If you call a politician a vulture isn’t that an insult to the vulture?

Here is the fabulous Sharon Lux from the Treasure Coast Progressive Alliance.

I love Protest Art!

I also love Vultures!

Vultures are defenders of the Environment. These are birds that have a job.

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-beneficial-buzzard-clearing-the-air-about-vultures

One of the main misconceptions about vultures is that they spread disease. This is absolutely untrue. In fact, the opposite is true… vultures actually prevent viruses, bacteria and other pathogens from spreading in the environment. A vulture’s stomach acid is a unique compound that not only allows the bird to ingest disease processes, but also removes said disease from the environment. Once a virus, bacterium or other type of disease goes into the vulture, it never comes back out! Vultures help stop the spread of rabies, anthrax, cholera, brucellosis and many other pathogens that could otherwise harm other wildlife and even humans!

Fun Fact: The Cherokee name for vulture means Peace Eagle – because unlike most meat eaters, vultures do not kill for food.

They don’t kill the alive. They only eat the dead.

Vultures are my spirit birds.

http://www.linsdomain.com/totems/pages/vulture.htm

The Vulture is the symbol of death and rebirth, the mother symbol,
and represents purification.
For those with this totem,
you will be noticed more for what you do than how you appear.

Vulture or Condor
teaches us how to soar above our limitations.

The Vulture promises us that no matter
how difficult things are at the moment,
rescue and change are imminent.

http://seeingmiracleseveryday.blogspot.com/2009/11/behold-turkey-vulture.html

“I learned that the turkey vulture’s wing span is approximately 6 feet wide (I can vouch for their incredible size from this animal soaring within 10 feet of me on my deck!). Their task in life is to clean up the mess, but an even more interesting aspect of the turkey vulture is that it is the only bird (or presumably only animal) whose feces is disease free. So the turkey vulture kindly cleans up dead carcasses or rotting flesh, then purifies them from any bacteria – making them perhaps nature’s most perfect cleansing animal. They struggle with take off and appear awkward in early flight, but once they are off the ground, they soar like eagles (often mistaken as such at a distance), and can fly for hours without ever flapping their wings, riding thermals and currents. The turkey vulture that appeared to me did absolute acrobatics around me, looping effortlessly in glorious flight.”

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/raptors-and-vultures/vultures/

“Vultures are under state protection, therefore it is unlawful to shoot or harass them without a permit from the FWC. If however, the vulture is tearing up a screen porch, or chewing up shingles or roofs, then you may want to consider scaring them with Pyrotechnics. The Wildlife Services group of the United States Department of Agriculture at 352-377-5556 can provide more information.”

So in this video RIck Scott came to the locks and while he was there the vultures showed up and when he left they left.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjcgdTvgTB0

Post Earth Day Press Conferance (Video) Stuart FL April 29

Apr30

Press Advisory

STUART EVENT: Contact Cara Capp, (305) 546-6689, cara@evergladescoalition.org,
Mark Perry, 772-486-3858, mperry@floridaocean.org
CAPTIVA EVENT: Contact David Jensen, 239-470-5389, dave@gocaptiva.com; Rae Ann Wessel, 239-246-0100, rawessel@sccf.org
Two Coasts, One Message:
Buy the Land Now
Rallies to support State Senator Joe Negron for his efforts to open the door to a sugar land purchase and call for further action
When: Wednesday, April 29, 2015
East Coast *** THERE WILL BE VISUALS ***
Where: Flagler Park, 201 SW Flagler Ave, Stuart, FL
Time: 11 a.m. to noon (11 30 a.m. Press Conference)
WHO & WHAT: Elected officials, Everglades Coalition, Rivers Coalition, and River Warriors will laud Florida Senator Joe Negron (R) for planning on introducing legislation asking for $500 million for land purchases, money that could buy U.S. Sugar lands. Will present “Buy the land” letters to Governor, House Speaker, Senate President from 19 local elected officials and resolutions from 11 local governments. Florida Realtors’ water quality/home values study. People will sign a giant poster saying, “With Joe we stand. Let’s buy the land.”
West Coast *** THERE WILL BE VISUALS ***
Where: Jensen’s Twin Palm Resort & Marina, 15107 Captiva Dr, Captiva, FL 33924
Time: 10 to 11 a.m. (10:15 a.m. Press Conference)
WHO & WHAT: SW FL business leaders, Realtors and Chamber of Commerce officials. Boaters, fisherman, kayak and paddle boarders will take to the water in support. Singer/songwriters: North Captiva’s Bob Hipkens and Austin Church from Cocoa Beach. Florida Realtors’ water quality/home values study. Videotaping of messages to the Governor and Leadership will also be captured and Queenies ice cream will be served. Banners, posters. Painted fish.
Background: There is broad public support for exercising the 48,600 acre purchase option in the US Sugar contract, but water managers must take action now for the process to begin. As polluted water is dumped to the coasts, the Everglades multibillion dollar restoration project, is starving for water. The solution, according to the scientific community, is to pursue 48,600 acres of sugar land to store and clean the water.

