Authors & Artists

“Thirsty City” traces history of Atlanta’s water crisis and fight with Florida

Authors & Artists, Water /

By BRUCE RITCHIE FLORIDAENVIRONMENTS.COM Atlanta created its own legal mess over water because in 1950, then-Mayor William B. Hartsfield refused to spend a little more than $1 million to help pay for Lake Lanier, writes Skye Borden in “Thirsty City: Politics, Greed and the Making of Atlanta’s Water Crisis.” Alabama, Florida and Georgia have been locked in a legal […]

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Florida’s Legislature’s 2013 session starts slow, gains steam

Authors & Artists, Energy, Government /

BY BRUCE RITCHIE  Anyone interested in the environment couldn’t be blamed for skipping Tuesday’s opening session of the Legislature. But the week ended with a bang. Gov. Rick Scott’s “state of the state” speech on Tuesday contained no reference to the environment, energy or growth management. (See “Scott sounds re-election themes as 2013 session opens,”

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Author, friend who promotes ‘water ethic’ to speak in Tallahassee

Authors & Artists, Water /

By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com Cynthia Barnett, author of “Mirage” and “Blue Revolution”, is coming to Tallahassee on Feb. 28 to give a presentation on developing a water ethic. When she said she wanted me to help let people know, I couldn’t refuse. She has been my friend for more than 24 years and she introduced

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Wildlife expedition holds scientific value even if biologist has regrets

Advocacy, Authors & Artists, Conservation, Land Acquisition /

By BRUCE RITCHIE Floridaenvironments.com Biologist Joe Guthrie sounds like he’s being too hard on himself for not taking more notes or recording data on his recent 1,000-mile trek with the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition. Guthrie and photographer Carlton Ward Jr., conservationist Mallory Lykes Dimmett and documentary filmmaker Elam Stoltzfus finished their journey April 22 in

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Cabinet members join group on expedition across Florida

Advocacy, Authors & Artists, Land Acquisition /

By BRUCE RITCHIE A team of conservationists on a 1,000-mile expedition across Florida was joined by two Cabinet officials last week just past midway on their trek. Photographer Carlton Ward Jr., biologist Joe Guthrie and filmmaker Elam Stoltzfus began their journey on Jan. 9 from Florida Bay at the tip of Everglades National Park. They

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Team launches trek to promote Florida Wildlife Corridor

2 Comments / Advocacy, Authors & Artists, Conservation, Land Acquisition /

By BRUCE RITCHIE A conservation photographer, biologist and filmmaker on Tuesday will begin a nearly 1,000-mile trek up the Florida peninsula to highlight the need for maintaining a habitat corridor through the area. Along the way, they expect to stay with ranch landowners and be joined by some conservation leaders and elected officials including possibly

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Author seeks to slow damage to Florida’s water management system

1 Comment / Authors & Artists, Gov. Rick Scott, Water districts /

Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection appear to be exercising more control over the state’s five water management districts, calling for statewide consistency while providing “one clear and consistent message.” But Tom Swihart, author of “Florida’s Water: A Fragile Resource in a Vulnerable State,” says Florida wouldn’t have been able to

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Author hopes nature stories will turn around Florida politics

Authors & Artists, Conservation, Gov. Rick Scott /

The environment didn’t cause the recession so it shouldn’t become victim of the current political climate. So says Florida nature writer Bill Belleville, author of “Salvaging the Real Florida: Lost and Found in the State of Dreams.” He hopes his new book will help people develop their own environmental ethic that may turn the political

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Author says “water ethic” needed in Florida’s future

Authors & Artists, Conservation, Conservation, Water, Water Supply /

Florida doesn’t need another white paper offering water policy recommendations to protect future water supplies. What the state finally needs is a “water ethic.” That’s the case made in a recent report by the Collins Center for Public Policy called “Our Water, Our Florida: A Water Ethic for Florida” by Cynthia Barnett. She is an

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