The Fate of the Florida Mangroves
Date
2018
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Department of English and Writing, The University of Tampa
Abstract
As the state of Florida gears up for governor elections in the
upcoming fall of 2018, many of its residents are reflecting on the
last two terms served by current governor Rick Scott. A particular
emphasis has been placed on the changes in environmental
policy during the last decade as many Floridians are becoming
aware of hydrological issues across south central Florida
and the Everglades region. Gov. Scott has repeatedly shown a
preference for business over the environment with actions like
cutting down funding for Florida’s water management districts,
lowering pollution regulation enforcement, andfunneling
less money into land conservation programs (Rangel). He
even reportedly banned the use of terms like “climate change”
and “global warming” within the administration of the Department
of Environmental Protection (Sherman). The stance his
office has taken in environmental affairs has been made clear
during his time in power which is why many residents were
left confused when he proposed a one billion dollar blueprint
in 2014 that would improve Florida’s water flows within the
Everglades. The plan would help to reverse the damage from
previous canaling and river alterations that have resulted in a
disturbance of natural hydrological flows into southern Florida
wetlands (Turner). Many citizens summed it up to be a campaign
strategy as Gov. Scott unveiled the plan a month before
his re-election.
Description
Recommended Citation: Kirby, Claudia. “The Fate of the Florida Mangroves.” Royal Road, 2018. https://doi.org/10.48497/RTW3-C424.
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Keywords
Mangroves, Florida, Ecosystems, Climate change, Everglades, Greenhouse gases