According to NOAA, nearly half the U.S. is in drought and conditions are expected to get worse. Yup, that means Florida, too. Meanwhile, eight states are controlling the weather with cloud seeding. Will it work? Or do humans continue to play with fire?
Speaking of weather, the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) hurricane committee has retired the names Dorian and Laura (remember those hurricanes?) and has decided to scrap the entire Greek alphabet. Watch for hurricanes Dexter (in 2025) and Leah (2026) and the new round of supplemental names they’re implementing this year, including Tayshaun and Makayla. Read more at The Weather Channel.
The New York Times Reports: For the first time, scientists have calculated how much planet-warming carbon dioxide is released into the ocean by bottom trawling, the practice of dragging enormous nets along the ocean floor to catch shrimp, whiting, cod and other fish. The answer: As much as global aviation releases into the air.
And speaking of fish, turns out seafood fraud is so common, The Guardian reports an analysis of 44 studies found nearly 40% of products from fishmongers, markets, and restaurants were labeled incorrectly.
If you have friends in Texas, you’ve likely heard the horror stories of the sky-high electric bills (and repair bills). But have you heard the tales of the plight of the electric company investors? Texas Monthly reports: while many Texans last week were worried about sky-high electric bills from February’s winter storms, the state’s sole utility commissioner was privately reassuring out-of-state investors who profited from the crisis that he was working to keep their windfall safe.
So you understand who the “Public Utility Commission” really works for, we are including more from the story:
Texas Public Utility Commission chairman Arthur D’Andrea discussed the fallout from the February power crisis with investors [during a call hosted by Bank of America] ... D’Andrea took pains to ease investors’ concerns that electricity trades, transacted at the highest prices the market allows, might be reversed, potentially costing trading firms and publicly traded generating companies millions of dollars.
“I apologize for the uncertainty,” D’Andrea said, promising to put “the weight of the commission” behind efforts to keep billions of dollars from being returned to utilities...
Humans aren’t the only creatures who lose deep and important knowledge when their elders die. Turns out, the loss of knowledge is keeping the critically endangered Australian regent honeyeaters from effectively mating.
It's the canals that are responsible for the draining of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, which, without the water, really isn’t the “sanctuary” it’s supposed to be. And proposed Eastern Collier County development might be good for some, and not so good for the critically endangered Florida Panther or Collier County taxpayers, either. Read this and all of WGCU’s environmental coverage here.
Do & Learn
- National Shell Museum, March 25, Shells and Bad Water: Ocean Acidification and its Effects on Mollusks
- Learn all about Lee County’s water system at https://www.leegov.com/water
- Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s guided nature walks resume at Clam Pass Those interested in participating in a guided tour should make a reservation at ClamPassTours@Conservancy.org or call or text 239-734-1132.
Want to influence your local environment? There’s probably a public meeting for that.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Monday, March 22, 2021, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Meeting for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM), to be held Monday, March 22 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Members of the public (PUBLIC) are welcome to attend the government agency PDT meeting and provide comment during designated periods. Learn more, including how to join the meeting, at: www.saj.usace.army.mil/LOSOM/
Thursday, April 8 at 5:30 p.m. Meeting on the Preliminary Project Operating Manual (PPOM) for the Indian River Lagoon – South (IRL-S) C-44 Project. Learn more, including how to join, at:www.saj.usace.army.mil//IRL-SPOM
Charlotte County has *several* committee vacancies to fill--and many have something to do with the environment. Learn more at https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/news/charlotte-county-committee-vacancies.stml
The Lee Board of County Commissioners has meetings coming up later this month. Check out the calendar here.
South Florida Water Management Upcoming Meetings
The public is welcome to attend several upcoming public meetings, often virtually. See the SFWM Meeting Calendar for dates, times, and agendas.
The South Florida Water Management District is also seeking public input on the Final Draft 2021 Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Science Plan. The final draft plan is available for public and peer review at SFWMD.gov/ASR. Public comments can be submitted via email to ASRwells@SFWMD.gov through March 22, 2021.
U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Standards Board Spring Meetings will be held online:
- Tuesday, April 20, Noon - 5:00 pm EST
- Thursday, April 22, Noon - 5:00 pm EST
- Wednesday, April 28, Noon - 5:00 pm EST
- Thursday, April 29, Noon - 5:00 pm EST
- Friday, April 30, Noon - 5:00 pm EST
The agenda, public comment registration links, and other resources will be added to the NOSB Spring 2021 Meeting webpage. All speakers making public comments must sign-up in advance.
Got an environment story or tip to share? Email Valerie Vande Panne at Vvandepanne @ wgcu.org.