How US Sugar Subsidies Bring A 'Red Tide' Of Algae To Florida's Shores
ABC News reports that “Toxic red tide blooms are creeping up Florida's west coast, killing marine life and irritating humans.” The red (or maroonish) tide is truly a nasty problem that I have experienced first-hand in the form of a ruined vacation. It is a potentially toxic algae to wildlife when it occurs in high concentrations. The Karenia brevis algae can be a threat to fish, birds, and even manatee. At least 92 manatees have been killed so far and at least one whale shark! This creates conditions at the beach of discolored water, dead fish, and a horrible smell. Tourists are adversely affected as well as local businesses. The algae are a natural phenomenon that has been known of for almost two centuries. However, the harmful “blooms” have occurred much more often and in more places in recent decades. More recently, it has been plaguing southwest Florida beaches since November 2017 and is now particularly bad over a larger area.
The Red Tide starts as natural growth of the “bad algae” dozens of miles off shore near the continental shelf. That algae can then drift toward shore and enter brackish water inlets. The blooms are not stimulated in open circulating waters. However, they are stimulated to grow and get bigger in the presence of manmade nutrients, such as fertilizers that have run into water sources from agricultural production all over the Gulf of Mexico. In contrast, if the water in the Gulf is circulating well, then it brings more natural nutrients to the coastline. These nutrients feed other types of green “good algae” which keeps the Red Tide in check. In other words, mother nature can keep the problem in check.
However, when water circulation is down and fertilizer runoff is in play, you have a problem. A multi-billion-dollar problem.'' Though other factors play a role in the algae bloom crises, one of the most significant involves the sugar industry. A combination of federal sugar subsidies, federal regulations on pollution, and federal control of Lake Okeechobee (a giant lake in southern Florida) runoff guidelines has created a recipe for disaster. The federal sugar subsidy prevents Americans from buying sugar from Cuba and other sources. This means that we have to produce our own sugar and that we pay the world’s highest price for sugar. It also means that we grow sugar and sugar substitutes in a high-cost fashion using a lot of fertilizer!
According to ABC News:
Once the red tide is inshore, the algae can grow even more using man-made nutrients, such as fertilizer.
"The increase in runoff may likely exacerbate an existing bloom," Weisberg said.
Earlier this week, Florida Gov. Rick Scott called for the FWC and FDEP to "mobilize all available resources" to address the impacts of the red tide.
On Friday, Scott blamed the cause of the blooms on "the federal government releasing water from Lake Okeechobee."
"For too long, Floridians have had to deal with harmful algal blooms caused by the federal government releasing water from Lake Okeechobee into our rivers and coastal estuaries," Scott said in a press release.
So, there you have it. Federal rules, regulations, and regulators are the cause. The federal sugar subsidy has created a massive increase in fertilizer use in agriculture in southern Florida and in other states, such as Louisiana. The EPA protects farmers and others who dump chemicals into the water by setting protection “limits,” and then federal officials dump excessive pollutants into our water ways and we have no recourse against them.
I think the solutions are simple and straightforward. End the sugar subsidies and the EPA and its protection limits. Restore the right of the people to sue polluters that cause demonstrable harm.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-08-17/how-us-sugar-subsidies-bring-red-tide-algae-floridas-shores
Note: World Water Monitoring Day tomorrow, I wonder if this 1billon dollar problem makes the list. In addition, I believe a deeper dig is required here.