Attendees at Prof. Bill Mitsch's FGCU lecture on the causes and cures of red tide. (Photo by author)
Jan. 11, 2019 by David Silverberg
Yesterday, Jan. 10, 2019, was a red tide—and red letter—day in Southwest Florida.
It wasn’t because there was red tide on the beaches—there wasn’t. But red tide was on everyone’s mind. And it is no exaggeration to call the day “historic” for its implications for the region.
In the morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) came to Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in Bonita Springs to announce a comprehensive package of environmental measures to address the region’s environmental crisis and needs, marking a complete and radical change from the policies of his predecessor, Rick Scott.
At noon, Jack Wert, executive director and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Sandra Stilwell Youngquist, CEO and owner of Stilwell Enterprises and Restaurant Group based on Captiva Island, delivered a report to the Naples Press Club on the economic impact of the summer’s red tide crisis on tourism, hospitality and local business and the measures taken to deal with it.
In the evening, Prof. Bill Mitsch, director of the Everglades Wetland Research Park at FGCU and a world-renowned wetlands expert, delivered a lecture on the causes of and solutions to red tide and harmful algal blooms in which he revealed the “smoking gun” causing red tide. He also unveiled an innovative proposal that promises to both combat future pollution and provide fresh, clean water to the Everglades in an economically viable and constructive way.
It was a big data dump with major implications for the Paradise Coast. We’ll be examining each of these of events in detail in future postings.
Suffice to say for now that for the first time in a long time, amidst all of Southwest Florida’s sunshine, there are some rays of hope.
Liberty lives in light
© 2019 by David Silverberg