthy Beaches tracker.

• • September Hurricane Season Forecast

  Savor the Break, But Trouble is Brewing in Back Half
  
  
  
  

  Sept. 4, 2025 -A tropical wave, designated 91L, is developing in the Atlantic and could become a tropical depression by the weekend.

  This system poses a potential hurricane threat to the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico by mid- to late next week.

  While the first half of the 2025 hurricane season has been quieter than average, the second half is forecast to be more active.

• • Are Burmese Pythons Slithering Out
  of the Everglades and Into Florida Homes?

  Videos Tell the Story
  
  
  
  

  Sept. 2, 2025 -Three recent incidents of Burmese pythons slithering around homes in South Florida were captured on video and raise the question of whether the invasive snakes are closing in on urban areas.

  A python was found tucked inside the engine compartment of a tractor-trailer parked near a Miami residence on Aug. 23, while another was captured in a home's yard a day later, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

  Additionally, after receiving a report of a snake inside a Miami residence, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue captured and removed a large Burmese python from a shed on the property (see videos below).

• • Mote Celebrates Opening of Three
  Seagrass Restoration Research Facilities

  They Will Help Chart a Course For the $10 Million Seagrass Restoration Technology Initiative That Was Established in 2023
  
  
  
  

  Aug. 31, 2025 -Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium celebrated the Aug. 25 opening of three state-of-the-art research facilities designed to advance the restoration, resilience, and long-term sustainability of Florida’s critically important seagrass ecosystems.

  The three new facilities – the Ron and Marla Wolf Seagrass Restoration Center for Ocean Sustainability Greenhouse Facility, Biogeochemical Carbon Sequestration Lab, and Publix Seagrass Genetics Research Hub – make up Mote’s Seagrass Ecosystem Restoration Research Compound at Mote’s Aquaculture Research Park on Fruitville Road in Sarasota.

• • Can “Immigrant” Corals Save Florida’s Dying Reefs?

  Scientists are Testing Hybrid Elkhorn Corals Bred From Florida and Honduras Parents in the Wild For the First Time
  
  
  
  

  August 20, 2025 -Coral isn’t exactly a migratory species. Many have exoskeletons that seem more like sculptures than living organisms. But right now, Florida scientists are watching closely to see if an unusual experiment in coral migration pays off.

  As the state’s coastal waters warm in the August heat, it will be the first hot-water test in the wild for fledgling elkhorn corals that trace their lineage to parents from Honduras and Florida, two parts of the Caribbean so far apart that the corals would normally never meet.

  “It will be very interesting to see how they do,” says Andrew Baker, a coral ecologist at the University of Miami.

• • Dive Into Marie Selby Botanical Gardens' Coming Conservatory

  Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Houses a World-Class Collections of Plants, But Last Year's Hurricanes, Helene and Milton, Threatened its Future
  
  
  
  

  August 17, 2025 -On Aug. 7, Sarasota Planning Board approved Phase 2 of Selby’s three-part masterplan. It was the final okay that the garden needed to move ahead with building its new conservatory and learning pavilion.

  For Selby’s botanical horticulture vice president Angel Lara, the new conservatory can’t come soon enough. It’s a necessary step for propelling research and protecting Selby’s collections, he said.

• • Pump Failure Leads to Spill of 11,000
  Gallons of Wastewater into Hatchett Creek in Venice

  Water Samples Are Being Collected From Hatchett Creek to Assess Potential Impact of the Sewage Spill
  
  
  
  

  August 15, 2025 -Approximately 11,000 gallons of untreated wastewater spilled in Venice, Florida, due to a contractor's equipment failure.

  The spill occurred near the Intracoastal Second Sewer Force Main Project and entered Hatchett Creek.

  City crews contained the spill and began environmental monitoring and cleanup.

  The incident was discovered by an operator at the city's drinking water treatment plant.

  The Second Force Main Project involves constructing a new wastewater force main under the Intracoastal Waterway.

