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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 #1335 |
 | When I think of valuable gold,
it's a precious Florida sunrise that comes to mind
Mark Renz photo
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Bipartisan Sugar Reform Amendment to 2012 Farm Bill
Enjoys Broad-Based Support
From prominent business associations to leading consumer and tax reform groups, there is broad-based support for a bipartisan sugar reform amendment to the 2012 Farm Bill currently on the Senate floor , including:
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce: "The Chamber strongly supports an amendment championed by Sens. Shaheen, Lugar, Kirk, Durbin, Toomey and others that would reform the sugar program. The existing domestic sugar program is a chronically flawed policy that creates and maintains an artificial gap between U.S. and world sugar prices. ... The sugar reform amendment would provide far-reaching and pragmatic reforms." Read more
- National Foreign Trade Council:"As the United States moves forward in efforts to expand and penetrate in new markets it is vital that the U.S. re-examine its protectionist policies toward sugar. We urge you to support the amendment to the farm bill that would begin that process." Read more
- American Bakers Association:"... [T]he American Bakers Association (ABA) strongly urged the U.S. Senate to vote in favor of an amendment to the ... Senate Farm Bill, reforming the current U.S. Sugar Program. ... 'The current sugar program costs consumers as much as $3.5 billion a year and sacrifices 20,000 domestic manufacturing jobs annually.'" Read more
- 22 Leading Business, Consumer & Tax Reform Groups:"With the sugar reform amendment, Senators can vote to significantly reduce the harm imposed on our economy by the current sugar policy. ... It rolls back some of the most egregious aspects of current sugar subsidies, especially those added in the 2008 farm bill, which have caused shortages and economic dislocation since they were enacted." Read more
Congress-Reform the Outdated Sugar Policies in the 2012 Farm Bill!
Learn more about the need to reform U.S. sugar policy in the 2012 Farm Bill at
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As many of you are aware, the House and Senate are currently in conference debating two versions of a Transportation bill in the hope of finding agreement on one final package to pass before June 30th. The Senate's version of the Transportation bill (S. 1813) contains a critical provision that was added during floor consideration of bill in March. It provides $700 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in each the next two years and was passed with an overwhelming 76-22 bipartisan vote.
http://www.lwcfcoalition.org/take-action.html
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 | Swamp queen
Mark Renz photo
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District, has received permit applications for Department of the Army permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) from phosphate mining companies in Central and Southwest Florida. The Proposed Actions include creation of new phosphate mines, expansions of existing mines, and construction of attendant facilities. As proposed, these actions would result in the discharge of fill in Waters of the United States.
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulation (33 CFR 230.11), this communication consists of the Notice of Availability of the Draft Areawide Environmental Impact Statement (AEIS) on Phosphate Mining in the Central Florida Phosphate District.The Draft AEIS is downloadable from the AEIS project website at http://www.phosphateaeis.org
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Two public meetings will be hosted by the USACE regarding the Draft AEIS:
Public Meeting 1
Date:June 19, 2012
Location:The Lakeland Center,
701 West Lime Street, Lakeland, FL 33815
Public Meeting 2
Date:June 21, 2012
Location:Charlotte Harbor Events Center,
75 Taylor Street, Punta Gorda, FL 33950
Registration will begin at 5:30 PM - please arrive early.The meetings will begin at 6:30 PM.Information to be presented at the meetings will be the same; the public is encouraged to attend either meeting.Each will consist of a brief presentation by the USACE followed by an open house format discussion period.
Anyone needing special accommodations to attend these meetings, specifically pertaining to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is encouraged to e-mail us at teamaeis@phosphateaeis.org, so arrangements can be made prior to the meetings.
Comments regarding the Draft AEIS must be submitted in writing by July 16, 2012.Comments may be provided using the form on the website, by e-mail to teamaeis@phosphateaeis.org, or by mail or commercial delivery services to the USACE at the address shown below.Questions concerning the Draft AEIS should be directed to John Fellows, 813-769-7067, or by e-mail to john.p.fellows@usace.army.mil.
Draft AEIS Comments
USACE - Tampa Regulatory Office
10117 Princess Palm Drive, Suite 120
Tampa, Florida |
Hillsborough should reap benefits of fertilizer ban
Tampa Bay Times - by Terry Tomalin, Outdoors/Fitness Editor
THONOTOSASSA - - After more than 20 years of paddling the Hillsborough River, Joe Faulk knows when somebody has been using fertilizer upstream of his Canoe Outpost.
"The water hyacinth and pennywort seem to bloom overnight," said Faulk, the only canoe outfitter on the river. "I can always tell when the water even gets a small dose of nitrogen."
But as of June 1, at least some of that threat has been removed due to a new Tampa ordinance against selling or using lawn fertilizer during the summer rainy season. ....
http://www.evergladeshub.com/news/month.htm
Advocates know it's not a panacea for the river's problems, but it's one more step in a long fight to save a river that has nearly been split in half by decades of development.
