As it turns out, Spaceship Earth is our only home; we need to take better care of it

Earth Day is this week. Here's a look at some challenges we face, especially here in Florida

Tomorrow, we celebrate Earth Day, the largest secular observance in the world, celebrated by more than a billion people, all to support the idea that our planet’s environment is worth protecting.

That would seem self-evident, since it is the only habitable planet in our Solar System, so it makes sense to take care of it.

You would think that we would be as protective about that as we would be ensuring the safety of our own homes, Earth being our own home, and all.

And in some respects, we’re better off today than we were in the recent past:

In the United States, for instance, air and water quality are better today, thanks to tougher environmental regulations. And it is also true that the cost of renewable energy has dropped dramatically (81 percent since 2009), making clean energy more viable.

And globally, we have increased leafy green areas on the planet by about 5 percent in the last couple of decades, and deforestation is dropping, although not by nearly enough in places such as the Amazon.

That acknowledged, our climate is in crisis with greenhouse gas emissions reaching record highs and causing extreme weather events (such as more and stronger hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin) and rising sea levels, which should be alarming to everyone on the planet and especially those of us living in coastal areas.

And we are facing increasing losses in our biodiversity, the consequences of which could be catastrophic.

Of immediate concern to those of us living in Florida and other states around the Gulf of Mexico is the threat of increased offshore oil drilling bringing the danger of oil spills, a single one of which could devastate our beaches and tourism-driven economy.

Add to that the Trump administration’s so-called “God Squad,” a committee of Trump minions empowered to exempt oil and gas activities from the Endangered Species Act, threatening to override rules that protect the Gulf’s marine life, such as the Rice’s whale, sea turtles and manatees.

The Supreme Court has been no help either, which has narrowed federal protections under the Clean Water Act to only wetlands with a “continuous surface connection” to navigable waterways. Meaning more than 7 million acres of Florida wetlands may lose federal environmental protection.

And it appears the water quality of the Everglades will not meet its May deadline, meaning the levels of phosphorus in the water—from agricultural runoff—remain too high.

So, it’s not all songbirds and dolphins out there.

And it is a further example, not that one is needed, of how elections have consequences.

These are all issues with solutions. The science is there. The technology is there. What’s missing is the political will.

While we’re still a democracy, we can fix that.

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press, Florida’s largest newsletter and website dedicated to making you the smartest and most informed voter in the state. Information is power. Use it wisely.

Related:

Why we’re such homers about planet Earth

Earth Day

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Onward thru the fog

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

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Time to take back our state

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican incumbents in the Legislature must face Democrats on the ballot. Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans stand to run unopposed. Here’s how we can fix that: