FREEDOM with honesty, justice, and courage..
COMPASSION with dignity, humour, and tolerance..
KNOWLEDGE with effort, perseverance and sharing..
LOVE with peace and harmony towards all
LIFE ON EARTH.
A science-based international free press humanitarian organization...
created in 1972.. human4us2.blogspot.com...
Today, almost everybody knows how long it takes to see a Doctor. It takes much too long! As I was patiently waiting for my Doctor a few days ago, an idea popped into my head which might help cut the time Doctors and secretaries use for doing paperwork.
Give every patient a small computer memory Key containing his or hers personal medical information. With every visit to the Doctor, the patient hands the Doctor his or her computer Key and the doctor can compare what is on the Key with what he has in his computer. After the Doctor has examined the patient, he updates his computer file and downloads the information to the Key, handing it back to the patient.
The information on the Key can be transferred to a Hospital or to other Doctors as needed by the patient or by the Doctor. Each patient can review his or her own medical information on a home computer. The Doctor can also keep a Key for his secretary who can access the information quickly and help to halt the need for searching files stored in a file cabinet or on a shelf. This will save time for both the patient and the Doctor and for the Medicare system. It is a Key idea!
Valerie B. Jarrett is a Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama. She oversees the Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs and chairs the White House Council on Women and Girls.
http://go.wh.gov/MwBf45
In response to your email.
Dear Gentle Valerie B. Jarrett:
With all the terrifying bloodshed occurring around the world, I am forced to remember why I started the non-religious world humanitarian peace and ecology movement. It was after a car accident left me with a chronic and painful disability I decided to smell the Roses...literally. The accident prompted me to view life on Earth as extremely rare and precious and beautiful and something to be protected...not by force but by friendly persuasion using as much logic and science as is humanly possible! All life includes human life. We humans are part of Nature which is delicate and beautiful and rare in the Universe and must be gently protected from exploitation by people who believe money and power are all that matters. People who are so desperate for emotional and physical security they often, if not always, become insane!
Without economic success or social power or even friends, many people who were educated and brought up to compete become stressed and emotionally unstable and often...dangerous! On the other side of the spectrum the richest and most powerful people on Earth are often extremely competitive, self-centered and cold-blooded and they know how to accumulate money and power but not how to distribute wealth or create good life sustaining ideas! They do not work for the betterment of all Life on Earth. They do however know how to dominate and control the human mind using any method possible! Repetitive hypnosis and peer group pressure as well as Media advertising are social tools often used by clever dominating people to create groups of loyal followers. For examples: political followers, military and police followers, religious followers, fanatic groups of dangerous followers, money oriented company followers and groups of non-profit followers. I prefer groups of friendly Nature followers.
Today many companies continue to degrade the natural environment in search of wealth and power and they are dangerously succeeding! They, however, are quietly being asked to change their bad habits and more than a few are using their power and money to help preserve nature, not to exploit what is natural and beautiful and surprisingly, they are discovering how much fun it is and even, how profitable!
Money was created as a better method for exchanging goods and services but over the centuries quickly changed to became economic symbols of power representing rulers and governments. People without money were left behind to die in poverty and misery! The extreme rich did not care about the extreme poor until the poor revolted. Unfortunately, that cycle is returning! Today the poor are extremely poor and the rich are...well...you know how it goes!
Today, using my old computer, I attempt to help with free publicity as many non-profit organizations as possible and I do not ask for money. My telephone is connected to the Internet and once a month I pay my phone bill. My pension check is minimal and I am always broke!. Saving Life on Earth without government economic help is an expensive proposition and I do realize why people accumulate money. It is sad that accumulating money helps to destroy Nature. Many people today are desperate for money. The price of food and shelter has gone up and the poor are being left to die on the streets! That is the reason we need better social programs and a larger Tax on the extreme rich. It is to create an equitable economic distribution system and a protection for the desperate poor. It is also to better reward the hard working labor class. It is to give every person a fair chance at survival! It is to help all wonderful people who are care-givers and who work without thought to personal gain. We need more people who are willing to help those in desperate need and who are in emotional stress. We need people who like helping people! We need people who enjoy life on Earth and who work to protect the natural environment. All of the aforementioned people need protection more than the half insane power brokers and exploiters of the not-so-free world.