"Even if only half of the people comply with the ordinance, that will mean about 8 tons of nitrogen that won't end up in the river," said Nanette O'Hara of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. "That will make a huge difference."
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The Hillsborough, one of Florida's most popular paddling rivers, begins in the Green Swamp, east of Dade City. It flows for 59 miles through Pasco and Hillsborough counties before emptying into Tampa Bay in downtown Tampa.
Most of the upper river runs through public lands managed by the state, county or the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and as a result, has remained mostly pristine.
But for decades, the lower end, particularly the stretch through Tampa, has looked more like a northern industrial river than a wild Florida waterway.
"People just wrote it off," said Phil Compton of the environmental group Friends of the River. "It was abused and forgotten, sort of the back alley of Tampa."
Compton points to three factors that contributed to the lower river's decline: hardened shoreline, low water flow and nitrogen-rich suburban runoff.
"We have done a lot to get rid of the seawalls and re-create natural shoreline," he said. And due to a citizen-inspired lawsuit against government regulators, "the river is getting steady flow 365 days a year." |
(with apologies to science people !)
PHOSPHORUS
Multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group is an essential element for the life of organisms. In the nature, phosphorus is never encountered in its pure form, but only as phosphates (PO4). Those can exists as the negatively charged phosphate ion (PO43-) - in water, minerals, or as organophosphates in which there are organic molecules attached to 1, 2 or 3 oxygen atoms. Superphosphate fertilizer contains 20% soluble Phosphorous Pentoxide (P2O5). Due to the constant addition of phosphates by humans, the natural P concentrations in water bodies are exceeded and the natural phosphorus cycle is strongly disrupted. Higher phosphorus concentrations in surface waters promote the growth of algae and duckweed that use great amounts of oxygen and prevent sunlight from entering the water. This makes such water bodies unliveable for other organisms. This phenomenon is commonly known as eutrophication. In many water bodies, phosphorus is the limiting nutrient and controlling its level is crucially important for preventing their degradation and eutrophication (Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades !). Currently, there are no large-scale cost-effective technologies for removing P to acceptably low levels ((~20 ppb). |
 Southern hit man Southern bee killer -- Mark Renz photo |
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FACTORY FARMING SERIES PART 1:
Where Have All the Farms Gone?
Pew Environment Group
During the last 50 years, animal agriculture has gone through a seismic shift in the U.S. Long gone are the iconic scenes of American landscapes dotted with family farms and red barns... | |
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Wednesday, June 20, 2012 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT
WEBINAR
Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration:
Impacts, Regulation, and Consequences
We invite you to join us on June 20, 2012
from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT for an exciting discussion.
Webinar Registration
This month's Southeast Coastal Climate Network webinar will feature Michael Jasny from the Natural Resources Defense Council, presenting on American offshore oil and gas exploration. The federal government is moving to open vast swaths of American oceans- including virtually the entire mid and south Atlantic-to high-energy oil and gas surveys. Not only are these surveys a precursor to drilling, they have significant, far-ranging impacts in themselves. Attend this webinar to learn how exploration will affect our region, and how coastal stakeholders can engage in the regulatory process
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/271905650
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IEA Report: Natural Gas Is Not The Answer To Climate Problem, Existing Cleantech Is - And It Could Save $100 Trillion By 2050
The once staid International Energy Agency continues its string of blunt, must-read reports laying bare the reality of our climate and energy system.
While so many "experts" and politicians make hand-waving pronouncements about how the primary solution to climate change is more R&D or how cheap natural gas is the answer to our problems, the IEA is one of the few international bodies with a comprehensive energy and economic model that cuts through the BS.
As their new report, Energy Technology Perspectives 2012, makes clear, new natural gas investments can play at best a limited, very temporary role "if climate objectives are to be met." The only viable response to the threat of catastrophic climate change is rapid deployment of existing carbon-free technology....... |
The River, Estuary and Coastal Observing Network (RECON) is a network of optical water quality sensors deployed throughout the Caloosahatchee river and estuary to provide real-time, water quality data to scientists, policy makers, and the general public. RECON's network of high-quality, autonomous, in situ sensors can detect the presence of algal blooms and nutrient hotspots.
The extensive watersheds of the Caloosahatchee (1,400 square miles) and Lake Okeechobee (4,400 square miles) each contribute water that flows into the Caloosahatchee estuary and the Gulf of Mexico. Water quality is affected by both Lake Okeechobee discharges and runoff from the Caloosahatchee watershed. Over time, these watersheds have changed from low-nutrient loading marshes and wetlands to high loading urban and agricultural land uses. Nutrients increase turbidity and decrease concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO). In addition, excess nutrients fuel nuisance algal blooms. Losses of low-nutrient adapted communities, such as seagrasses have contributed to changes in fish, crustacean and marine mammal communities.