• • Suncoast Waterkeeper to Offer Free Water
  Testing For 'Forever Chemicals' in North Port

  Four Meetings Where People in North Port Can Learn About the Suncoast Waterkeeper Testing Program
  
  
  

  August 15, 2025 -Suncoast Waterkeeper is launching Forever Free, a free water testing program for North Port residents to detect PFAS, or “forever chemicals.”

  The program aims to educate residents about PFAS risks and provide solutions, following a 2023 study that found high PFAS concentrations in North Port water.

  Community meetings will be held in August to provide information and sampling bottles, with results and personalized guidance offered in September.

  Residents can sign up for testing and volunteer opportunities online.

• • To the Miccosukee Tribe, the Lands
  Around Alligator Alcatraz Are Sacred

  Pythons and All
  
  
  
  

  August 6, 2025 -Less than four miles from Alligator Alcatraz, the Everglades detention site where the Trump administration aims to incarcerate and deport thousands of undocumented migrants, is the chickee hut where Betty Osceola has lived all her life. After dark she can see the light emanating through the wilderness from the facility.

  For many generations, Florida’s Miccosukee people have inhabited the soaring cypress swamps and sweeping sawgrass prairies of this remote region of the Everglades, a watershed that spans much of the peninsula and is responsible for the drinking water of thousands of Floridians.

• • 'Flesh-Eating' Bacteria Florida Update

  Vibrio Vulnificus Deaths Up to 5
  
  
  
  

  August 4, 2025 -Two deaths from Vibrio vulnificus have been reported in Bay County, Florida, bringing the state total to five in 2025.

  Florida has seen a total of 16 Vibrio vulnificus cases in 2025, with infections reported in various counties.

  Vibrio vulnificus, commonly known as "flesh-eating" bacteria, thrives in warm brackish water and can be contracted through consuming raw seafood or exposing open wounds to contaminated water.

• • How Florida Quietly Surpassed California in Solar Growth

  How Florida Became a Solar Powerhouse
  
  {CNBC}
  
  

  August 2, 2025 -Solar energy is booming across the U.S. and, for the first time, Florida is catching up to industry powerhouses Texas and California.

  Despite removing climate change from its official state policy in 2024, Florida added more utility-scale solar than California last year, with over 3 gigawatts of new capacity coming online.

• • Sarasota, Manatee Counties Lose More Wetlands Each Year

  'Liquid Gold' Draining Away
  
  
  
  

  July 27, 2025 -Southwest Florida has experienced significant wetland loss over the past two decades, impacting flood control, water quality, and wildlife habitats.

  Manatee County's efforts to restore stricter wetlands protections have been hampered by state regulations.

  An interactive map reveals extensive wetland loss in Collier and Lee counties, primarily due to development.

  Experts warn that mitigation efforts, such as creating artificial wetlands, often fail to fully replace the functions of natural wetlands.

• • We Can Still Save Sarasota County's Open Spaces

  Opinion From Jon Thaxton,
  Guest Columnist
  
  
  
  

  July 24, 2025 -Robert "Bob" Richardson, a former leader of both the Sarasota Area Chamber of Commerce and the Sarasota-Manatee Sierra Club, advocated for balancing development and conservation in Sarasota County.

  Richardson championed preserving half of the county as natural spaces to protect water quality, wildlife and mitigate flooding.

  Natural areas like Myakka River State Park act as natural utilities, absorbing stormwater and preventing it from flooding developed areas.

  Sarasota County voters will have the opportunity to extend funding for land preservation in the next election.

• • Survey Shows Dissatisfaction on St. Armands
  With Sarasota's Hurricane Response

  Residents and Stakeholders of St. Armands Key Showed Overwhelming Support For More Focused Help For Those On the Barrier Island Before and After Storms
  
  
  
  

  July 24, 2025 -The survey, conducted by the St. Armands Residents Association, received 167 responses and was conducted this summer. The association says it represents more than two-thirds of homes on St. Armands Key; its survey had a response rate of 59%.

