environment

Oaks Instead Of Palm Trees? Florida’s Iconic Palms Don’t Cut It With Climate Change

By Kimberly Miller • Nov 15, 2019

They are iconic to Florida, but palm trees offer little shade to urban heat islands and capture very small amounts of carbon, a greenhouse gas contributing to global warming.

Climate Change Puts Florida At Risk. Public Schools Are Not Teaching It The Right Way, Experts Say

By Giuseppe Sabella • Nov 11, 2019

From the Unconditional Surrender monument in Sarasota to the parliament in Sweden, the world’s youth are holding weekly protests and highlighting the realities of climate change, a topic of growing importance to young men and women.

Feds Have More Than $600 Million In Mitigation Money For Florida. The Keys Want One-Fourth Of It

By Nancy Klingener • Nov 8, 2019

There's a big pot of money coming to Florida from the federal government to help communities hit hard by recent hurricanes be more resilient in future storms. The Keys are making the case for a good chunk of that money.

The Water Is Already Low At A Florida Freshwater Spring, But Nestlé Wants More

By Greg Allen • Nov 8, 2019

In Florida, Nestlé is taking heat from environmental groups and others concerned about the future of one of the state's most endangered natural resources — its freshwater springs. Florida has more than a thousand freshwater springs, which provide drinking water, important natural habitat and places for recreation. Nestlé wants to begin taking more than a million gallons of water each day from Ginnie Springs, a popular destination in north Florida for swimming, canoeing and tubing.

Prescribed Burns For Okeeheelee Park In West Palm Started This Week. Here's What You Need To Know

By Madeline Fox • Nov 6, 2019

Planned burning for Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach started Monday.

The prescribed burning season will run through the end of May for the Okeeheelee Park Natural Area and through the end of October for Okeeheelee Park South – seven months and nearly a full year, respectively.

Greg Atkinson, Palm Beach County’s parks operations superintendent, said that long period is normal, and doesn’t mean residents should expect nonstop flames and smoke – park officials typically conduct fewer than 10 burns, lasting six to eight hours each, per year.

Miami-Dade Planning Council Keeps In Play Builder Push To Develop Farmland

By Jenny Staletovich • Nov 5, 2019

A push by South Florida builders to expand future growth onto Miami-Dade County farm fields survived a critical vote Monday night.

The county’s Planning Advisory Council, which recommends changes to the county’s master growth plan, sided with builders and agreed not to endorse a report that would have protected land west of Kendall. The area is also targeted for the expansion of the 836/Dolphin Expressway.

Instead, council members said they want to keep the land in play.

Florida Officials Unveil Website To Monitor Water Quality

By Associated Press • Nov 5, 2019

Florida officials are rolling out a new online dashboard that allows the public to get a snapshot of water quality in the state's major lakes and waterways.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the new website, protectingfloridatogether.gov , during a visit to an aquatic park in South Florida on Tuesday.

The website provides information on blue-green algae blooms and red tide, as well as providing information on key environmental projects.

As Seas Rise, Miami’s Black Communities Fear Displacement From The High Ground

By Nadege Green • Nov 4, 2019

Lawmakers Take Aim At Sunscreen Ban

By News Service of Florida • Nov 4, 2019

In light of Key West banning the sale of sunscreens that contain chemicals believed to harm coral reefs, Florida lawmakers are fast-tracking proposals that would undo the local regulation.

Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said Monday that Key West is sending “mixed signals” to people about the importance of sunscreen and that his bill is meant to send a clear message to the “country and the world” that the use of sunscreen is encouraged in the Sunshine State.

Splinter The Sea Turtle Returns To The Ocean

By Nancy Klingener • Nov 1, 2019

Splinter the green sea turtle returned home to the Atlantic Ocean off Key West on Friday.

It was less than two months after she was found off Key Largo, tangled up in trap line and speared through the neck.

Splinter The Speared Turtle Set To Return To The Sea

By Nancy Klingener • Oct 31, 2019

Dead Palms Or Home Sweet Home? Just Ask The Woodpeckers

By Jenny Staletovich • Oct 31, 2019

Maureen Tan/Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden

Sometimes the best science comes from an idle, casual observation. Take Isaac Newton. Or Josh Diamond.

Stand-Off Between Indian Tribes and Army Engineers Threatening To Derail Everglades Restoration Work

By Jenny Staletovich • Oct 30, 2019

A stand-off between Florida’s Indian tribes and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is threatening to derail work to restore more than a half million acres of swamps and marshes.

'Start Listening': Greta Thunberg Rejects Major Environmental Award

By Merrit Kennedy • Oct 30, 2019

Teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg has turned down a major environmental prize.

"It is a huge honor," Thunberg said of the Nordic Council Environment Prize. "But the climate movement does not need any more awards."

"What we need is for our politicians and the people in power to start listening to the current, best available science," she added.

The award Thunberg rejected came with prize money of 350,000 Danish kroner — about $52,000.

Majority Of Floridians Recognize Climate Change As A Threat, FAU Poll Says

By DAVID FLESHLER • Oct 29, 2019

Taimy Alvarez / South Florida Sun Sentinel

More than two thirds of Florida adults consider climate change a threat to future generations and say state and local governments should do more to address it, according to a poll released Monday by Florida Atlantic University.

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