This week's Caloosahatchee Condition Report:
Recommendation: We request proactive water releases continue and be increased if possible to help gradually move salinity downstream to acclimate and adapt to lower wet season salinities.
Rain augmented a 10 day pulse release to the Caloosahatchee estuary that started on Tuesday, June 5. Flows averaging 746 cfs helped lower estuary salinity levels and may have helped decrease chlorophyll levels upstream of the Franklin Lock. The river has exceeded its MFL of 10 psu for 170 days since December 27, 2011 and has exceeded the one day 20 psu threshold for 16 days this year since the first exceedance on April 10, 2012.
Surface salinity at Ft. Myers decreased over the past week from 13.7 to 11.2 psu. Salinity at Beautiful Island increased from 8.6 to 8.9 psu and at the SR 31 Bridge salinities decreased from 5.9 to 2.4 psu. Downstream of S79 salinity has decreased from4.1to 2.9 psu. Salinity at Shell Point remained static at 28 - 36 psu which continues to exceed the preferred salinity range for oysters.
Chlorophyll levels increased dramatically at Beautiful Island from 4.5- 20.9µg/L. Nutrients being flushed downstream and the nutrients released from decomposition of upstream algal blooms may have contributed to increased chlorophyll levels downstream over the past three weeks.
Past reports and background information on Caloosahatchee conditions are available online at:
http://www.sccf.org/content/201/Caloosahatchee-Condition-Reports.aspx |
 | The Bench
Kaplunk!
I was dropped here as a seed
by something with wings
or hooves or claws,
I really don't remember
Or perhaps...
Click Mark Renz photo art for rest of story
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To preserve and enhance the commercial, recreational, and ecological values of District waterways
The West Coast Inland Navigation District
(the "District") is a multi-county special taxing district, comprised of Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee counties, with an estimated 1.1 million people. The District assists in the planning and implementation of waterway projects that promote safe navigation and the enjoyment of water-based activities, such as boating, fishing, and beach recreation.
District programs include maintaining and enhancing public navigation channels and inlets, boating access facilities, waterfront parks, and piers. The District also provides leadership in waterway resource-based stewardship by encouraging boating safety and environmental education through the distribution of boaters' guides and waterway maps. District programs enhance the regional economic base while preserving the environment and the quality of life in Southwest Florida.
With an annual budget of approximately $2 million, the District currently operates by assessing only 25% of its statutorily allowable millage rate. With reduced federal funding, the local sponsors of the nation's inland navigation systems are now being required to shoulder a larger portion of the maintenance costs of waterway systems. A focused effort is now required to accomplish the District's current duties and responsibilities in an efficient and cost effective manner. This strategic plan reflects an effort to allow the District to continue to serve its member counties as a fiscally responsible community partner.
Written by Charles Sidman: Sea Grant College Program, University of Florida, Gainesville.
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Welcome to the Water Atlas
The goal of this site is to provide a comprehensive data resource, eventually covering the State of Florida, that helps citizens and scientists alike make informed decisions concerning our vital water resources.
The purpose of our Water Atlas is to present key geographic and scientific information in ways that are meaningful to people and to implement our data management strategy.
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Ain't no Mama like my Moma!
Happy Mom's Day!
Click either Mark Renz image for more pics
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About Us
Friends of the Everglades was founded in 1969 by renowned journalist, author, and environmental activist Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
The mission of Friends of the Everglades is to preserve, protect, and restore the only Everglades in the world.
Our Goals:
* Compel government agencies to comply with existing environmental laws, and resist any efforts to weaken such laws.
* Encourage politicians to recognize the long consequences of their actions.
* Spread awareness of the importance of the Everglades to the South Florida ecosystem.
"Enforce 'Polluters Pay' For 15 years Florida taxpayers have been carrying dirty water for the sugar billionaires. When Florida's voters passed the Polluters Pay Amendment to Florida Constitution, the sugar industry was supposed to pay 100 percent of their pollution cleanup costs. In one of the most cynical abdications of governance in history, the Legislature has refused to implement Polluters Pay. In doing so, they have dumped billions in extra property taxes on the homeowners of South Florida and enabled Big Sugar to dump millions of tons of excess pollution on the Everglades. So not only do the sugar billionaires get unearned taxpayer dollars through unnecessary federal import quotas and subsidies, but they get their pollution cleanup costs paid by the taxpayers of South Florida. Our legislators need to swear off their addiction to sugar campaign money and make them pay all their cleanup costs.
Albert Slap, Key Biscayne
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The EPA Climate Change site provides comprehensive information on the issue of climate change and global warming in a way that is accessible and meaningful to all parts of society - communities, individuals, business, states and localities, and governments. The site explains climate change science,...
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Sincerely,
Eco-Voice Moderator
Eco-Voice, Inc.
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