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Defending Florida's State Parks: A Call to Action to Prevent Proposed Development

How To Protect The Ocean

Release Date: 08/26/2024

Who Pays for Plastic? Inside the Law Quietly Shifting the Bill to Producers show art Who Pays for Plastic? Inside the Law Quietly Shifting the Bill to Producers

How To Protect The Ocean

For decades, the honest answer to "who pays to deal with plastic packaging once it leaves the shelf" was taxpayers, quietly, through municipal budgets that funded garbage trucks and recycling plants running at a loss, whether or not the packaging actually got recycled. That's the system extended producer responsibility (EPR) is built to replace: a legal requirement that the companies making and selling packaging fund what happens to it after a customer buys the product, not the city that collects it afterward. Seven US states have now passed packaging EPR laws. Oregon has been charging...

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How To Protect The Ocean

Ocean Conservancy's "Not Safe for Wash" campaign is built around a simple premise: the fix for washing machine microfiber pollution already exists, so the fight isn't about inventing new technology, it's about forcing a nearly two-decade-old idea into law. Its own May 2026 poll of 1,010 Americans found concern about microplastics up 32% since 2023, nearly 9 in 10 people concerned, and 81% in favor of requiring filters on new washing machines. The public isn't the obstacle. The real opponent is AHAM, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, the trade group representing the companies...

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How To Protect The Ocean

Every wash cycle sheds plastic. Last Monday, Andrew talked with Dr. Anja Brandon of Ocean Conservancy about microfiber pollution, and one question from that conversation stuck with him: has anyone actually fixed this yet? In this solo follow-up, Andrew traces a microfiber's actual path, from the moment agitation, heat, and detergent work it loose from a shirt, through the drain, into a wastewater treatment plant, and out the other side into biosolids, farmland, rivers, and the ocean, with a growing body of research suggesting some of it ends up in human lungs and even in the human placenta....

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Bacteria that eat plastic sounds like the fix everyone's been waiting for, and Andrew gets sent videos about it constantly. So on this solo episode, following Monday's interview with Dr. Anja Brandon of Ocean Conservancy, he goes looking for the real state of the science. The short version: it's promising, it's roughly a decade of real research deep, and it is nowhere close to running at the scale the ocean plastic crisis actually needs. The bacterium that started this whole field, Ideonella sakaiensis, was discovered breaking down PET plastic in Japan in 2016. A 2025 breakthrough from NREL,...

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How To Protect The Ocean

Every time you run a load of laundry, your washing machine sheds plastic. Not metaphorically: synthetic clothing made from polyester, nylon, and rayon releases microfibers with every wash, and depending on the study, a single load can shed anywhere from a few hundred thousand to millions of them. Most of us have never thought about it, because unlike a plastic bag on the beach, you can't see it happening. In this episode, Andrew talks with Dr. Anja Brandon, Director of Plastics Policy at Ocean Conservancy, about the plastic pollution problem hiding in plain sight behind the more familiar...

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How To Protect The Ocean

A new documentary called Descent – Into the Blue starts airing on public television stations nationwide on September 1, 2026. It's narrated by Peter Coyote, directed by Rory Fielding, and one of its central voices is Mike Goldberg, co-founder of the Florida Keys coral restoration nonprofit I.CARE and owner of Key Dives in Islamorada. Andrew sits down with Mike for the full, unedited version of the conversation this week's four solo episodes have been building toward: 30-plus years running a dive shop, more than 10,000 dives, and a front-row seat to watching the reefs he built his life around...

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How To Protect The Ocean

Most coral restoration groups check on a sample of what they've planted, often around 20 to 30 percent, and report that sample as if it represents everything in the water. I.CARE checks on all of it. Every single coral outplant gets monitored at one week, one month, 90 days, then one, two, and three years, with no substitute and nothing left unaccounted for. That rule was built in by co-founders Mike Goldberg and Dr. Kylie Smith before I.CARE ever planted its first coral, and Mike frames it as a matter of fiduciary duty, the same obligation he'd expect from anyone handling someone else's...

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How To Protect The Ocean

Coral nurseries need constant maintenance, and that maintenance is expensive and relentless. When Andrew talked to Mike Goldberg, co-founder of I.CARE, his answer wasn't to hire more staff. It was to let paying customers do it for the fun of it. Mike owns a dive shop in the Florida Keys, so the paying customers are scuba divers, and over the years he's built a funding model so small that nobody has ever really complained about it. None of that makes sense until you understand what coral actually is. It's an animal, not a plant or a rock: what looks like one coral "head" is really a colony of...

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How To Protect The Ocean

Mike Goldberg had over 10,000 dives and decades running a dive shop in the Florida Keys, enough time to have seen the reefs at their pristine best. Then came a coral bleaching event in 2008, and a few years later, Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, a still-unexplained outbreak that's killed coral tissue outright across more than 20 of Florida's roughly 45 stony coral species since 2014. At one point his wife told him directly: the reef isn't what it used to be, and it's not getting better. Get out of the business before there's nothing left to sell. He didn't know what to do about it. Then,...

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How To Protect The Ocean

This year, most of the coral on the planet went through heat stress severe enough to bleach it. That's not a rounding error: 84 percent of the world's reef area, across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, and NOAA had to add three brand-new alert levels to its Coral Reef Watch scale because the existing one had no category for what was happening. In this episode, Andrew breaks down exactly where global coral reefs stand right now: how the fourth global mass bleaching event on record got declared, why NOAA waited until 2026 to confirm it had actually ended, and why every global bleaching...

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Andrew Lewin discusses the beauty of Florida's natural landscapes and the importance of defending state parks. You are all encouraged to come together as a community to protect these parks. The episode addresses a listener-requested story and emphasizes the significance of taking action to preserve the ocean.

