Fracking the Everglades: Enviros Claim State Deception on Water Quality

Citizen activists opposed to oil drilling in the Everglades claim the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has issued a “bogus” clean bill of health for Texas oil company Dan A. Hughes’ acid fracking operation in Collier County. See also: Dropping Acid in the Everglades: Fracking War Drags On in Collier…

Palm Beach County Agrees to Import Trash for Money

Ahh, Palm Beach County. Sunshine shining on a cloudless day as palm trees sway lazily in the waft of putrid refuge in the breeze. Or, at least, that’ll be the picture of the town on some days after the county commissioners voted to allow the importing of garbage from outside…

Floridians Trust Scientists More Than Marco Rubio on Climate Change

It looks like Floridians would rather have all the scientists run for president than Marco Rubio, according to a Public Policy Polling survey released last week. After the White House released the findings from the National Climate Assessment last month that said climate change was man-made and that Florida was…

Brush Fire Puts Smoky Haze Over South Florida

South Florida looks a lot like a Renaissance painting today. The skyline and the cityscape bleed into each other with the most minuscule of brush strokes. But no, an imaginary Leonardo did not restyle South Florida to look like the Mona Lisa. What you’re seeing is not sfumato; it’s smoke…

Florida Power Plants Called On to Reduce Carbon Emissions by 38 Percent

On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed cutting carbon dioxide emissions from the nation’s power plants by 30 percent by 2030 in an effort by the Obama administration to combat climate change. And while Florida’s governor has been going around reminding people he’s not a scientist and, therefore, that technically…

Female-Named Hurricanes Kill More Than Male-Named Storms, Study Finds

Researchers at the University of Illinois have found that hurricanes with female names are usually more deadly than their masculine counterparts. The research team thinks this may be because people subconsciously associate female-named hurricanes with feminine stereotypes of tenderness and affection — kind of like the way you subconsciously picture…

Fort Lauderdale Named Fifth Greenest Midsized City

At a time when climate change is the big topic of discussion and debate between scientists and politicians, Fort Lauderdale is at least doing its part to make sure things get green. The city is doing so much for the environment, in fact, that it was named among the top…

Marco Rubio Is Ignoring Threats to South Florida’s Environment

Earlier this week, the White House released its National Climate Assessment, and, judging by the results of that assessment, things are looking pretty bleak for the environment. Particularly in South Florida. Sea levels are on the rise, and South Florida is sinking. But Sen. and presidential hopeful Marco Rubio has…

Earth Day: Nine Ways Florida Is Screwing Up the Environment

Happy Earth Day, Florida! We’re all gonna die! Yes, today is the day we’re supposed to be conserving, planting trees, turning off the lights, and collecting all that recycling. But the reality is, things are not looking as green as they should in the Sunshine State. Florida is a land…

Go Outside at 2 A.M. to See Lunar Eclipse

Beginning about 2 a.m., we will experience a total eclipse of the moon. That means the entire moon — not just part of it — will be in the Earth’s shadow. Dr. Stephen Schiff, president of the Astronomical Society of the Palm Beaches, suggests going outside between 2 or 2:30…

Florida Lawmakers Voice Their Support of Medical Marijuana

Multiple medical marijuana bills are bouncing around the statehouse, and more and more Florida Lawmakers are beginning to voice their support of the approval of medical marijuana in the state. Democratic Rep. Katie Edwards, Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, and Senator Jeff Clemens took turns Monday voicing their opinions on the…

NASA to Launch $172 Million Orbiter to Study the Sun

All of the aerospace experts in the world cannot find a missing jetliner here on Earth, but the sun? That’s big. We can find it! Yesterday, NASA announced it had chosen a company — United Launch Services LLC of Centennial, Colo. — to handle the launch of a solar orbiter…

FPL to Put Power Lines in Everglades National Park?

It’s a very real possibility that Florida Power & Light could put power lines through Everglades National Park. These would bring power from the Turkey Point nuclear power plant to points northward. The only time to object in person is tonight, at a public meeting at Florida International University. Here’s…