We have to stop the blood-shed with the only tools that work: friendship with patience and education. We have to use the care givers credo of ALOHA which is: Ask...Listen...Observe...Help....and Ask again.
Over decades I was never simply satisfied to write words for their own sake but attempted to create social solutions to help stop the murderous bloodshed created by basically extremely sick and lonely human beings. We need a great many more intelligent imaginative minds to help create solutions. We need to completely revamp and improve our early childhood education systems. Thanks for reading. Signed: Joseph Raglione http://www.human4us2.blogspot.com
P.S. Pass this essay on to president Obama and to Hillary Clinton.
Several Vegan Foods that have so many benefits not found in meat or dairy are listed below:
1. LENTILS (prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease, lower cholesterol, get all protein and fiber needed daily, half the glycemic load of beans, double the fiber in beans, easier to digest than beans, much healthier than beans overall for reasons at the link) ►https://plus.google.com/+AlexP/posts/BcWdkj5YCKE
7. WALNUTS (prevent cancer, osteoporosis, lower cholesterol; got 1500 more omega 3 than almonds, 4 times the omega 3 in salmon, 5.4 times the omega 3 in sardines, 41 times the omega 3 in tilapia, 32 times the omega 3 in tuna) ►https://plus.google.com/+AlexP/posts/4eaSGEwuNiS
8. FLAX SEEDS (10 times the omega 3 in salmon, 14 times the omega 3 in sardines, 103 times the omega 3 in tilapia, 80 times the omega 3 in tuna, 2.5 times more omega 3 fatty acids than walnuts, 4 times more fiber than walnuts (fish has no fiber), 5-8 times cheaper than walnuts) ►https://plus.google.com/+AlexP/posts/6JTzFJ5AaaY
9. CHIA SEEDS (8 times more omega 3 than salmon, 80 times more omega 3 than tilapia, 5 times more Calcium than milk, 4.5 times more Calcium than Kale, 11 times more Calcium than lentils, 15 times more magnesium than broccoli. 100 g of chia seeds have 60% of the protein in beef) ►https://plus.google.com/+AlexP/posts/iNnEtutSc8w
16. PURPLE CABBAGE (2830 times more anthocyanins, 7 times more vitamin C than green cabbage, 15 times more omega 3 fatty acids than tomatoes. It lowers cholesterol, prevents macular degeneration, cancer, Alzheimer, obesity, inflammation,) ► https://plus.google.com/+AlexP/posts/LiKNFN4cVDT
PS: it is hypothesized to be ideal to avoid overeating unfermented soy products (soymilk, tofu, etc) for reasons explained athttps://plus.google.com/+AlexP/posts/4EQT41X5bpR. If you use a rice cooker to make rice, brown rice, barley, rye, wheat, it is best to soak them for reasons explained at https://plus.google.com/+AlexP/posts/BhAx7xri3Cv. Same for nuts, it's better to soak them.
Head of the Judiciary: Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani c/o Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations 622 Third Avenue New York, NY 10017, USA Postage: $1.20 Fax: 1 212 867 7086 Email: iran@un.int Salutation: Your Excellency
Amnesty International is a very polite organization. They are doing their best to save people around the world who have been falsely accused and arrested and detained for no good reason. Unlike Amnesty International, however, both the United States government and the Canadian government are not as polite or as politically correct towards cruel and abusive leaders. Is the Republic of Iran filled with cruel and savage leaders? Do your so-called "Revolutionary Guards" dictate the policies of Iran?
Do Iranian leaders follow the teachings of the Prophet who I am positive is filled with love and compassion or are they monsters who enjoy torturing people?
. Dr Homa Hoodfar is a prominent scholar and anthropologist whose decades-long teaching and research activities relate to development, culture, gender, and electoral politics. She has written and co-authored a number of books, including Between Marriage and the Market: Intimate Politics and Survival in Cairo(Comparative Studies on Muslim Societies),Electoral Politics: Making Quotas Work for WomenandSexuality in Muslim Contexts: Restrictions and Resistance.