Andrew welcomes story suggestions from the audience and invites them to connect on LinkedIn or Instagram at @HowToProtectTheOcean.

Tune in to learn more about protecting parks and advocating for a better ocean.

Link: 
https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/single-post/state-parks-threatened

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Florida state parks are facing a significant threat from proposed developments, such as resorts, golf courses, and other amenities, which are putting these natural areas at risk. The episode highlights how nine state parks in Florida are in jeopardy due to development proposals that could potentially alter the landscapes and ecosystems of these parks. Some of the proposed changes include adding resorts with up to 350 rooms, disc golf courses, pickleball courts, multiple golf courses, and clubhouses encompassing over 1,000 acres.

The episode emphasizes the importance of these state parks as natural areas that provide essential ecosystem functions, such as biodiversity preservation, natural drainage, and acting as buffers against natural disasters like flooding and hurricanes. By paving over these natural areas and introducing developments like resorts and golf courses, the delicate balance of these ecosystems could be disrupted, leading to potential consequences for water quality, erosion, and overall environmental health.

The proposed developments are driven by state government decisions, raising concerns about the prioritization of economic interests over environmental conservation. The episode underscores the need for public engagement and advocacy to protect these state parks. Floridians and concerned individuals are encouraged to participate in public meetings, provide public comments, and voice their opposition to the proposed developments that threaten the integrity of these natural areas.

The episode also highlights the potential long-term impacts of these developments on Florida's environment, especially in the face of climate change challenges. With Florida already at risk from climate change consequences like sea-level rise and increased storm intensity, preserving these state parks as natural areas becomes even more crucial to maintain the resilience of the region's ecosystems and protect the well-being of local communities.

Overall, the episode serves as a call to action for individuals to stand up for the conservation of Florida state parks, emphasizing the importance of preserving these natural areas for biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and the enjoyment of nature by all.

Protecting state parks is crucial for various reasons, as highlighted in the podcast episode. State parks play a significant role in preserving biodiversity, maintaining natural drainage, and ensuring mental well-being.

Preserving Biodiversity:

  • State parks are designated to protect natural habitats and ecosystems, providing a safe haven for a diverse range of plant and animal species.

  • By preserving these areas, we safeguard the biodiversity within them, ensuring the survival of various species and maintaining ecological balance.

  • The loss of state parks to development can lead to habitat destruction, fragmentation, and loss of species, impacting the overall biodiversity of the region.

Maintaining Natural Drainage:

  • State parks serve as natural buffers against flooding and other natural disasters by allowing for proper drainage of water.

  • These areas are often left untouched, allowing for natural processes to occur, such as water absorption and filtration, which helps in managing water levels and preventing flooding.

  • Paving over state parks disrupts these natural drainage systems, leading to increased risks of flooding, erosion, and water quality issues in surrounding areas.

Ensuring Mental Well-being:

  • State parks provide opportunities for people to connect with nature, unwind, and improve their mental well-being.

  • Spending time in natural environments has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, promoting overall mental health.

  • By preserving state parks, we ensure that individuals have access to green spaces where they can relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy the benefits of nature.

In conclusion, protecting state parks is not just about preserving natural landscapes; it is about safeguarding biodiversity, maintaining essential ecosystem functions like natural drainage, and promoting mental well-being for individuals who seek solace and connection with nature. It is essential to prioritize the conservation of these areas to ensure a sustainable and healthy environment for current and future generations.

Advocating for the Protection of Florida State Parks

In the podcast episode, Andrew Lewin emphasizes the urgent need for a call to action to protect Florida state parks from proposed developments that threaten their natural landscapes. He highlights the importance of public participation in upcoming public meetings to advocate for the preservation of these parks. The proposed changes include the construction of resorts, golf courses, and other amenities within the state parks, which could have detrimental effects on the environment and the surrounding communities.

Why Public Participation is Crucial:

  1. Preserving Natural Areas: State parks are designated to protect natural habitats and biodiversity. By participating in public meetings, individuals can voice their concerns about the potential destruction of these vital ecosystems.

  2. Environmental Impact: The proposed developments, such as resorts and golf courses, could lead to habitat destruction, increased pollution from fertilizers and pesticides, and altered drainage patterns. Public input can highlight these environmental concerns.

  3. Climate Change Resilience: Florida is already at risk from climate change consequences, including sea-level rise and increased storm intensity. Preserving natural areas like state parks can help mitigate these impacts by providing natural buffers and maintaining ecosystem functions.

Taking Action:

  1. Attend Public Meetings: Participating in public meetings allows individuals to directly express their support for protecting state parks. By voicing concerns and presenting alternative solutions, attendees can influence decision-makers.

  2. Engage with Advocates: Engaging with conservation advocates like Carissa Cabrera and Erica from "Whales We" on platforms like TikTok can provide valuable information and updates on the situation. Collaborating with like-minded individuals can amplify the message of park preservation.

  3. Use Social Media: Utilize social media platforms to raise awareness about the importance of preserving state parks in Florida. Sharing information, encouraging others to participate in public meetings, and contacting relevant authorities can help mobilize support for the cause.

Call to Action:

  • Visit floridaspringcouncil.org for updates on public meetings and ways to get involved.

  • Attend public meetings to voice support for protecting Florida state parks.

  • Engage with conservation advocates and share information on social media to raise awareness.

  • Contact the governor's office and express concerns about the proposed developments in state parks.

By actively participating in public meetings, engaging with advocates, and utilizing social media platforms, individuals can play a crucial role in advocating for the protection of Florida state parks and preserving these natural treasures for future generations.