DRAINED

By Amy Green

WMFE and The Florida Center for Investigative Reporting 
In the final days of his administration, with the eyes of the world on Florida where the epic 2000 election recount was underway, President Bill Clinton quietly signed into law a plan to restore the Everglades. Twenty years and $17 billion later, the grandiose vision of reversing decades of environmental damage remains stuck in the swamp. In DRAINED, a podcast from WMFE and the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, Amy Green wades into the controversy around one of the most ambitious environmental restoration efforts ever undertaken. From rivers of toxic slime to a mind-boggling plan to inject a giant bubble of freshwater a thousand feet underground, DRAINED examines the massive plan to restore the river of grass and poses the big question about the future of this natural wonder: Can it be saved? Listen here. 

Hurricane Season Collides With Pandemic As Communities Plan For Dual Emergencies

By Jim Bruggers and Amy Green
NPR and InsideClimate News 
Robin Rokobauer doesn't like to chance it. When there's a hurricane, she almost always evacuates.

Rokobauer lives in Cocoa Beach, Fla., on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the 153-mile-long Indian River Lagoon. Her mother is 93.

"She's got to have flushing toilets," Rokobauer says of her mother. "She's got to have fresh water. She's just got some physical needs that require that."

But this year Rokobauer is thinking hard about her hurricane plan. She is 65, and like her mother, she's considered at higher risk of serious complications from the coronavirus, which has claimed more than 100,000 American lives. Listen here. 

Orlando aims high with emissions cuts, despite uncertain path

By Amy Green
WMFE and InsideClimate News
ORLANDO, Fla. _ Environmentalists rejoiced when city commissioners voted unanimously to power every home and business here with 100 percent clean energy by 2050. Two and a half years later city leaders say they still aren’t sure how they are going to do it.

“We’re still learning and doing a deep dive into exactly when do we retire some plants and what do we replace those plants with, and all of that still is very much being analyzed,” said Chris Castro, the city’s director of sustainability and resilience.

Across Florida, uniquely prone to climate change, local governments are bracing for higher tides and fiercer hurricanes. Some like Miami Beach are installing pumps and raising roads. Others like Satellite Beach are moving critical infrastructure to higher ground. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican elected with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, has appointed the state’s first chief resilience officer to help guide the efforts. The appointment came as part of a sweeping environmental reform by the new governor after toxic algae gripped the state in 2018, although some environmental groups point out the policy does nothing on the human-made emissions responsible for a warming world. Read the rest and listen here. 

Endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrows Released Into The Wild Despite Concerns

By Amy Green
NPR
There are fewer than 80 Florida grasshopper sparrows left in the wild. As researchers release more into the wild, there's a fight brewing about whether that's the best plan to save them. Listen here.

Florida’s new governor brings a new approach to climate change

By Amy Green
Marketplace
Communities in Florida, one of the states most vulnerable to climate change, are grappling with erosion and loss of property. In a break from recent precedent, the state’s new governor, Ron DeSantis, is not only acknowledging climate change, but is willing to pay to help communities that are affected. Listen here. 

Concern And Worry As Recovery Of North America's Most Endangered Bird Moves Ahead

By Amy Green
WMFE
It’s a milestone in the effort to save North America’s most endangered bird: For the first time wildlife managers are releasing captive-raised Florida grasshopper sparrows in the wild.
They hope to augment the fast-dwindling population on the Central Florida prairie. But they are moving ahead despite strong opposition from some researchers who say the releases could harm the sparrows on the brink of extinction. Listen here. 

Trump Visit Comes As Floridians Ask, How Much Water Should Lake Okeechobee Hold?

By Amy Green
WMFE
President Donald Trump is visiting Lake Okeechobee on Friday. The trip to the troubled lake comes as top Republican leaders in the state say the president’s proposed spending on Everglades restoration is not enough. Lake Okeechobee is among the state’s most significant natural resources, and there’s debate after last year’s toxic algae over just how much water the lake should hold. Listen here.