Bustor Brown and his human Jennie Pawlowsky.

Mark Perry, Florida Oceanographic

Jason Totoiu, Everglades Law

Ed Fielding, Martin County Commission

Irene Nethery Gomes and Takeata King Pang

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch Commissioner Sewells Point, Blogger, Tireless River Advocate, Plume Chaser

Mark Perry and Troy Macdonald, former mayor of Stuart, FL

Drew from Palm Beach Soil

Rebecca Fatzinger

Celeste De Palma, Audobon, FLorida

Mary Perry 2

Chris Dzadovsky, St Lucie County Commissioner

Celeste De Palma’s Speech in Spanish

Florida Leader of the House finally makes a decision “Screw it. Let’s go Home!”

Apr29

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjournment_sine_die

http://m.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/breaking-news-florida-house-shuts-down-for-this-ye/nk47M/

“I don’t think it’s healthy for the process (for us) to stay here and continue to talk about something that neither side is changing their view on,” Crisafulli said.

“Hopefully, the Senate president and I can sit down and figure out how to determine when we’re going to come back and hold a (special) session,” he added.”

We don’t think it healthy to have green toxic algae at our doorstep. Its defiantly not healthy. We know that for sure.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/why-did-the-florida-house-adjourn-early-answering-your-questions/2227395

“Why?

There are two main reasons the House and Senate budget proposals were so different: a $2.2 billion federal-state hospital funding program known as the Low Income Pool, and Medicaid expansion. The LIP program provides funding to hospitals that treat large numbers of uninsured and Medicaid patients. It is scheduled to end June 30 under an existing agreement with the federal government. The Senate proposed a successor program and assumed the money would come through. The House did not include any LIP money in its budget. What’s more, the Senate’s proposed budget included $2.8 billion in federal Medicaid expansion money to provide health care coverage to more than 800,000 low-income Floridians. The House has long opposed that idea, likening it to an endorsement of Obamacare. Over the course of the session, the two sides refused to back off of their positions. They dug in even deeper this month when the federal government said it was more likely to approve a LIP successor if Florida expanded Medicaid.”

“What happens in a special session?

During a special session, the only legislative business allowed must be restricted to what was stated in the proclamation filed with the Secretary of State, in a communication from the governor, or in the consent approved by three-fifths of both chambers. Because this upcoming special session must address the budget, it will touch on many issues that are tied to state funding. That should make it more of a mini-regular session than a special session. Unrelated topics — such as how much will lawmakers steer into land acquisition from the use of Amendment 1 dollars — won’t get resolved now until special session. It also means lawmakers can negotiate anything into the session using the umbrella of the budget.”

Don’t worry! They’ll just come back to do their job.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/special-session-special-costs

at a great cost to all of us. Crimany! What if Rick Scott takes our 49 bucks back?

Maybe instead of fishes we need to send:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75SEy1qu71I

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/state/house-adjourns-session-three-days-early_33936987

TALLAHASSEE — The House quit session three days early, likely killing a controversial water bill while putting in limbo discussions on environmental spending under Amendment 1 and whether to buy land to send Lake Okeechobee water south.

Here’s a little music to read by.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9vA7L8H4nc

With budget negotiations with the Senate stalled because of an impasse over health care funding and Medicaid expansion, Speaker Steve Crisafulli sent surprised members home Tuesday.

Lawmakers will reconvene this summer to pass a state budget before June 30, when they have to also decide how to use more than $740 million available through Amendment 1, approved by 75 percent of voters last year to buy, restore and manage land and water resources.

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Florida-House-Session-Adjourns-3-Days-Early-301574831.html

Republicans in the two chambers are at odds over healthcare funding. They also disagree on who’s to blame for the deadlock.

