They paved Paradise.
We’re knocking on heaven’s door.
This week, I’m back in Miami on vacation, but I can never resist a chance to return to one of the most spectacular ecosystems in the United States: The Florida Everglades. Each time I’m here, I encounter spectacular birds, divine reptiles, and even the occasional elusive mammal. But there’s a lot more to south Florida than that.
Mostly Development and construction.
Miami, like much of Florida’s southern tip, is expanding at an unsustainable rate. New “housing” is constantly pushing into wild spaces, and the metal and glass high flies up higher and higher like a middle finger in the face of rising sea levels. It feel like an insane game of chicken— do we really think we can out-engineer the planet, and do we really need another 3 bedroom investment condo in place of such a divine environment? The never ending sea of grass, named by the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes long ago, protects more than just wildlife and biodiversity. More than 8 Million People (the population of Manhattan during the workday) rely on the Everglades for their drinking water. Every time I come down here, I’m struck by the same question:
Will We ever be satisfied?
The constant push to expand, grow, and create shareholder value is at the heart of our economy, and our society. But what exactly is “value”? When I’ve visited Florida’s wild places (admittedly during the off season), there is very little staff. No interpreters, few Rangers, and almost nothing protecting these areas from exploitation. “Show me your budget and I’ll show you your values” rings truer than ever. We’re obvious under a Federal Government that doesn’t value or even believe in conservation, but what about Florida itself? The Florida Wildlife Corridor was a good start, aimed at connecting the whole state’s many fragmented ecosystems. But in the four years since its passage, a law designed to preserve and strength more than 18 million acres of wildlife stands to lose up to 60,000 aces a year. When I think about how crocodilians survived the KT extinction and carry 235 million years of evolutionary history, I wonder if even they can survive our appetite for self-destruction.
Our planet needs action.
