Argument for Community Change
Just imagine for a moment, strolling barefoot through silky sand, the warm sun beating down, and the sound of waves rhythmically rolling in. Picture dolphins dancing in the distance, seagulls whistling their blissful hymn above, and children laughing as they dance through the ocean spray. Sounds like the perfect escape, right? Tragically, the future of such a beautiful scene is in serious jeopardy! The quality of our waters is degrading at an alarming rate; the human race contributes to the problem daily, often without realizing it. Water pollution in Florida is reducing pure water sources at a drastic rate, destroying natural beauty, and severely impacting the survival of local wildlife. Human actions are a major contribution to this issue, therefore citizen awareness is the highest workable solution to diminish the threat and improve the degradation of our waterways. Florida cities near major waterways should establish annual community events to raise awareness and positively impact this problem.
It is no secret that Florida water conditions are deteriorating, but what caused the degradation? There are five state districts that have dedicated missions to figuring out exactly what went wrong and preventing further degradation. Additionally, these Water Management Districts are charged with managing the delicate balance of water quality available for human consumption with that of conserving the resources that nature needs in order to thrive.
The Everglades restoration project, which established to clean up ecosystems and waterways for both current and future generations, has encountered many difficulties stemming from either damage that has been done to the environment was in a fact a result of mother-nature, or a result from the activities pursued by mankind. The case involving the South Florida Water Management District can be argued to have been caused by the agencies' activities within the
Florida has 12,133 square miles of water and 53,297 square miles of land as stated by Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation. While Florida is recognized for are agriculture and our state's bodies of water, issues in these fields are present and will only continue to grow in the near future. Florida currently has a problem with our water management; though Florida is the Sunshine State, we have a lot of rain, and this rain often overflows into man-made sewer drains. Rain then runs off into our drains and oceans and then starts to leak into our groundwater, carrying pesticides and other dangerous substances into our drinking water. When a high level of pesticides enters the aquifer, the quality of our water diminishes.
Over a time period of many years, the Florida Everglades have been harmed.This is due not only to the fact that the Everglades were almost entirely drained, but also the fact that extremely hazardous chemicals are being put into the Everglades. However many organizations are helping the Everglades get their water quality and pollution under control.
Finally there was a public outcry for change. "Now that it was almost too late," wrote Marjory, "men began to realize that the water supply was never just a local problem. The Everglades were one vast unified harmonious whole in which the old subtle balance which was destroyed needed to be replaced or restored" (Bryant pg 57, 1992). A new, scientific study of the region recommended
The Florida Everglades provides water to roughly 7 million people in Florida. There is on going issues with the Everglades water supply; for instance, it’s history,and the delayed problems are just two. There has been many acts to save it, and now we just can’t give up.
The Everglades Restoration Plan is the policy to increase the flow of clean water to the Everglades, in an effort to protect the environment, provide for recreational activities, and supply South Florida with a clean supply of potable water. At a cost of more than $10.5 billion and with a 35+ year time-line, this is the largest hydrologic restoration project ever undertaken in the United States. The Federal Government approved Florida’s landmark water quality project that, once constructed, all parties agree will provide the clean water the Everglades need (Scott, 2013). The Everglades restoration has been hampered by decades of futile bickering over how to decide the most rational approach to restoring the flow of water to the Everglades.
Have you ever wondered where your water comes from? If you live in Florida it comes from a place known as the Everglades. However the water supply is affecting the park located in Florida. To explain it further the park is being affected by small changes having a big impact, the water being affected and the price for saving the Everglades is high. Not to mention a approved is needed to save the subtropical wilderness.
Groundwater is the largest and most available usable source of drinking water in the state. There is a vast and mysterious system of caves and natural springs in North Central Florida. The cave system within the aquifer is one of the most amazing parts. The caves are remarkable in many ways. They are among the deepest and longest in the world, let alone the U.S. Another amazing aspect of the system is the purity of the water. The springs collectively produce billions of gallons of crystal clear water per day. The whole system stems from the Florida Aquifer that rests under the entire state. When most people think of Florida, they think of the weather and the beaches, but its the springs and the whole water
I researched the Everglades in Florida. There have been many negative changes in this habitat both from humans and other species. The region’s water resources are being depleted by invasions of exotic plants such as the Australian Melaluca. The Australian Melaluca also affected the native species of which the rest of the ecosystem depends. Another effect on the water is the runoff from agricultural operations, which gets into the water and pollutes it. Development pressures from agriculture, industry, and urban areas have destroyed more than half of the original Everglades
Many people who live in Florida know about the Everglades and the problems that it is facing. People and authorities have been fighting for clean, plentiful water in the Everglades; humans and thousands of animal species depend on it. Water supply is agreeably the main problem for the Everglades, and it can affect it in many ways, such as killing off animal species, providing a lack of clean drinking water, and ruining the size and beauty of the park.
" 'But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness, I want sin' "(Huxley 215). In Brave New World people lives were different and they had different believes they were not allowed to feel emotion because as the Director said emotions are unstable. They were conditioned to think the way their world is formed is perfect, but actually it isn't. Emotions could be unstable, but is better to feel them instead of being an inhumane person that doesn't feel anything. People have to paid a price that they didn't choose and that is unjust for them because they have to take what is giving to them.
Storm drains then send these contaminated waters into rivers, ocean beaches, basins, and wetlands. Studies also show that a large area of the United States are under Water Quality Watch 24 hours a day, 7 hours a week. According to the map provided by the United States Department of Interior, the only purest water exists in Alaska. Everywhere else, water quality problems are the norm. As water quality becomes worse and worse, the earth’s natural beauty will start to deteriorate. Carbon dioxide levels in water are projected to skyrocket over the next few
the Howard Coalition government introduced ‘community detention’ or ‘Residence Determination’ as an avenue to allow vulnerable individuals – particularly children – to live outside of immigration detention facilities without requiring an escort. 4 Community detention does not provide lawful status in Australia; instead, the person remains administratively in immigration detention while living with a degree of freedom of movement in the community (DIAC 2012b).
Community revitalization and unique change management approaches used can bring about significant change that can yield extraordinary results to areas for many years to come. The current community change effort, Impact Lufkin, in Lufkin, TX is an example of this type of work in action. The Impact Lufkin group is partnered with the T.L.L. Temple Foundation and is comprised of many community leaders. The goal, as community change implies, is to help build up the area that has been abandoned by many and help bring resources in that many inhabitants have difficulty obtaining access to. Appreciative inquiry (AI) has emerged as a method for change management and is a technique that has garnered much buzz over time. It appears that appreciative inquiry in action, focusing and analyzing on what is working well in a situation and then multiplying that, as a concept can work well in community revitalization efforts.
My interest in community organizing and building began with the passion and knowledge for the well-being of others my father instilled in my life. My father was the late Chief Elmer Manatowa Jr of the Sac and Fox Nation, Native Tribe of Oklahoma. I have been an active Governing Council member (all adult members) of my Tribe for many years. I landed my first real job, Planning Department secretary, after taking a business course at the local technical .school. In that position, I had the opportunity to attend a Tribal Sovereignty Symposium organized by the Federal, State, and Tribal organizations. This was my first taste of community organizing and community building. It was the fourth symposium of its kind. The topics included Indian law, environmental issues, law enforcement, juvenile justice, arts, taxation, spirituality, preservation, state compacts, and Tribal immunity. There were two Senate Bills, 299 and 667. Bill 299 allowed certain protections for protecting land royalties and mineral rights. The protections included oil and mineral operator’s exclusion from drilling on individually owned Indian Country lands. Bill 667 referred to the health and human service regarding Indians.