Water Everywhere? While the Everglades provide shelter to many animals, they are vital to one particular species of mammal: humans. In particular, Miamians. “The water supply for 8 million South Floridians depends on the Everglades,” Samples said. According to Kathleen Sullivan Sealey, a professor in University of Miami’s biology department, drinking water comes from an aquifer, which is “recharged” by the Everglades. Damage to the ecosystem, she continued, could be incredibly hazardous to human health. “Whatever happens to the Everglades affects everyone,” said Sealey. Cholera is just one ailment that can come from contaminated water.
A Fight For the Ages Samples said that right now the Everglades is facing threats from all directions—saltwater inundation from the South and a lack of freshwater flow from the North, to name a few. Saving the Everglades will be a tremendous fight, and Generation Z may not live to see the end of it. “It’s going to be something our grandchildren work on,” said Sealey. The destruction of the Everglades has taken decades, and the rebuilding will take at least as long. “To simplify,” Samples said, “It’s about how we handle water from Lake Okeechobee.” Sugar farms to the south of Okeechobee and manmade changes to river flows prevent fresh water from getting the to the Everglades, opening up the possibility for saltwater intrusion from the South. Additionally, an overflow of pollutants and nutrients combined with rising temperatures can contribute to increasing instances of toxic algae blooms. Scientists, scholars and policy makers know this, which is why the U.S. government has been fighting to save the Everglades for years, but not hard enough. The bipartisan Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was signed in 2000—but the follow-up has fallen short, Samples explained. Creation of storm water treatment areas, land buybacks and more has already occurred to the tune of around $6 billion. But of the 68 different projects in the plan, she said, not one has been completed. The restoration will take at least another $7 billion in the next 10 years. “It’s a huge amount of money, but if we don’t do it, we lose even more,” said Samples.
Winter 2020 DISTRACTION 37
