No matter what your views on the climate emergency are – or on the steps which need to be taken to protect the environment – there’s simply no escaping the fact that Florida is one part of the world in which the climate and the environment place themselves front and center in the lives of everyone.
More than 131 million tourists flocked to Florida during 2019 - the last pre-pandemic year for which figures have been collated - and most would have been attracted by a combination of the tropical or sub-tropical climate, the dry season which runs for most of October to April and the lush vegetation and unique landscape created by the mix of heat and regular intense rainfall.
For people who live in Florida the appeal of the landscape is tempered by the challenges it throws up, particularly in terms of maintaining attractive, green surroundings twelve months of the year.
As the area’s leading irrigation experts, we know how much work is involved in making sure that happens, whether it’s for housing associations, large-scale commercial concerns or specialist sites such as golf courses.
Our experience in irrigation and understanding of the demands often placed on the natural water supply in Florida are the reasons why we’re more than happy to donate to the Florida Conservation Coalition (FCC), a body committed to conserving the flora and fauna of Florida and ensuring that every citizen who calls Florida home is able to play a full role in protecting and preserving this wonderful part of the world.
A Coalition of Organizations Determined to Drive Conservation in Florida
To begin with, the FCC is more than just a single entity, it is a coalition of over 80 separate organizations, each one of which works to drive conservation in Florida and to protect the water resources, land, fish and wildlife we all love so much.
On their own, each of these organizations is capable of advocating powerfully for the protection of the environment we all love, but united via the FCC they create a voice and consensus of opinion which is hard to ignore.
A Three-Stranded Approach Creates a Powerful Voice
In simple terms the FCC has an approach to conservation which combines three strands. The first of these is the unification of what would otherwise be a disparate and less effective conservation community across Florida.
By bringing these separate organizations together the FCC can facilitate the sharing of ideas and information and a spirit of collaboration, particularly around issues which would be too large for any single organization to tackle.
The second strand is an ongoing effort to use the voice they have in order to educate the citizens and decision makers of Florida on issues of environmental policy, while the third is a policy which will help to ensure that the first and second become a permanent aspect of the environmental policy landscape in Florida, namely training the citizens of Florida to be more effective advocates on behalf of the environment.
In this way, any changes for the better brought about by the actions of FCC will become firmly embedded as future generations of advocates learn how to put forward the case for conservation.
A Clarion Call to Spread the Word on Conservation
Making sure that all of this happens involves the FCC adopting a range of different methods. The first and simplest of these is the creation of the Daily News Brief, a free online resource which gathers together the latest and most pressing environmental news and opinion pieces, creating a one-stop information hub for anyone keen on staying abreast of the latest developments.
In addition to this they organize events such as the Speak Up series, which act as a clarion call to the citizens of Florida, alerting them to those occasions when they have to stand firm and take decisive community action in the name of Florida’s environment. They also hold one-to-one training sessions with citizens and then co-ordinate what are known as elite advocates to target elected representatives. The priorities which are placed front and center by the FCC include the following:
- Restoring reasonable levels of funding for regional water management in Florida, to ensure water quality protection, adequate water supplies, flood protection and the protection of natural resources
- Funding Florida Forever, the premier conservation and recreation lands acquisition program in the state
- Managing Florida’s water resources at a regional level
- Reaffirming Florida’s commitment to restoring the Everglades, an environment which is key to the water supply and quality of life of South Florida
- Promoting the efficient use and conservation of water
- Opposing the efforts to privatize Florida’s water
Why the FCC is Needed
Anyone seeking more evidence to support the necessity for an organization like the FCC to exist, and the importance of ensuring they have the funding to operate effectively, need only look back at some of the stories that were covered in the last couple of months of 2021. Even a randomly chosen handful of these stories are representative of the threats facing Florida's environment and the work that must be done to make sure that environment is protected.
Fighting for the Safety of our Environment Protects Our Citizens Too
The first covers news from the city of Bradenton, which in November 2021 was faced with the threat of being sued by a number of environmental groups after being accused of breaking federal law by allegedly spilling 30 million gallons of raw or partially treated wastewater (also known as sewage) into the Manatee River. The threat to sue follows similar cases in which other places - Sarasota County, the city of St. Petersburg and the city of Gulfport – reached settlements after being faced with similar threats.
Halting Red Tide and Other Harmful Algae Blooms Needs Dedicated Research
Our second item covers the research into one of the impacts of wastewater spillages. Events of this kind encourage the growth of harmful algae blooms such as red tide, and it was this type of algae that was at the center of research carried out by Florida Atlantic University. The study in question was launched in December 2021, and is a superb, in-depth examination of the effects of human exposure to the algae itself and the toxins which remain after it has been cleared away. The motivation behind the launch of the study was the fact that the algae, if left unchecked in South Florida, is responsible for killing fish, frightening residents and scaring tourists away.
Record Manatee Deaths Prompt Rescue Action by Florida Wildlife Officials
The final story deals with efforts made by Florida wildlife officials, in December of this year, to mount an operation feeding and rescuing manatee – sometimes known as ‘sea cows’ – which are threatened by algae blooms. The blooms kill the vegetation on which the manatee depend for food, and have led, this year, to record levels of manatee mortality along Florida’s Atlantic coast.
Supporting the Work of the FCC
Stories like these help to illustrate the dangers which the environment of Florida faces, and the necessity of an organization like FCC, which acts both to protect the environment from imminent threats and to create a long term vision for the future.
Here at Hoover, we applaud both these aims. Once again, our 2021 donation to the FCC on behalf of Hoover and Hoover clients underlines our determination to support the coalition and its conservation work for Florida's flora, fauna and habitats, as well as the people who live here and those who visit each year.
