News & Public Affairs
UN says world's population has reached 7 billion
10/31/11 Robert LoreiLast Call Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: world population, Population Connection, family planning, Brian Dixon, food, water
The UN says the world's population crossed the 7 billion mark today. Although US demographers say the milestone will not be reached for several more months, what's clear is that the world's population is rising dramatically. The world reached the 6 billion mark just 12 years ago. Joining us to talk about the rapidly growing world population is Brian Dixon a Vice President for Media and Government Relations with Population Connection, the group was former...
Be the first to commentBlue Revolution: Unmaking America's water crisis
10/05/11 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Wednesday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: water, Blue Revolution, Cynthia Barnett, water ethic, aquifer, Lake Mead, ethanol
Coming up we’ll talk about the coming water crisis in the US with author Cynthia Barnett. But first two listener comments about yesterday’s programs. We received calls about the interview with the activists for St. Pete for Peace and we’ll hear a comment about yesterday’s Last Call show and the Republican candidates for President.
Our guest today is Cynthia Barnett author of a new book called BLUE REVOLUTION: UNMAKING AMERICAS WATER CRISIS (Beacon). Barnett...
Be the first to commentTampa Bay Water approves $162 million to fix regional reservoir listen
08/15/11 Josh HoltonWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: SWFWMD, Tampa Bay Water, Tampa Bay Water Supply, C.W. Bill Young, reservoir, repair costs, water
After years of planning and negotiation, Tampa Bay Water has finally approved a $162 million contract to fix the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir. Tampa Bay Water general manager Gerald Seeber said the plan will not only increase water storage capacity, but also help prepare for future drought. Now that the contract was approved, it will go to design and permitting over the next year.
When th...
1 commentsWater restrictions will continue in greater Tampa Bay region listen
07/26/11 Joshua Lee HoltonWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: swiftmud, water, watering restrictions, drought, environment, SWFWMD
Despite rain this month, there’s still serious doubt about the Tampa Bay region’s ability to manage the recent drought. Today, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, or SWFWMD decided to continue water restrictions in order to maintain the regional water supply.
Robyn Felix is a spokesperson with SWFWMD. She says the water restrictions will continue across all 16 counties because the lack of water during the previous year continues to impact water resources.
For the last seve...
Be the first to commentInternational water experts, students, study Tampa Bay water supply listen
05/27/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: UNESCO, Tampa Bay Water, USF, SWFWMD, water
Florida may once have had one of the world’s most richest water stores underlying most of the state, but now water managers across the state are scrambling to come up with more sustainable water sources for the coming decades. For example, Tampa Bay’s water utility is about to repair cracks in the 15 billion gallon CW Bill Young reservoir. The enormous surface water store is just part of the complex system the area uses to distribute the vital resource. An international team of water experts ...
Be the first to commentWater management district asks governor to ax bill that cuts budget listen
05/24/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: SWFWMD, water, Tampa Bay, Rick Scott, Ray Pilon
The agencies that oversee regional water resources may soon be in a bind if Governor Rick Scott signs a new law limiting how much they can collect from property taxes. Today the Southwest Florida Water Management District, also known as SWFWMD, opted to let the governor know how they feel about the measure.
"I make a motion that we send the governor a letter asking to veto the legislation for the reasons stated here, and somebody needs to put that on paper."
That was SWFWMD board memb...
Be the first to commentLeague of Conservation Voters releases environmental scorecard for Congress on spending measure listen
03/18/11 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: environment, budget, Congress, Kathy Castor, Bill Young, appropriations, EPA, water, Gus Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan, Richard Nugent
The League of Conservation Voters has released a special edition of its environmental scorecard for Congress on an appropriations measure with two dozen amendments. Alex Taurel is a legislative representative at the League of Conservation Voters.
Be the first to comment"The national environmental scorecard, which the League of Conservation Voters puts out annually, it's been the nationally accepted yardstick to rate members of Congress on environmental, pu...
Tampa City Council not satisfied with presentation from water bills task force listen
03/17/11 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: high water bills, water, Tampa City Council, Tampa
Some Tampa water customers received unusually high water bills around the end of last year. Today a task force formed to figure out the cause of the spike presented a report to the Tampa City Council. But Council members weren’t happy that they did not have time to read the report they were given this morning before the presentation. Darrell Smith, the city’s chief of staff, summarized the report’s findings.
Be the first to comment"Unusually dry and cold weather con...
Tampa water bill task force update & city spent $165,000 on Gasparilla listen
03/03/11 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: high water bills, water, Tampa City Council, Gasparilla, Hyde Park
Today Tampa City Council heard an update on the administration’s task force into unusually high water bills. Recently the council suspended the top billing tiers for the city’s highest water users. Steve Daignault, the city’s utilities administrator, said only a small fraction of the spiked bills are due to tiered bill...
Be the first to commentWill state Legislature kill the Pinellas fertilizer ban? listen
02/01/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: fertilizer ban, Pinellas County, state legislature, Pinellas Legislative Delegation, Mike Fasano, Peter Nehr, water
The phrase “kill the bill” is not something one would associate with environmental advocacy. Yet today at a joint meeting between state and local lawmakers, Pinellas County Commission Chair Susan Latvala, a Republican, said she wants state lawmakers to do just that to proposed laws that would overturn the county’s lawn fertilizer ban. The ban, which is not yet in full effect, applies to summertime use of fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorous.
Excessive use of nitrogen and phosph...
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