“We sent them multiple offers last week they were not willing to negotiate. We made legitimate offers. They didn’t counter with anything reasonable,” house speaker pro tempore Matt Hudson told us after the house adjourned.

Later, Senate President Andy Gardiner accused the House of refusing to cooperate.

“I think we have offered many times to get together and try to come up with solutions,” Gardiner said.

So we’ll see what happens. Please get some rest legislators.

And soon perhaps a permanent vacation.

Here is our Minority Leader, Mark Pafford. He was ready to work.

http://thefloridachannel.org/videos/42815-press-availability-with-house-minority-democratic-leader-mark-pafford/

so here’s something we can do while we we’re waiting. surfs up!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYUYMmn75hY

Who’s going to be the party of clean water and no more discharges?

Apr27

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@MaryLynnMagar

@Gayle_Harrell

To our legislators in Tallahassee who do you represent? Because your not representing us!

Here is a video of 7,000 citizens of the Treasure coast marching to the locks after we were decimated in 2013. I don’t see anything about party. I do however see a lot of people that want this to stop.

It’s really painful to write this stuff. We have an awesome clean water movement. Its made up of a great group of people who never ask about party. Because clean water is for all not just for some. The toxic discharges affect all the people.

Here is party breakdown for Martin County. Republicans: 51,031 Democrats 26,292

MARTIN

51,031

26,294

5,437

20,630

103,392

So this year the Republicans have a super majority and they think they are so well organized that they leave and go out of the sunshine to talk and they bully members of their party to follow “leadership.”

In Tallahassee people are cut off at the knees if they don’t vote as leadership intended and we all suffer. We’re certainly not represented.

I feel like the Republicans in Tallahassee are not even representing their own base. Because their base needs clean water.

So who are you representing when you do this stuff?

Seem’s like Big sugar is totally represented. Because if you represented us the land would be bought and the discharges would stop.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/as-us-sugar-flexes-muscle-amendment-1-supporters-fret-about-less-money-for/2226965

One thing these guys are really good at coming up with a message and repeating it over and over again until you yourself can’t remember whats true. That’s why excellent documentation is so important.

This is an excellent article written by our own Tyler Treadway. Thank goodness for him and our incredible journalists at the Stuart News.

As a reminder Sen. Joe Negron wanted the UF Study and he found the money to do so. Sen Negron waited for this study before saying anything. After all, he insisted it get done. So it comes out and instead of reading it people glom on to what they want. Which is natural.

The problem is the people who are making decisions about our discharges and our clean drinking water are glomming on also.

This article needs to be read by people who are REPRESENTING the citizens of Martin County.

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/uf-water-study-cherrypicked-to-suit-arguments-for-against-us-sugar-land-buy_59243768

“Statement: Water district board member Kevin Powers at the April 9 meeting noted that none of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan’s 68 projects has been completed and said, “Nobody wants (the discharges to stop) more than me, but we’re not going to get there if we don’t complete some of these projects.”

Fact: The UF study does call for accelerating “the funding and completion of existing and federally authorized CERP projects designed specifically to provide relief” to the estuaries. It also states those projects won’t stop the discharges. That’s going to require “enormous increases in storage and treatment of water both north and south of the lake.”

Statement: A March 28 Miami Herald editorial stated the study determined the sugar land is “among the must-have pieces of land that a winning environmental strategy requires.”

Fact: The study states reducing discharges and meeting the Everglades’ need for more water will “require between 11,000 and 129,000 acres of additional land” between the lake and the national park, but it doesn’t identify what land. “The U.S. Sugar option land may or may not be the right land, but additional land will be needed to achieve restoration,” Graham said.”

You all still have time to listen and learn and turn this around for the people you represent.

#buytheland #sendcleanwatersouth

Solidarity Fish headed back to Tallahassee Solidarity y’all

Apr25

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@MaryLynnMagar

@Gayle_Harrell

Last week a group of River Warriors got together at the River Warrior Lodge to send messages to Tallahassee. Lead by one of creators of the Solidarity Fish Projects, Janeen Mason , we created messages to send to some of our legislators.

Janeen Mason
http://www.solidarityarts.com/

Some were thank you’s and some were pleas. Plea’s to buy the land. Please to use amendment one money as the people who voted for it intended. Pleas to save our drinking water. Pleas to save the Everglades.

