July 28, 2020
Good morning, welcome to radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei. Today we’ll speak with a local artist who is trying to raise awareness about a Confederate monument near Bradenton. But first, we’ll hear about how Florida’s beaches are under attack.
According to a report from the advocacy group Environment Florida, it’s common for Florida beaches to have pollution levels so high they were unsafe for swimming at least once last year. The pollution comes from sewage and stormwater runoff.
A majority of Florida beaches tested for pollution in 2019 were unsafe for swimming on at least one occasion because of bacteria from sewage and stormwater runoff. Jenna Stevens is the director of Environment Florida- the non profit that did the study.
Our next guest is Sarasota Artist John Sims who has used his art to attack symbols of the confederacy and racism. He wants the public to consider a plantation near Bradenton that is tied to the Confederacy which has been owned and maintained by the state for decades. The plantation was once home to 200 enslaved people. He also wonders why Confederate flags get special protection under state law.