  99% of respondents said that after a storm, they want barrier island residents and business owners to have priority access to return before the general public. “During hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, it went from ‘nobody is allowed onto the city's barrier islands’ to ‘everybody is allowed onto the city's barrier islands,’” the association said in a blog post.

• • High Heat Index: What Temperature Should
  I Set My A/C Thermostat for Florida Heat Wave
  for Trapping Carbon Underground

  The Entire State of Florida is Under a Heat Advisory, With Heat Index Values Expected to Reach 115
  
  
  
  

  July 21, 2024 -The lower half of the United States is sweltering under a heat dome, with nearly 85 million Americans from South Dakota to Texas and North Carolina to Florida under National Weather Service extreme heat warnings, watches or advisories July 21. The heat is expected to expand and intensify over the next few days, moving into the Midwest and Great Lakes regions.

  As of July 21, the entire state of Florida is under heat advisories, with heat index values expected to reach 115 and temperatures expected to set new records in some areas, exactly one year to the day Earth saw its hottest recorded temperature ever.

• • What You Need to Document Now For Home Insurance

  Before Hurricane Season Peaks
  
  
  
  

  July 18, 2024 -If you're a Florida homeowner, the time to review your insurance policy and prepare your home for the 2025 Hurricane Season is now.

  The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, with the peak of the season on Sept. 10. If you wait until there's a major hurricane barreling toward Florida to understand any of the coverage gaps in your home insurance policy, you could lose thousands of dollars if your home is damaged in a storm.

• • 'Flesh-Eating' Bacteria Vibrio
  Vulnificus Causes First 2025 Florida Deaths

  Here's Where It's Happening
  
  
  
  

  July 15, 2024 -Eleven cases of Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria, have been reported in Florida in 2025, resulting in four deaths.

  The bacteria is naturally occurring in brackish seawater and can infect individuals through open wounds or consumption of raw seafood.

  Symptoms include watery diarrhea, fever, skin lesions, and wound infections, and can lead to necrotizing fasciitis.

• • Source of High Palma Sola Bacteria Levels a Mystery

  Some Say Horses, Some Say Storms
  
  
  
  

  July 14, 2024 -Palma Sola South beach in Manatee County, Florida, had the second highest number of days unsafe for swimming in 2024 due to high bacteria levels.

  The source of the bacteria is unknown, with possibilities ranging from stormwater runoff to horseback riding businesses operating in the area.

  A study by the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program aims to pinpoint the source of the bacteria, analyzing samples for human, animal, or other sources.

  The bay's location at the intersection of Bradenton city limits and unincorporated Manatee County complicates oversight and responsibility for addressing the issue.

• Florida Says Killing Black Bears Will Help Them Survive

And, If You Beleive That...





July 14, 2024 -Just a few comments regarding the recent guest column – titled "Managing Bears Now and for the Future" – written by George Warthen, the chief conservation officer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Warthen stated that hunting "is about helping bears succeed over the long term in our state."

How does killing any animal help it succeed?

I wonder what the bears think about that..

• • Florida Department of Health Lifts
  Bacteria Advisory Warning for North Lido Beach

  Health Officials on Friday Lifted an Advisory for Recreation in Waters Off North Lido Beach Because of Earlier High Bacteria Levels that Can Cause Sickness
  
  
  
  

  July 11 , 2024 - The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County sent the advisory July 10 saying that tests on water samples taken Monday showed that North Lido Beach water quality "does not meet the recreational water quality criteria" for fecal bacteria.

  But samples taken July 10 found that bacteria levels were back within acceptable limits, the health department announced on July 11.

• • Sarasota County Reallocates $10 million in Stormwater Funding

  A New Department Has Been Created
  
  
  
  

  July 9, 2024 - Sarasota County has reallocated $10 million of stormwater funds to focus on Phillippi Creek drainage improvements, amid a delay of a major flood mitigation project and a hurricane season well underway.

