Algal blooms closes South Florida beaches

[Always Randy]

Source: WJHG News Channel 7

Alisa Coe with EarthJustice says the slime could be a threat to the public.

"It can be green or blue. It smells, it can cause respiratory problems, it can contain toxins that are harmful for animals and people," Coe said.

EarthJustice is worried that the state could be setting itself up for problems at more beaches with a proposed rule change. The Department of Agriculture may no longer require fertilizer sale reporting.

"We know that sewage, fertilizer, and manure pollution trigger algae outbreaks like what we are seeing down in South Florida," Coe said

Read more: http://www.wjhg.com/content/news/Algal-blooms-closes-South-Florida-beaches-385179041.html

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Outdoor recreation is what Florida is all about. Many of the beach and waterway opportunities will diminish if the other parts of the State think that fertilizers are more important. Regulations on fertilizer use are lacking. The economic impact of the 4th of July weekend disaster could help the overall condition.

Republican Governor Scott seems to be unwilling to confront this.

[CanonRay]

1. He won't confront it until he figures out how to make a buck off it.

Classic GOP

[PearliePoo2]

2. It always takes RePukes taking a hit in their own pocketbooks

Before they do the right thing. Greedy, money-grubbing bastards.

[monmouth4]

3. I believe most of this problem is caused by the manufacture of sugar, the runoff, etc. n/t

[Mika]

5. That, and the lack of funding for the Okachobee levee.

The reason for the releases of huge amounts of water is to maintain the low level in the lake, because the levee will burst if the lake were allowed to regain its normal level (18 feet higher than it is kept now).

The Corps of Engineers keep requesting funding for the levee reenforcement, but ... well ... there's other priorities not the safety of millions - not the environment nor the tourism industry of Florida, in Florida. Republicans.

[TexasBushwhacker]

12. But wouldn't that just allow the Okachobee reservior

to become more polluted? I don't doubt the levee needs repair. It is part of our crumbling infrastructure. Blaming the feds, and by extension Obama, is just the kind of thing Rick Scott and his GOP cronies like to do, and push for lower taxes and less environmental regulations while they're at it. Fuck 'em!

[RebelOne]

18. It is spelled Okeechobee.

[Lochloosa]

6. You are correct. The runoff from the sugar cane fields.

Because of the heavy rains lately, they had to open the spillways, flushing the nitrogen rich water into the ocean.

Big Sugar.

[William769]

4. I live in Lee county one of the counties covered in the State of Emergency

The smell is horrific.

Needless to say we have been forced to stay at home this holiday weekend because of this.

[cactusfractal]

7. It's not just Big Sugar...

It's non-native lawn grasses that need nitrogen fertilizer and copious amounts of precious water because they are not adapted to our climate.

It's HOA enforcement squads that hold residents' lawns to a certain standard of green and fine them for not having lush, verdant oases regardless of the cost to planet and pocketbook. They often forbid xeriscaping in their desire for green lawns all round.

[radical noodle]

19. THIS ^^^^^^

[DirkGently]

8. Confront it? Rick Scott won't even let people say the words

"climate change."

“We were told not to use the terms ‘climate change,’ ‘global warming’ or ‘sustainability,’” said Christopher Byrd, an attorney with the DEP’s Office of General Counsel in Tallahassee from 2008 to 2013. “That message was communicated to me and my colleagues by our superiors in the Office of General Counsel.”

Kristina Trotta, another former DEP employee who worked in Miami, said her supervisor told her not to use the terms “climate change” and “global warming” in a 2014 staff meeting. “We were told that we were not allowed to discuss anything that was not a true fact,” she said.

This unwritten policy went into effect after Gov. Rick Scott took office in 2011 and appointed Herschel Vinyard Jr. as the DEP’s director, according to former DEP employees. Gov. Scott, who won a second term in November, has repeatedly said he is not convinced that climate change is caused by human activity, despite scientific evidence to the contrary.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article12983720.html#storylink=cpy

[Frances]

9. Another thing for Trump

to blame Hillary for

[yurbud]

10. I took my wife and daughter back to my favorite vacation lake from when I was a kid...

the place was deserted because of the same problem.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

11. Climate change and the sixth global mass-extinction event is happening now

how much do we spend on neck ties and lipstick?

[Botany]

13. Fertilizer is the problem

From both homes and businesses along with agricultural production too.

This is also why we need our wetlands, "wild areas," green buffers built into
the storm water run off systems , and "soft" surfaces that allow the water to
go back into the soil. We also need farmers to time their fertilzer application
so their crops take it up and it doesn't run off the fields.

Everybody jumps up and down about round up but fertilizer run off is a much
greater problem.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

14. it is ok

Hillary and science are soon going to put an end to this mess

[RAFisher]

15. I was in downtown Ft Pierce last night

Thankfully there wasn't much sign of it. It's further north of the mouth of the St. Luice river but still connected by the Indian River Lagoon.

[Sancho]

16. Florida passed a referendum to buy land and reduce the pollution from phosphates.

The repubs and Rick Scott are crooks who refuse to do the will of the citizens.

https://www.facebook.com/citizens4cleanwater/photos/a.200211366806720.1073741828.200158630145327/609568192537700/?type=3&theater

[TheBlackAdder]

17. If I remember bio correctly, algae is the number one producer of oxygen from CO2.

[diverdownjt]

20. Domoic acid is produced by algae and is toxic to....

shellfish and gets more toxic as you go up the food chain....killing mammals.
The dolphins and manatees are in extreme danger right now from toxic brain death.
Fish are also in extreme danger. I lived in Martin and St. Lucie counties for twelve years
and this will be horrendous for humans as well.

THANX RICK SCOTT..........F---ING A--HOLE

[TheBlackAdder]

21. I can't decide who is more of an ass, Rick Scott or my Gov., Chris Christie!

.


I used to spend every year visiting Florida with my family, either going to the various towns, attractions...

Later, some family moved there and it was an excuse to go down twice a year.


===

We stopped going down a couple of years ago, after being repeatedly fucked with in our cars.

Then, I pieced it together. If I had a FL rental car, no one messed with us, total respect.

If we drove down or rented a car with out-of-state plates on it, we got fingers, tailgating, etc.


Talking to folks at work, with similar experiences, it came down to possibly being 1.6M concealed carry permits.

We surmise that people don't fuck with in-staters because they might be carrying. Out-of-staters are free game.


FL will no longer see any of my tourist money.


.

[argyl]

22. And at night algae uses O2 instead of CO2 as do all plants. Excess algae, lowered O2 concentrations.

This can lead to fish die offs. Also, in aquatic pH equalibrium an increase in CO2 concentrations leads to lowered pH levels, which are harmful to coral reefs.