[Barbara]

Originally Posted by sinatras

I am a native Floridian and I also grew up in Florida in the 1970s and I can assure you that flesh-eating bacteria and toxic algae and springs drying up from over-pumping (thanks, Republicans) were not common in the 1970s.

I have to agree. Never heard of any of this back in the day. Something needs to be done before it's too late!

[Dave_n_Tenn]

Originally Posted by sinatras

I am a native Floridian and I also grew up in Florida in the 1970s and I can assure you that flesh-eating bacteria and toxic algae and springs drying up from over-pumping (thanks, Republicans) were not common in the 1970s.

Most of Florida's issue were under democrat governors. However, this is an a-political issue. Democrats have been taking money from big sugar for a very long time. In fact Ron DeSantis was targeted by big sugar with attack ads and dark money to try and defeat him.... didn't work.

It's time to get to work and quit the politics and the sky is falling BS.

Comprende'

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Barbara

I have to agree. Never heard of any of this back in the day. Something needs to be done before it's too late!

It is a common issue and has been for years and FL has minimal deaths from it. It is natural and there is no way to change that. Some things may accelerate it, but even that is unlikely.


Read the links I posted in post #25.

[Corrie22]

Originally Posted by expatCA

It is a common issue and has been for years and FL has minimal deaths from it. It is natural and there is no way to change that. Some things may accelerate it, but even that is unlikely.


Read the links I posted in post #25.

main reason people don't remember it is that "flesh eating bacteria" is a brand new name for it..
...even "Necrotizing fasciitis" is a brand new term for it

Back in the "what we would remember" years...it was called gangrene

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Corrie22

main reason people don't remember it is that "flesh eating bacteria" is a brand new name for it..
...even "Necrotizing fasciitis" is a brand new term for it

Back in the "what we would remember" years...it was called gangrene

Yes, and "back in the day" we didn't have the internet posting the same stories over and over making it seem even worse than it is..... bottom line, it is a VERY FEW cases, and almost all had some type of suppressed immune system.

[Corrie22]

but giving it a new name makes it sound so much scarier....like it's something new that global warming caused

[Dave_n_Tenn]

It's the equivalent to calling a long gun an assault rifle rather than a semi auto.

My daughter is a Microbiologist... she's can tell me some scarey shi*. Then I listen to my paramedic son who tells me about deadly disgusting stuff people die from ... so I usually respond with the typical old guy answer.... what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

I have always carried a spray bottle of 25% bleach water solution on my boat. If you fish a lot like me on a pitching boat, using knives for cut bait, hooks, pokey fish fins, filleting the catch and such.... there are times when I'm not sure whose blood, is on the deck of the boat.

[dothetwist]

Big Sugar owns FL politicians. It is the major polluter and its discharges into Okeechobee leach outward to the rest of the state.

https://www.sierraclub.org/florida/BigSugarVideo

[Corrie22]

Dave....I found Clorox Cleaner works better for me

https://target.scene7.com/is/image/T...=488&fmt=pjpeg

[Dave_n_Tenn]

Originally Posted by dothetwist

Big Sugar owns FL politicians. It is the major polluter and its discharges into Okeechobee leach outward to the rest of the state.

https://www.sierraclub.org/florida/BigSugarVideo

Here's the thing you got right and got wrong.

Big sugar contributes to both parties in Florida.... rep and dem and play both sides against the middle. However they also use "dark money" against certain candidates. Ron DeSantis was the only candidate who big sugar openly opposed and ran attack ads against him, so they don't own ALL politicians. Bill Nelson was their number one candidate in terms of money from big sugar, and he's gone.

Big sugar is a major polluter, yes... but rarely do they contribute to Lake Okeechobee pollution unless they "back pump" as a result of flooding. This is a common misconception, in addition they must have permission to do so. Most (90%) of their pollutants go south into the Glades.

The pollutants exist in Lake O's sediments from agricultural-human-animal waste entering the water shed NORTH of the lake over many years. Channelization (straightening) of the Kissimmee disrupted the natural filtration of organic sediments. The natural flow is from Orlando- through the Kissimmee basin-into Lake O-entering the Glades and eventually into Florida bay .

What causes the angst about "algae" are the discharges, east (St. Lucie Canal) and west (Caloosahatchee) from the lake. The good news is the Army Corp of Engineers have now lowered the Lake by 2' so the lake has capacity to retain summer rains and the levee is being repaired and reinforced to hold more water.

There's a lot more, tried to keep it simple as possible.