  County Commission Chairman Joe Neunder referred to the funding shift the board approved at its July 8 meeting as “triaging” stormwater funds – reallocating priorities as hurricane season nears its peak in August and September.

• • Palma Sola in Manatee County Saw Second
  Most Unsafe Days for Swimming in Florida in 2024

  141 Florida Beaches Exceeded the Federal Threshold for Fecal Contamination at Least Once in 2024
  
  
  
  

  July 9, 2024 - Manatee County’s Palma Sola South ranked second on a list of Florida beaches with the most days of unsafe swimming conditions in 2024, according to an environmental group.

  Located along the southern side of Manatee Avenue, Palma Sola South tested as potentially unsafe because of high sickness-causing bacteria levels on 20 out of 62 sampling days in 2024. According to the environmental group's ranking, only Bruce Beach in Escambia County had more high bacteria readings in 2024, with 36 unsafe days out of 67 testing days.

• • Options Offered to Reduce Venice Neighborhood's Beachfront Flooding

  Attorney: City Cannot Be Compelled to Perform Construction Or Maintenance Work On Private Property
  
  
  
  

  July 6 , 2024 - Venice City Council discussed solutions for persistent flooding at Flamingo Ditch, focusing on stormwater drainage issues affecting Golden Beach.

  Residents urged the city to prioritize Flamingo Ditch maintenance, citing the need for regular clearing of debris and blockages.

  A lawsuit filed against the city alleges negligence and links flooding issues to inadequate maintenance and incomplete implementation of past recommendations.

• • Mote Releases Funding Meant For Seagrass Restoration Research

  Water Quality Improvement Projects in Sarasota and Manatee Counties Help Foster Natural Regrowth of Seagrass in Sarasota Bay
  
  
  
  

  July 5 , 2024 - Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and the University of Florida received a second round of funding from the $10 million Seagrass Restoration Technology Initiative.

  The initiative aims to develop sustainable technologies for restoring seagrass ecosystems, which are declining due to human activity and climate change.

  Eight projects received funding in 2025, focusing on genetic research, resilience to environmental stressors, and improving sediment conditions.

• • ‘This Bill Protects Our Precious Waters’:

  How a Florida Environmental Group Scored a Win Against Big Oil
  
  
  
  

  July 5, 2024 -The giant and catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill, also known as the BP oil spill, didn’t reach Apalachicola Bay in 2010, but the threat of oil reaching this beautiful and environmentally valuable stretch of northern Florida’s Gulf coast was still enough to devastate the region’s economy.

  The Florida state congressman Jason Shoaf remembers how the threat affected the bay.

  “It harmed our commercial fishing, aquaculture operations, and just the threat of oil kept tourists away for months,” Shoaf recalls. “Businesses were forced to close, jobs were lost, and the disaster reshaped our region forever.”

• • Florida's ‘Powerful Little Plants’

  They Protect From Big Storms
  
  
  
  

  June 24, 2025 -A curious trend is underway in Southwest Florida. Young red mangroves trees, some with nicknames like Rosie, Penelope and Dingle, are being adopted and raised in backyard gardens, at restaurant host stands, beside bank teller windows and in school classrooms throughout Sanibel Island and the Fort Myers area.

  Their purpose is an existential one for the state: to help buffer the fragile coastline from rising seas and increasingly ferocious storms.

• 

• • Radiation and Your Environment

  A Guide to Low-Level Radiation for Citizens of Florida
  
  {FIPR Institute}
  
  

  Apr. 10, 2025 -The Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR) was created in 1978 by the Florida Legislature (Chapter 378.101, Florida Statutes) and empowered to conduct research supportive to the responsible development of the state’s phosphate resources. The Institute has targeted areas of research responsibility. These are: reclamation alternatives in mining and processing including wetlands reclamation, phosphogypsum storage areas and phosphatic clay contaminant areas; methods for more efficient, economical and environmentally balanced phosphate recovery and processing; disposal and utilization of phosphatic clay; and environmental effects involving the health and welfare of the people, including those effects related to radiation and water consumption.