Solidarity doesn’t mean we talk at you and you talk at us and we remain at this brick wall. Solidarity means working together for a real solution to end the Toxic Discharges, to save our drinking water, to save our everglades, to stop salt water intrusion.

Together.

Here is Janeen explaining what we were doing.

Here is another video done by Kenny Hinkle on the project.

Solidarity Fish headed back to Tallahassee….Buy the land. Send the water south. Save our River. Save the Everglades.
Stop the discharges. Solidarity y’all.

Mary Higgins for State Representative and her great husband Tony Polito sending messages to Tally. https://www.facebook.com/maryhiggins82

Julie Williams The Keeper of our River Warrior Lodge.

Ezra Appel, River Warrior and friend of the spoil islands https://www.facebook.com/spoilislands

Mary Dawson, author “The RIver Way Home” http://www.maryedawson.com/

Captain Mike Connor and Michelle Roberts, granddaughter of Johnny Jones. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/johnny-jones-remembered-as-stubborn-advocate-for-t/nL8Qt/ http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/johnny-jones-remembered-as-stubborn-advocate-for-t/nL8Qt/ Johnny Jones, a plumber turned environmentalist who spearheaded the Kissimmee River restoration, helped establish the Big Cypress National Preserve and championed the Everglades, is remembered by heavyweights of Florida’s environmental movement as a stubborn, well-connected man who could get legislation passed in Tallahassee. Mr. Jones, a hunter and fisherman, didn’t like what Florida’s explosive growth was doing to the woods, water and wildlife. He used his connections to build political support for major environmental causes.

Solidarity Fish headed back to Tallahassee….Buy the land. Send the water south. Save our River. Save the Everglades.
Stop the discharges. Solidarity y’all.

solidarity fish on their way to Tally Photo by Janeen Mason

Discharges stopped for the moment.

Apr24

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@MaryLynnMagar

@Gayle_Harrell

So this what happened. Thursday, Kenny Hinkle Jr. and Captain Mike Connor went up to Port Mayaca and made a video and took photos showing green algae.

Then Senator Negron saw and told them to shut it down.

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/possible-bluegreen-algae-found-in-st-lucie-canal_46291092

“Senator Negron Calls on Army Corps to Immediately Suspend Harmful Releases from Lake Okeechobee Due to Algae Bloom”

Stuart, Fla. – Today, State Senator Joe Negron (R-Stuart) called on the Army Corps of Engineers to immediately suspend the harmful releases from Lake Okeechobee due to the current toxic blue-green algae bloom in water adjacent to the lake.

“I have personally seen video and photos confirming that water adjacent to Lake Okeechobee is currently experiencing a toxic blue-green algae bloom,” said Senator Negron. “With the elevation of Lake Okeechobee at less than 14 feet, there is simply no reason whatsoever for the Army Corps to be discharging water at this time.”

“While releases from Lake Okeechobee are always harmful, discharging water with a toxic blue-green algae bloom is particularly dangerous to our lagoon and estuary,” said Senator Negron.

“Right now, there is zero chance of any breach or damage to the dike,” said Senator Negron. “At the same time, there is a hundred percent chance of damage to our lagoon and estuary when the Army Corps pours hundreds of millions of gallons of polluted water into our community. Why would they do that?”

The Army Corps of Engineers will suspend discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie River so state agencies can run tests on a possible blue-green algae bloom that has been found in the western end of the St. Lucie Canal.

How long the discharges will be curtailed for the testing by the South Florida Water Management District and the state Department of Environmental Protection was not confirmed.

Then this happened:

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/possible-bluegreen-algae-found-in-st-lucie-canal_46291092

today its all over the news

https://www.facebook.com/irene.n.gomes/videos/vb.1230436264/10204036954024068/?type=2&theater

Really amazing teamwork guys.

Press Release from Rick Scott’s Office: For Immediate Release, Office of the Governor, Lake Okeechobee Toxic Algae and ACOE’s Halting Releases to St Lucie River.
April 24, 2015
Contact: media@eog.myflorida.com
(850) 717-9282

Governor Rick Scott Dispatches Florida Department of Environmental Protection Team to Test Potential Algae Blooms in Lake Okeechobee
LAKE OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott made the following statement following claims of harmful blue green algae blooms in Lake Okeechobee.
Governor Rick Scott said, “Today, following reports of harmful blue green algae blooms in Lake Okeechobee, I’ve asked the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to immediately dispatch a team to test water for harmful algae blooms. The Army Corps of Engineers did the right thing by halting their releases this afternoon. President Obama also needs to live up to his commitment to repair the dike and responsibly manage Lake Okeechobee.

