An organization of scientists is seeking to warn Florida legislators about the need to take increased action to protect the Florida Everglades from continued global warming effects. Rather than take that advice and work to protect a vulnerable ecosystem, the state is instead threatening to cut ties with the scientists altogether.
Scientists for National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine gave their report to congress concerning the everglades and an ongoing effort by the federal government to clean up pollution in a portion of the park.
The River of Grass, a well-known river that runs through the everglades, has been the subject of a $16 billion state and federal effort which involves both the removal of pollutants in the water, as well as restoring the organic water flow to the river.
But in addition to the ongoing restoration, the NACEM says that more money needs to be devoted to the project in order to prevent future issues connected to the growing issue of climate change.
They reported their findings in December of 2016, and since then, have been accused by officials in the state of meddling in issues that should be left up to state operations.
“Your panel of distinguished scientists [is] being led down a path of unscientific meddling,” district Executive Director Peter Antonacci wrote in a July 5 letter to the review board.
He said the group has proposed “top down Washington nitpicking” of state operations.
The committee maintains that they were merely doing what they promised – to provide an independent review of the ongoing work, and provide ways to improve when available.
Despite what officials in the state want to pretend, the encroachment of sea water from rising sea levels, a direct result of global warming and climate change, is already having a detrimental impact on the everglades.
The large portion of Florida wetlands has been over-drained, and now, the remaining sources of drinking water and environmentally protected wetlands are increasingly subject to encroachment by salt water.
Taking a note from the White House, officials in Florida are pursuing ignorance at the expense of their state’s well-being.