• •  The Florida Solar Bill of Rights

  It’s Time to Put the “Sun” Back in the Sunshine State!

  SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS, Dec. 16, 2021 -As residents of the Sunshine State, we call on our local and state officials to protect and encourage access to solar power for all Floridians, as well as to reform laws and policies that restrict our freedom to produce solar energy.

  Click now to read the list of those rights.

• • Engarde, Swordfish!

  Swordfish Reduction Sends Rippling Fears
  
  

  Aug. 27, 2022 -Swordfish and other sea creatures have used the Florida Straits and Gulf Stream for thousands of years, migrating with the warm current as it gathers in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea and then blasts up the East Coast and into the northern Atlantic Ocean.

  But things have changed in the Gulf Stream system. Waters have warmed, and the regional Gulf of Mexico-to-North Atlantic current has slowed, according to some scientific evidence. The data is not complete.

• • Algae Blooms Are Killing Our Manatees

  Hundreds of Them Have Starved to Death

  Mar. 25, 2022, (ZME Science)-Nearly 1 in 10 died last year.

  A wildlife official in Florida said hundreds of manatees have starved to death along the state's east coast due to the algae blooms and contaminants that are killing seagrass resources they eat, The Associated Press reported.

• • Coral Reef Monitoring & Assessment

  Coral Reefs Must Be
  Protected Against Bleaching

  October, 2021, (Mote Marine)-Coral bleaching is the corals’ loss of their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae), which give them their color. Bleaching is a natural event that occurs to some extent annually in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS).

  Records show that coral bleaching has been occurring for many years in the Florida Keys and also indicate that the frequency and severity of these events has steadily increased since the 1980s. Large-scale mass coral bleaching events are driven by unusually warm sea temperatures and calm seas. The effects of these mass events are potentially devastating to ecosystems and the people who depend on them.

• • History Of Phosphate Mining
  In Florida Fraught With Peril

  Accidents Like the Spill at the Piney
  Point Plant Fill the History Books

  Jun. 16, 2021, (WUSFPublic Media)-At the construction entrance to the Piney Point phosphate plant - off Buckeye Road in northern Manatee County, just south of the Hillsborough County line - the smell of phosphate and gypsum hangs heavy in the air.

  A bulldozer is busy pushing sand into a hole from which more than 200 million gallons of tainted water flowed into Tampa Bay. This isn't the first time this has happened. Accidents like this fill the history books in Florida, including two here at this very site.

• • Hazardous Waste Mixed Into Roads

  Are Our Roads Not Getting
  Enough Radio-Activity?

  June 17, 2021 (Bradenton Times) -If you live next to a road, will you be living next to a hazardous waste site? Unfortunately, this may be a reality for many, especially here in Florida.

  The Environmental Protection AgencyThis is the radioactive waste product left over from the production of fertilizer, and Florida has a lot of it.

• • Red Tide’s Impact on Humans

  Roskamp Institute Awarded
  Federal Grant to Study Red
  Tide’s Impact on Humans

  May 8, 2020 (floridadaily.com) - This week, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., praised the Roskamp Institute in Sarasota for winning a federal grant to study the possible connection between exposure to red tide and neurological disorders in humans.

  “Roskamp is one of the leading scientific research institutes in the nation and I’m thrilled they were able to secure funding to conduct this important review,” said Buchanan on Wednesday. “People need to know if exposure causes long-term damage. This grant of more than $400,000 will allow Roskamp to determine if human exposure to the red tide neurotoxin called brevetoxin causes brain impairment or other problems.”

  In particular, the institute will study why some people have mild reactions to red tide while others react more severely.

• • Would You Like a Little Radon With That Home?

  Radon Gas and Florida's Development

  Aug. 11, 2019 (The Bradenton Times) -Radon is found in one out of every four Florida homes. Every citizen, whether they are aware of the problem or not, is affected. All exposure to radon is potentially harmful. Radon is an odorless, colorless, radioactive, gaseous element that results from the breaking down of radium.

