Algae crisis explodes into leading campaign issue in Florida

[babylonsister]

https://thinkprogress.org/algae-crisis-explodes-into-a-leading-campaign-issue-in-florida-1c92cb6f98b2/

Algae crisis explodes into leading campaign issue in Florida
No one seems to have a solution.
E.A. Crunden
Aug 10, 2018, 11:33 am

snip//

The source of the algae is also a topic of debate, one that the Nelson-Scott clash has fed. Algae grows naturally but it feeds off of nutrients. Scientists have pointed to runoff from agricultural operations as a leading culprit, noting that such pollution feeds and encourages algae. So do warming waters, making climate change an underlying factor, something experts note even as they struggle to pinpoint the full spectrum of contributing factors to the algae crisis.

Natural disasters worsened by warming weather, like hurricanes, also don’t help — Hurricane Irma’s arrival last year brought Florida a significant uptick in rain over areas like Lake Okeechobee, causing water levels to rise.

But Scott and Nelson aren’t alone in bickering. Rep. Ron DeSantis has also targeted fellow Republican Adam Putnam, Florida’s agriculture commissioner, over the algae, blasting Putnam’s ties to the sugar industry.

That industry has been linked to nutrient runoff, something DeSantis has highlighted. Putnam has responded by defending his record on water issues. Some of those candidates vying for the Democratic nomination to unseat DeSantis, meanwhile, are swearing off sugar industry contributions.

While candidates lob accusations at each other, residents are more interested in solutions. Scott has declared a state of emergency for seven counties, while Nelson has sought federal funding to help research the issue, in addition to tax breaks for some of those impacted by the algae. But it’s unclear what will sway voters, as many briefly abandon their homes in search of relief from the algae.

Green groups have also lent their weight to the growing divisions, particularly in the senate race. Frank Jackalone, who heads the Sierra Club’s Florida chapter, told the Washington Post that the algae issue is more of a state problem than a federal one — making Scott more of a culprit than Nelson.

“Bill Nelson has one vote in the U.S. Senate. Rick Scott is the governor of Florida and has had the power to enforce the Clean Water Act in the state,” Jackalone said. “He could have enforced pollution regulations. Instead, he cut back funding, rolled back regulations, and eliminated a large part of his enforcement staff.”

[Scurrilous]

1. K&R

[lpbk2713]

2. It will go back on the back burner after November.

As for now it is just a convenient political football.

[phylny]

3. K/R

[saidsimplesimon]

4. That green slime monster

is approaching the shore line. Close the beaches! Alert, do not vacation in Florida! Florida voters, demand a clean up or swim in toxic waste.

[RockaFowler]

5. Scott did his photo-op this morning near the river

Now he wasn't actually near the actual smelly part of the river. Naw - that would mean that he would care. he doesn't care. He only cares about himself and maybe a donor or 2. I hope the people on the Treasure Coast are actually seeing this shit from him. He says in his ads that he wouldn't let Washington tell him what to do about the river. Then do your fucking job pRick Scott. You had the opportunity to buy up the land south of Lake Okeechobee. You refused to do it. Now look at SW Florida. It looks like a cesspool now. Red Tide is now longer than it has ever been. The Blue-Green algae is all over the area. HE DOESN'T CARE. He never will care!

[NCTraveler]

6. Protect the sugar industry at all costs.

Damn near everything you see confuses the issue.

This is a direct result of corporate lobbiests winning.

This isn’t a global warming issue. Global warming will enhance its impact but the direct cause is clear and singular. Too many people are confusing the issue in order to promote issues that are secondary to what’s happening.

The picture at the link is not red tide. Our crisis with the green shit is completely separate from red tide. The manatee deaths, for the most part, have nothing to do with red tide. This is Big Sugar.

Red Tide itself is increasing because of global warming. It’s a serious issue that cannot be addressed in the short term.

[beachbum bob]

7. GOP wants few if any regulation, let Scott defend it along with cuts to

Social security, Medicare and Medicaid