Today Obama is managing Lake Okeechobee? Wow. Because a few weeks ago it was the state. Oh that’s right it’s suppose to be a partnership.

I want to drive this point home.

1. Even if this water was totally clean and devoid of all the nasty nutrients and toxic green algae it would still kill us because it is fresh water. So the legislature needs to know this – even the clean water will kills us. I don’t understand why this particular important point is never mentioned. NO FRESH WATER! Please find a hydrologist and ask them to explain salinity.

2. Now add on toxic green algae to the mix. been there. done this. bought the t shirt. But know this -it only happens when this stuff comes out of Lake O. So whenI hear talk in Tallahassee of not buying the land because we have enough land (Sen ALAN HAY) and how water needs to be stored north. I have to wonder what kind of information are these people getting and who are they getting it from.
Who are you getting it from?

How in the world do you recharge the aquifers if you store the water north of the lake? How do you fend off salt water intrusion if the water does not flow south?

HOW?

Just proves to me that our legislators have no understanding of what is going on here.

I know its hard but if we can understand this stuff so can you.

and why would any one push this stuff? They do because its sugar speak. Anything to avoid what would save us. We didn’t like but we lived through discharges from our own water shed which was mostly AG BTW. This is what no one tells you and big sugar wants you to believe.

What kind of person does that anyway? What kind of people distorts the truth for their own personal gain? When is enough enough?

Because this is the truth and this what happens and this has got to end. We CANNOT have another toxic summer.

Do the right thing. Buy the land. Don’t destroy us.

and stop taking money from Big Sugar. I’m sure there is lots of other corporate welfare out there.

Army corps to resume discharges

Apr24

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@MaryLynnMagar

@Gayle_Harrell

To my fellow citizens of Martin County.

This has got to stop.

Army corp to resume discharges

Read about it here

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/releases-from-lake-okeechobee-to-increase-beginning-friday_09435006

Here is the poison coming our way. Thanks Kenny and Captain Mike.

When they open the locks toxic algae is coming our way. Lake O with an algae bloom. Watch the video and learn and don’t let people talk sugar speak to you. The algae blooms don’t come from our basin.

Captain Mike Connor holds up a bottle of green water with Toxic Algae in it.

What’s going to take to make this stop?

Here is a video of what happened the last time.

We had beautiful water.
they open the gates.
dreaded green algae came back.
Destroyed our economy.
We had a protest with 7000 people.
The continued destruction of the Indian RIver Lagoon..
The death of 2 million dollars worth of Oysters.
The death of the most diverse estuary in north america

How can the world let this happen to us?

Our legislators can help up.

Yet, They do nothing. nothing to stop this. Its worse that politics as usual.
It’s greed like you’ve never seen before.

We have no representation from the Treasure Coast.

I feel like I’ve been defrauded

We must buy the land and send clean water south.

#buytheland

#sendcleanwatersouth

President Obama said “We want to restore the natural flow of the Everglades.”

Apr23

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

Yesterday, On #Earth Day 2015, President Obama came to the Everglades.

Here is his speech

miami.cbslocal.com/video/11416318-web-extra-president-barack-obama-talks-climate-change-in-the-everglades/#.VTgwYPBYm3Z.facebook

“In the words of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas there are no other Everglades in the World.”

“If we don’t act there might not be an Everglades as we know it.”He talked about salt water intrusion, and how South Florida, 7 million Americans, get their drinking water from the Everglades.”

“The pentagon says that climate change poses a risk to our national security”

“All of this poses a risk to Florida’s 82 billion dollar tourist industry on which many jobs and livelihoods depend.”

“Protecting our parks is a smart thing to do for our economy.” (you know jobs, jobs, jobs)

President Obama said “We want to restore the natural flow of the Everglades which we know is one of the best defenses against climate change and rising sea level.”

“This is not some impossible problem.”

“If you’ve got a storm. You prepare for the storm. You don’t stick your head in the sand.”

The pentagon says that climate change poses a risk to our national security.

That’s so true. Read this book. It was a total non partisan issue to screw up the plumping.

The Federal Government has invested millions of dollars and with out buying the land in EAA Everglades Restoration will never be complete. The Aquifers will not be recharged. The salt water intrusion will continue. We will get discharges forever. The drinking water of South Florida will be destroyed.