  Numerous studies support the clear and simple fact that radon exposure is a serious public health hazard. Indeed, more is known about the adverse health effects of radon exposure than any other environmental pollutant. Indoor radon air pollution is the number one environmental pollutant in Florida.

• • What To Do About Plastic's Affect on Martine Life?

  How Plastic is Harming
  Florida’s Marine Life, and
  What We Can Do About It

  By Joe Land (Greenpeace)- My passion for environmental conservation began when I was inspired by my 3rd-grade teacher to focus on my own interactions with the world around me, and to learn about the impact humans have on the Earth. I started the first Kids for Saving the Earth club in my hometown of New Albany, Indiana, where I became involved in sharing my enthusiasm for the natural beauty of the planet and in talking to people about the importance of protecting our only home. We worked on a recycling program and on stopping the use of Styrofoam in the school cafeteria.

  When I was 12, I took my first trip to Florida where I fell in love with the ocean and knew that’s where I belonged. When I first moved to Florida in the summer of 2007, I watched the release of sea turtle hatchlings, and I decided that I wanted to focus on their protection and coastal ecology. I became certified as an Advanced Florida Master Naturalist and Land Steward through the University of Florida; that program gave me the tools to understand and share the impact we have on Florida’s diverse marine and natural resources. Today I’m pursuing a degree in Marine and Environmental Science.

  Click for the story and a slideshow.

• • Legislative Environmental Considerations

  Florida Conservation Coalition Legislative Priority:
  Funding for Conservation Land Acquisition:

  Mar. 4, 2019  Florida Conservation Coalition

  
  • SB 944 Land Acquisition Trust Fund
  
  • SB 1256 Apalachicola Bay Area of Critical State Concern
  
  
  • SB 92 C-51 Reservoir Project
  
  To read all of the bills on this list, click now.
• • The Legislature: Onsite Sewage Treatment

  Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems

  Florida House of Representatives,-Directs DOH to identify certain information for onsite sewage treatment & disposal systems, update database of such systems, & submit report to Governor & Legislature

  Requires periodic inspection of such systems

  Directs DOH to administer onsite sewage treatment & disposal system inspection program & adopt rules; provides inspection requirements

  Provides exceptions; requires owners to pay costs of inspections & pump-outs; requires that inspections & pump-outs be performed by certain registered contractors

  Provides notice requirements; requires system disclosure summary for certain properties & acknowledgement of such disclosures by purchaser before or at execution of contract for sale.

• • Public Notice: Florida Has Got Its Pollution

  Public Notice of Pollution

  -Protecting Florida's pristine environment is the Department of Environmental Protection's top priority. Pursuant to Section 403.077, F.S., the Department is establishing a method for regulated entities to submit Public Notices of Pollution for reportable releases. Additionally, the Department is making available to the public all Notices received to date as well as offering an e-mail subscription service for interested parties to be informed of Notices submitted for their area of interest.

  Reporting entities should be aware that, while submission of a Notice through this website complies with the requirements of Section 403.077, F.S., it does not relieve them of any obligation to report to the State Watch Office.

  Click for more from The Florida
  Dept of Environmental Protection.

• • 6 Key Issues Facing Florida Environment

  Florida’s Environmental Challenges

  With leadership from the late Nathaniel Pryor Reed, Trouble in Paradise is the work product of deeply concerned members of the Florida environmental community who wish to help elected officials and candidates for office better understand six major statewide environmental issues impacting Florida’s natural resources and our residents’ quality of life. Reflecting that ‘one size does not fit all’ this report also identifies four of Florida’s many resource areas meriting specialized treatment.

