Environmental catastrophe in Ft. Myers

[BugManTPC]

Originally Posted by nhkev

I thought this was an interesting read

https://www.news-press.com/story/new...ps/1225625002/

I drive rte 70 at least once a month. I have said before... what you see is orange groves and cattle. I don't work or invest in big sugar but have long thought they have become a political target. I have long believed that the pollution is coming from the north from people (residents) in the Orlando area down through the Kissimmee river. .

I agree, it is the Kissimmee basin water flowing North to South..

The keyword in the US Sugar Article is "South".

All of my rants on this topic are covered in this article, ALL Ag should be required to clean their water.

Okeechobee was designed to collect all of this runoff in order to prevent future flooding.

from a residential standpoint most of Florida is following a No to Low Phosphorus best management practice.

For Example: We are allowed to apply fertilizers to residential lawns beginning Oct 1.

As a company, we will only apply a 20-0-10 fertilizer to turf, 20 parts Nitrogen, 0 parts Phosphorus, 10 parts Potassium.

On plants, we use a 10-2-10. The units of phosphorus in this blend is the max we are allowed to use and the only reason to use it is to help all flowering plants, Ixora, Hibiscus, magnolia trees, gardenia, birds of paradise, allamanda, azalea, etc, etc.

Since 2008 the regulations have also mandated a minimum 50% slow release nitrogen in order to prevent excess nutrient runoff.

The Dead zone

https://serc.carleton.edu/microbelif...one/index.html

Hypoxic water, is the direct result of Agricultural runoff and it varies from year to year due to weather and agricultural best practices.

Bottom line: WE cause are environmental changes and the problems seem to be worse year over year, as our population increases and quality of life increases.

We can see and measure all of these impacts on the environment, so now we need better regulations and controls.

[Florida Paradise]

Originally Posted by Samiamnh

We're snowbirds with a home in Cape Coral and won't be coming down this winter if the water is not clean.We are boaters,eat out at least 10 times weekly and shop locally for everything.We have pool,lawn and bug service as well as home watch when we're gone.
All of us snowbirds are going to be taking pur money elsewhere if this problem doesn't get solved.
We're looking into possibly renting in Panama city for the winter.

Guess renting in Panama City is out now.

[Marc Middleton]

Originally Posted by Florida Paradise

Guess renting in Panama City is out now.

lol good burn

[craigiri]

Originally Posted by BugManTPC

I agree, it is the Kissimmee basin water flowing North to South..

https://serc.carleton.edu/microbelif...one/index.html

Hypoxic water, is the direct result of Agricultural runoff and it varies from year to year due to weather and agricultural best practices.

Bottom line: WE cause are environmental changes and the problems seem to be worse year over year, as our population increases and quality of life increases.

We can see and measure all of these impacts on the environment, so now we need better regulations and controls.

A couple articles, opinions - and links to know health effects at
http://redtidecoverup.com

Also a proposed "20%" solution....

Yes, I predict lots of lost business - BUT, I predict lost business will be worse in a year than now, because a lot (most?) people don't know about it....or think it goes away quickly

The biggest part of the problem is that ALL of this was planned to be fixed starting 18 years ago. Yet there has not been 2 years worth of work done in that time period. First, GWB vetoed what he and both parties had fully agreed upon in 2000 (he vetoed it in 2006). Then Rick Scott rolled back the will of the voters in Florida and more of the plans already in place.

To add to that, he (similar to the current POTUS admin) made it clear to Polluters that he doesn't care - and, sure enough, the State is not doing much environmental enforcement.

Sad to say, I can't see the basics changing for a couple decades.