Restoration of the Everglades - Research Paper Example

? Restoration of the Everglades Everglades or, ‘the river of grass’, are a vast expanse of freshwater marshes which extends from Lake Okeechobee South to the tip of Florida. There are various forms of habitat that exist on the marshland-open water sloughs, open water sloughs, cypress swamps, hard wood hammocks, mangrove swamps and pinelands. It is also home to many species such as the black bears, panthers, alligators some of which are on the verge of extinction (Ichthyology, n.d). The flora and fauna surrounding the Everglades with its unique ‘sheet flow of water’, had made the place one of the hottest tourist spots. The scenario started changing in the late 1980’s with the beginning of developments like creation of agricultural farms for growing sugarcane and vegetables, building up of new canals and levees for protecting the farms and the cities from floods and increase in the infrastructure in the east of the everglades. Some parts of the marshland started facing drought and others flood. Earlier it used to cover an area of 10,360 kms but today it has been reduced to half its size. The primary reason for this condition is the pollution caused by companies like Big sugar, construction companies, and various other factors (Marjory Stoneman Doughlas, 1969). The Big sugars comprise of a group of sugarcane growers, mainly U.S sugars, and are primarily responsible for destroying the Everglades. Farmers of these agricultural farms use high content phosphorus fertilizers in excessive quantities, to improve the quality of their soil. The run-off water from these sugarcane farms carrying the killer phosphorus gets drained into the Everglades through canal-water discharge from Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades agricultural area. It was revealed that this overdose of nutrient results in the overgrowth of unwanted plant and algae species or eutrophication, which in turn causes great harm to the original vegetation of Everglades. The original vegetation of this place- sawgrass and other native plant species- are getting replaced by nutrient loving plants like cattails. Not only fertilizers but sewage and human wastes from these fields are being dumped in the marshlands polluting the water, making it unhygienic to drink and the survival of flora and fauna impossible. The entire ecosystem of Florida is in peril because of the pollution (William H. Orem, Feb 2009). In 1992, the state of Florida had set limit to the amount of phosphorus that could be spewed in the everglades. To achieve this, it had set out Stormwater treatment areas on former agricultural areas. These are artificial wetlands that help in cleaning the phosphorus-laden canal water before it gets drained in the everglades. This step of the government has been successful to a great extent- reducing the amount of phosphorus in the water from 150 parts per billion (ppb) in 1990’s to 30 ppb today. The target of 10 ppb is still far away but the problem of Everglades is not limited to phosphorus, it goes beyond that (William H. Orem, 2009). There is another way in which these agricultural farms are affecting the marshlands. The agricultural land in the Everglades mostly consists of peat soil. It used to extend up to an area of 3 meters but today it has diminished to one third its size. This happens when farmers drain the peat soil through canals for the better growth of their crops. Once this peat soil is exposed to air it gets oxidized away by aerobic bacteria. As a consequence, the aquatic plants remnants in the peat soil get degraded. Scientists have projected that only 20 cm of the peat soil will remain by 2050. This is alarming since it will extinguish the original plants and vegetation of the Everglades (William H. Orem, Feb 2009). U.S. factory farms are also polluting the Everglades. During rainy season or snow melting season, the run-off water from these farms, which grow animal feed crops, carry the top soil particles into the Everglades. Also, the 1.4 billion tones of animal manures generated on these farms are let off through the canals into the marshlands, thus polluting the water. New regulations meant to improve the situation through proper treatment of the manure produced, cannot take effect before another 10 years (Andy Ried, Feb 2010). Time is running away and everglades are shrinking continuously, immediate steps needs to be taken before we loose them forever. There is another chemical which has contaminated the everglades and badly affected its wildlife- Methyl mercury. Methyl mercury is extremely toxic and very harmful for wildlife. High levels of mercury were discovered in the fishes in the aquatic waters of this area. Mercury which mainly enters the ecosystem through rainfall is turned into methyl mercury by sulfate reducing bacteria during their metabolism. These bacteria best survives on low nutrient peat soil which is present in the Everglades. A survey done revealed that some of the fishes contain as high as 4 parts per million of methyl mercury, one of the highest figures recorded in U.S.A. It is not only killing the fishes but also other marine animals. The wading birds are also disappearing because their main food-fishes are becoming contaminated (William H. Orem, 2009). According to Environment Protection Agency (EPA), these chemicals are making the water unhygienic to drink which once used to serve as a fresh water source for the Miami Metropolitan area. People living in the surrounding area have been warned not to consume the contaminated fishes and the water as it is causing various diseases like cancer, damage