• • Sarasota To Go 100% Renewable

  Sarasota, Florida Commits
  to Transition to
  100% Renewable Energy

  June 19, 2017 - The Sarasota City Commission today adopted a goal of powering all of Sarasota with 100 percent clean, renewable energy by 2045. Sarasota joins St. Petersburg as the only two cities in the state of Florida to commit to transition to 100 percent clean and renewable energy.

• • FPL: Solar Use Illegal During Outages

  Florida Power & Light
  Lobbyists Made It Illegal to
  Use Solar During Outages

  Sept. 18, 2017 - One thing has changed since 2005: solar. Many of the FPL customers who are living through dangerous heat without power now have solar panels on their roofs that could keep them going while FPL repairs its infrastructure. Except doing so is illegal, thanks to FPL's lobbyists, who literally ghost-wrote much of Florida's dreadful solar rules.

  
  Click now to shed some sunlight.
• • Miami Rejects the 20-Foot Flood Wall

  But Still Must
  Combat Climate Change

  Miami Herald, Sep. 8, 2022 -Miami-Dade County’s hard “No” on the federal government’s proposal to build a 20-foot-tall coastal wall to combat flooding has paid off. The feds have agreed to re-examine that part of the Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Study, and without any cost to the county.

  It was difficult to take the idea seriously from the start. Installing hulking, flood-protection walls up to 20 feet tall along the coast of Biscayne Bay would mean, in essence, exchanging the scenic water views that draw people to this area for the unappealing sight of concrete barriers.

• • Avoid Hurricane Surge Flooding:
  KNOW YOUR ZONE!

  Know Your Flood Zone

  FloridaDisaster.org, - The greatest killer of people during hurricanes is storm surge – the dome of water pushed ashore by powerful hurricane winds. Entire buildings can be moved, and can cause more damage than the winds of a hurricane itself. Florida is extremely vulnerable to surge flooding because of its coastal and low-lying geography.

  To stay safe from surge flooding, if you live in a zone that has been ordered to evacuate, get out. The best way to be prepared for a hurricane storm surge is to know your evacuation zone and plan your destination and travel routes ahead of time.

  Flood Zone maps are available if you click now.

• • How Florida’s Springs are Threatened

  The Amount of Water they
  Discharge are Threatened by Both
  Human Activities and Natural Factors.

  (Southwest Florida Water Management) -Increases in nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus due to development in springsheds, excessive fertilizer use, wastewater treatment plant discharges and failing septic tanks.

  Excess nitrate levels in water can be harmful to aquatic insects, amphibians and fish. If algae have an unlimited source of nitrates, excess growth may occur. Large amounts of algae growth can cause reduced water clarity and extreme fluctuations in dissolved oxygen, which is stressful to aquatic life.

• • Good Air in Florida? - Don't Count on It.

  Florida's Air Quality
  Shows Mixed Rankings for
  Ozone, Particle Pollution

  April 21, 2020 (FloridaTrend.com)-The American Lung Association’s 2020 “State of the Air” report found several cities earned mixed rankings for the nation’s most widespread air pollutants—ozone and particle pollution—both of which can be deadly. Gainesville, Lake City, Palm Bay, Melbourne, and Titusville were named on the cleanest cities list for short-term and year-round particle pollution after experiencing zero unhealthy air days.

  The Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville metro tied 14th in the nation for the cleanest city in the nation in year-round particle pollution ahead of the Gainesville-Lake City metro area which tied 23rd.

  However, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, St. Lucie, Orlando, Lakeland, Deltona, Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater all experienced more unhealthy air days of ozone in this year’s report.

• • Sarasota County Sustainability

  Defining Sustainability as Satisfying Our
  Present Needs Without Compromising
  the Ability of Future Generations

  Dec. 16, 2020(Sarasota County)-Committed to environmental, social and economic sustainability. To achieve the balance necessary for a sustainable community, this means:
  
  • Replenish the resources we use or consume;
  • Ensure our values guide us into the future; and
  • Invest in our community to ensure future prosperity.

  This is a constantly evolving journey, with countless directions and possibilities. We invite you to join us on this journey, through your choices and actions and by encouraging others in the community. Together we can make a difference – today, and for future generations.