So if our President of the United States, a guy who is really busy, understands this simple message why doesn’t our Florida Legislature? Do they hate him so much they would destroy our Everglades, our drinking water and continue to to allow the toxic discharges and the wasting of millions of gallons of water? President Obama, millions of gallons of water are sent out to tide and are destroying our northern estuaries.

When our President says we have to do this we have to do this and our Florida Legislators must make this happen. They can no longer keep their heads in the sand. They need to prepare for the storm.

Please call your legislators today and tell them we must buy the land.

#buytheland #sendcleanwatersouth

State Sen. Alan Hays: The Fox in Charge of the Hen House.

Apr21

State Sen. Alan Hays

To all the people that voted for him: thanks! yikes

To the press that quote him over and over again: really?

To Everyone else: Understand clearly who is making decisions about OUR DISCHARGES, OUR DRINKING WATER, OUR EVERGLADES.

To the new outlets: Didn’t you think this was necessary to include this information in your reports?

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-02-24/news/os-lk-lauren-ritchie-conservation-hays-20130224_1_conservation-land-extreme-bill-national-parks-and-forest

February 24, 2013|Lauren Ritchie, COMMENTARY

This is the time of year when state Sen. Alan Hays usually tries to turn one of his extreme opinions into law by filing a bill that the Legislature has to consider with a straight face.

Session 2013: The Umatilla Republican does not disappoint.

Hays has offered bills in the past that delighted his insurance and development backers but would have left his constituents seething. The worst among them was a bill that would have deregulated the insurance industry, launching the cost of homeowner premiums into the ozone.

The winner of the annual competition for Hays’ Most Bizarre Bill is SB 584, an absurd measure that seeks to prevent the state, counties and cities from buying any more conservation land than they already own unless they sell an equal amount of publicly held property.

Yep, that’s it, folks. Sell some of that “useless” property you’re just hanging onto for no reason if you want another park. You’ve hit the cap.

Now fast forward to now:

miami.cbslocal.com/2015/03/19/little-land-buying-in-senates-amendment-1-plan

Sen. Alan Hays, a Umatilla Republican who is chairman of the subcommittee, said the state might already have enough land within its preservation inventory.

to now

http://politics.heraldtribune.com/2015/03/21/still-little-land-buy-funding

Many lawmakers see the issue much differently. They say Florida owns enough land, and argue that the amendment language is broad enough that they can steer nearly all the money to other environmental priorities.

Hays chairs the Senate committee that was responsible for creating an environmental spending plan that conforms with the constitutional amendment.

Of course they do.

This is Florida where the fox is in charge of the hen house.

Now they are laughing at us.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20150321/NEWS/150329844

We live in Florida so this sounds just about right.

The First Earth Day Boston Mass

Apr20

I was looking for some info on the first Earth Day and I came across this really cool footage of students trying to have a peaceful protest at Logan and then all hell broke loose. Innocent people trying to make a point get arrested.

Then I found this years version. Quite a difference from the old days that’s for sure.

http://www.partyearth.com/boston/holidays/earth-day-7/#description

“In 2009, the United Nations agreed to name April 22^nd International Mother Earth Day to recognize the importance of the world’s vital ecosystems. Nearly forty years before in 1970, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day and drew over 20 million participants to its first celebration. Today, more than one billion people in 200-plus countries across the globe celebrate Earth Day annually.

America’s most patriotic city, Boston, joins in on the Earth Day party, becoming one of the nation’s most environmentally conscious cities in April.

Earth Day in Boston boasts a myriad of Earth Day events like the Charles River Cleanup. Though a famous song called “Dirty Water” is one of Beantown’s anthems, around 3,000 volunteers pick up trash along the water to make it look as clean as possible.

Individuals who want to look as sparkling as the Charles attend the Earth Day Eco-Beauty Bar, which features mini-massages, spa treatments, and samplings of organic skin care and eco-friendly wellness products. Meanwhile, Earth Day celebrations like Earth Day on the Greenway provide fun for the whole family with face painting, music, games, and food trucks.

Boston might be known for its Red Sox, but April brings a host of green events that make Beantown one of the most festive metropolises on Earth Day. ”

It’s amazing to me that children can learn to sail at Community Boating in clean water.

and we can’t have earth day without this sing a long. I love and miss you my home town!

Here’s the Dirty Water Song by the Standells.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JLNnXgQeqU