Three Florida environmental groups announced Wednesday that they intend to sue several federal agencies unless they take precautions to stop harming endangered species before releasing more polluted water from Lake Okeechobee. The water released contains toxic “green slime” cyanobacteria as well as high concentrations of nutrients that can feed red tide outbreaks. Jaclyn Lopez is… Read more »
As soon as next Thursday St. Petersburg City Council will vote to regulate single-use plastics; council will consider an outright ban on all plastic straws in restaurants, with an exception for people who have a medical necessity and it will also vote on a ban on polystyrene containers on public property. WMNF News interviewed Brian… Read more »
For a few days, beaches in Pinellas County were free of dead fish and that unmistakable irritation caused by toxins from red tide; but now it’s back. High concentrations of the cells that cause red tide were found Wednesday on all Pinellas beaches from North Redington Beach south to Pass-A-Grille Beach and even inside Boca… Read more »
Visitors to Pinellas County beaches in the days after Hurricane Michael noticed an uptick in irritants caused by red tide; but according to the Facebook page of Pinellas County Environmental News, as of Wednesday morning, most beaches ranged from “none” to “mild” for red tide odors, irritation or dead fish. On Wednesday morning, several elected… Read more »
In The Forgotten: How the People of One Pennsylvania County Elected Donald Trump and Changed America, Ben Bradlee Jr. reports on how voters in Luzerne County, a pivotal county in a crucial swing state, came to feel like strangers in their own land – marginalized by flat or falling wages, rapid demographic change, and a liberal culture… Read more »
From the beaches to the springs to the pristine underground aquifer to the Everglades and the rivers— Florida’s waters are like nowhere else on earth. Two of Florida’s most knowledgeable people about the state of our water join us in a moment to talk about Florida’s water resources. And later—Florida’s economy has mostly recovered from… Read more »
High concentrations of the organism that causes red tide are being found on virtually all of the beaches in Pinellas County barrier islands; Pinellas County Environmental Management measured high concentrations of Karenia brevis cells Monday from Indian Rocks Beach south to the Ft. DeSoto Gulf Pier. And depending on weather conditions, that’s causing fish to… Read more »
Florida Gov. Scott confronted by protesters at campaign stop Florida Gov. Rick Scott was confronted by dozens of protesters during a southwest Florida campaign stop. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that protesters upset with the state’s ongoing red tide outbreak jammed the sidewalk outside a restaurant that Scott visited. The newspaper reports that Scott was forced to… Read more »
Yesterday local environmentalist Tanja Vidovic (and WMNF volunteer) was banned from a Pinellas County Park for objecting to the spraying of the controversial herbicide Roundup on park grounds. According to Vidovic she was in Safety Harbor’s Philippe Park when she observed several private contractors about to spray the chemical Roundup on what they told her… Read more »
On Monday’s WMNF Sustainable Living program our topic was Electric Vehicles, hybrid and plug-in hybrids. Our guests were Dory Larson, Electric Vehicles Program Associate with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, where her work is to promote Electric Vehicle ownership; also Todd Thomson, the owner of Tampa Hybrids in Lutz, joined the program. Todd specializes… Read more »
In July the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a rule that rolls back Obama-era regulations on a toxic waste product from burning coal. The rule change was being lobbied for by the energy industry, which could save up to $31 million dollars a year. But Lisa Evans, senior counsel with Earthjustice, says rolling back environmental… Read more »
In first 8 months of year, manatee death toll surpasses 2017 By TAMARA LUSH, Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — This year hasn’t been a good one for the Florida manatee. According to state wildlife statistics, there have been more manatee deaths so far this year than all of last year. A total of 540… Read more »
On Monday’s Sustainable Living Program our topics were community gardens how cities can transform their corporate dependent food supply systems to local, people friendly, city grown systems. Our guests were panelists on the upcoming Bridge Tampa Foundation’s forum and film about Edible Cities. The Bridge is a local non-profit Foundation that connects community and ecology…. Read more »
Florida springs and aquifer at risk warns top environmentalist This year the environment is emerging as a top issue in both the primary and the general election. The Democrats have been debating who is closer to Big Sugar and a mall to be built by a Graham family company near the Everglades. Candidates are attacking… Read more »
A devastating coral disease continues to spread through Florida’s reefs and scientists say it may cause some coral species to go locally extinct; on WMNF’s MidPoint we spoke with Greta Aeby, a coral disease ecologist who is studying this disease outbreak at the Smithsonian Marine Station in Ft. Pierce. Aeby is a research associate with… Read more »
Update: Since this story aired, the News Service of Florida is reporting that, ‘Gov. Rick Scott issued an executive order Thursday to block state agencies from taking action on a bill he signed into law earlier this year that critics of the measure warned from the outset could limit the public’s access to beaches. Scott’s… Read more »
Because of recent heavy rains, huge algae blooms from polluted Lake Okeechobee are once again racing toward Florida’s west and east coast as water is released from the quickly-filling lake. Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch is the former mayor of Sewell’s Point, near where the St. Lucie River empties into the Atlantic Ocean. WMNF News spoke with her… Read more »
A new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists says “within the next 30 years, roughly 64,000 homes in Florida … will be at risk” of chronic floods from sea-level rise. On WMNF’s MidPoint we spoke about this report with UCS senior climate scientist, Kristy Dahl, and with Susan Glickman, who is working to create a… Read more »
Next month, St. Pete City Council will consider an ordinance to comprehensively look at how the city deals with all kinds of disposable plastics: from straws, to bags and polystyrene containers. In a committee today the focus was entirely on plastic straws: should there be a ban – as requested by environmentalists – or a… Read more »
Julie Rehmeyer was so sick she sometimes couldn’t turn over in bed. The top specialists in the world were powerless to help, and scientific research on her disease was at a near standstill. She was running out of money. And she was all alone, with no one to care for her. This is the beginning… Read more »