  
  Click now for their Sustainability page.
• • Hey Florida Schools: Get the Lead Out

  Is There Any Excuse
  For Failing to Test
  For Lead in Our Schools?

  July 25, 2019 (mwfDailynews.com)-According to a statewide investigation conducted by WFTS-Tampa Bay late last year, 68% of Florida’s school districts do not test for lead in drinking water, or only partially test. Further, according to this same investigation, Gulf County’s public schools do not test for lead in the water, but, rather, rely on public utilities to perform such testing. However, as the recent public water debacle in Flint, Michigan has shown, and as reputable and independent experts have been warning for more than a decade, public utility testing for lead cannot be relied upon to protect our children’s health.

  Earlier this year, Florida Senator Janet Cruz sponsored a bill, SB 66, that would’ve added water filters in all of Florida’s older schools (including ours in Gulf County) to filter out lead particles from corroded pipes. As Ms. De La Vega’s recent Letter to the Editor pointed out, however, SB 66 failed in Florida’s 2019 legislative session. Admirably, in response to this temporary legislative setback, Senator Cruz has started a $250,000 fundraising effort to add water filters to Hillsborough County’s 136 schools.

• • NEST - Neighborhood Env. Stewardship Team

  The Benefits of NEST

  (Sarasota County wateratlas) —The Sarasota County Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship Team, or NEST, promotes neighborhood involvement in environmentally-friendly projects to protect and restore our shared water resources. The NEST program operates at the neighborhood level to improve the community and our watershed resources.

  NEST projects focus on both education and hands-on activities like, watershed-friendly landscaping, pond, lake, and bay shoreline restoration, bioswales, rain gardens, pervious pavement and invasive plant removal.

• • Phosphate Mining in Florida
  Threatens Water & Wildlife

  Significant Threats to
  Water and Wildlife

  Center for Biodiversity -Processed phosphates — little-discussed but widely spread throughout the food chain — pose a serious threat to our environment. Phosphate rock mining, along with the inorganic fertilizers and animal feed supplements for which phosphate is mined, pollute our air, contaminate our water and destroy invaluable wildlife habitat. -Especially in Florida.

  Because in fact, the state of Florida is home to the majority of phosphate-mining operations in the United States — and the United States is the world's third-leading producer of phosphate rock. Thus it's not all that surprising that Florida hosts the world's largest phosphate strip mine —100,000 acres wide.

• • Florida Environmental Issues

  Florida Environmental Issues

  Click now for a free PDF download addressing three of the key environmental issues that South Florida is challenged with today.

• • Florida Offshore Drilling is a No-No

  10 Reasons Not to Drill for Oil Offshore of Florida

  -This reminder from Manasota-88 warns of the ten reasons not to drill for off-shore oil.

• About Manatee County Flood Zones

  Manatee County Flood
  Zone Information Tool

  My Manatee County - Based on recent studies of the area, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has proposed updates to the County's flood zones. Depending on whether your flood zone has changed, your flood insurance may be affected. Search your address to find information regarding potential changes in flood zone for a property. Some information may take a moment to load.

  FEMA also has a viewer for map changes, you can find the tool and instructions for its use on FEMA's Community Flood Hazard page.

• • Florida Slime Tracker

  Track That Slime Crime

  Florida's waterways are plagued by slime caused by fertilizer, sewage and animal manure. Click now for an interactive map allowing you to view photographs of the muck, in the areas shown on the map.

• • Watershed Excursion

  Take the Excursion

  View a slideshow of the Springs Coast waterways, brought to you by Southwest Florida Water Management District

Asbestos is a proven human
carcinogen, and all forms of
asbestos can cause cancer.

• Read All About It

• Florida is not Alone

• Why is Asbestos Used
in Power Plants?

Asbestos Exposure Treatment

Name

Power Source

Location

(County)

Owner

Output (Mw)

Homes
Powered

When
Built