to the nervous system and even death (Andy Ried, March 2010). Commercial fishermen are losing their jobs, the tourism industry is facing a lot of crisis and the economy of Florida has lost billion of dollars because of the pollution. The problem of water pollution of the everglades is a very serious one and can only be solved through stern laws and regulations of the government. South Florida has suffered both economically and financially as it is loosing its heritage ‘the Everglades’. One of the most important steps taken by the President of U.S.A in 2000 was passing the Law - the ‘Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)’. This law is aimed at reviving the everglades, its acres of sawgrass prairies, mangrove and cypress swamps, hardwood hammocks and coral reefs. An amount of $ 7.8 billion has been set for the project which will take around 30 years to complete. It also aims at restoring the natural flow of water by reducing the supply to agricultural farms and communities and also doubling the amount of fresh water supply available to South Florida. This has been the most promising project taken by the government to restore the Everglades but it has been facing both political and funding problems and has been progressing very slowly. This law needs to be implemented seriously to achieve the aim of reviving the Everglades (CERP, Feb 2000). The Florida Constitution states that “Those in the Everglades Agricultural area who cause water pollution within the everglades Protection Area shall be primarily responsible for paying the costs of abatement of that pollution”. Although the law says that those responsible for it should pay, big sugar has not done so. They are the main polluters and should be enforced to pay the total cost for cleaning up the everglades in the same way British petroleum is paying 100% for the oil spill caused by it. The government never forced the sugar companies to pay the cost instead relaxed the phosphorus disposition quantity from 10 ppb to 50 ppb on the persuasion of the sugar companies. The burden of restoring the everglades was passed on to the common people in the form of taxes. The sugar subsidy that costs American consumers $ 4 billion every year should be eliminated and big sugar and the other pollutants should be made to pay for it. If they don’t, criminal actions should be taken against them (Governor Scott, n.d). “Regulation is the product of hindsight and attitude-shifting events that shock the public into action” (Mr. Furlow, January 2011). The State of Florida needs to set certain rules and ensure they are strictly followed. The EPA had finalized the standard limit on the amount of phosphorus that can be drained in the waters of the Everglades after consulting the environmentalists. The limit of the chemical deposition that has been allowed is 10 ppb but this regulation has not been strictly followed by the Big sugar companies (South Florida business journal, Nov, 2010). Also, the U.S Supreme Court had set a rule that these companies need to attain a Clean Water Act Discharge permit for draining the pollutants in the water in 2004 but they haven’t been doing so (Kurt Rupenshek, 2010). The government should take stringent actions against those responsible. They need to work diligently in able to help the everglades return to their original glory. There are certain rules that need to be set regarding water consumption and sale of fertilizers. The rate at which population is increasing in South Florida consumption of water is also increasing at a rapid rate. As per today, the urban area receives 1.2 million acres of water- 22 percent more than the water flowing in the national park. According to scientists, by 2050, the requirement of water for consumption will double due to rapid rise of population. Therefore government needs to set strict rules for water conservation like minimal use of water by the people, re-use of water when possible and resalination to expand water supply. Also limits should be set on the amount of fertilizer that can be sold to the farmers by local fertilizers so that its use can be restricted (National research council team, U.S, 2008). The problem of water crisis and pollution in the everglades can be solved through strong efforts of the government. Phosphorus is not the only chemical that is responsible but we need to understand how sulphate and mercury are affecting the environment. The government needs to improvise the stormwater areas so that they not only remove phosphorus but eliminate sulphate and mercury as well. Another important step has been taken by the government in June 2008, when Governor Christ announced the purchase of U.S sugars for $1.7 billion by the State of Florida to enable the Everglades to come back to its pre-drainage stage. Under this scheme, the U.S sugars will continue operations for 6 years after which the land will be transferred to the State of Florida. The government will then leave 1, 87, 000 acres of the land undeveloped so as to allow Everglades to restore to its original form (CERP, Feb 2000). The re-birth of the Everglades is very important not only for Florida but for the whole world since there are no other everglades anywhere. The problems facing the ecosystem need to be researched and evaluated properly so as to invent ways in which they can be solved. We cannot deny that government, EPA and other bodies associated with the Everglades are trying their level best to restore them. Their efforts along with the support of the common people will definitely bring back the heritage of Florida to its original glory. Work cited Ichthyology, n.d. Web Read More