Dr Homa Hoodfar suffers from myasthenia gravis, which is a rare long-term condition that causes certain muscles to become weak. It mainly affects muscles controlling eye and eyelid movement, facial expression, chewing, swallowing and speaking. The condition can also affect the muscles of the arms, legs and neck, causing mobility problems and difficulty performing physical tasks. Dr Homa Hoodfar’s family told Amnesty International that her symptoms become worse when she is under stress. Dr Homa Hoodfar’s family and lawyer have not been permitted to visit her since her arrest, or to deliver her medication to the prison.
Amnesty International has documented several other complaints made by prisoners who have been denied essential medication in Iran’s prisons. The practice contributes to new health problems or exacerbates pre-existing conditions. In some cases, the withholding of medication is apparently a form of punishment. Depriving prisoners of medication for no legitimate medical purpose, whether by intent or neglect, is contrary to the rights to health and against the prohibition of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Whenever such deprivation is intentional, and inflicts “severe pain or suffering” for such purposes as punishment, coercion or intimidation, obtaining a “confession”, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, this constitutes torture.
The denial of the right of detainees to communicate with the outside world and to receive visits is a violation of the right to a fair trial and facilitates other human rights violations in custody, including torture and other ill-treatment and enforced disappearance. Under Article 49 of Iran’s new Code of Criminal Procedure, which entered into force in June 2015, the parents, spouse, children and siblings of arrested individuals are entitled to inquire about them from the local Office of the Prosecutor, the Provincial Prosecutor, and the Head of the Justice Department in each province. The Article notes that responding to the queries of the individuals mentioned in the provision is obligatory so far as “this does not infringe on the social and familial status of the detainees.”
Article 180 of the Executive Regulations for the Organization of State Prisons and Security and Corrective Measures stipulates that all prisoners and detainees are permitted to have contact with their relatives and acquaintances under supervision and in full compliance with Prison Regulations.
Under Article 48 of Iran’s new Code of Criminal Procedure, individuals who face criminal charges can request the presence of a lawyer from the start of detention and the lawyer can meet the detainee, paying due attention to the confidentiality of the investigations. The Code, however, does not guarantee the right to access an independent lawyer of one’s choosing in cases such as those related to national security. In such cases, the accused individuals are limited to choosing their lawyer from a list of lawyers approved by the Head of the Judiciary.
Article 14(3) of the International Covenant Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party, guarantees the right of detainees to have adequate time and facilities for the preparation of their defence and to communicate with counsel of their own choosing. The UN Human Rights Council has stated: “The right to communicate with counsel requires that the accused is granted prompt access to counsel.” Under international human rights law, delaying access to legal assistance may only be permitted under exceptional circumstances, which must be prescribed by law and limited to occasions when it is considered to be indispensable to maintain security and good order. However, even in such limited cases, access should not be delayed by more than 48 hours from the time of arrest or detention.
Supreme Leader:
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
c/o Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
622 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017, USA
Postage: $1.20
Fax: 1 212 867 7086
Email: iran@un.int
Salutation: Your Excellency
Amnesty International is a very polite organization. They are doing their best to save people around the world who have been falsely accused and arrested and detained for no good reason. Unlike Amnesty International, however, both the United States government and the Canadian government are not as polite or as politically correct towards cruel and abusive leaders. Is the Republic of Iran filled with cruel and savage leaders? Do your so-called "Revolutionary Guards" dictate the policies of Iran?
Do Iranian leaders follow the teachings of the Prophet who I am positive is filled with love and compassion or are they monsters who enjoy torturing people?
. Dr Homa Hoodfar is a prominent scholar and anthropologist whose decades-long teaching and research activities relate to development, culture, gender, and electoral politics. She has written and co-authored a number of books, including Between Marriage and the Market: Intimate Politics and Survival in Cairo(Comparative Studies on Muslim Societies),Electoral Politics: Making Quotas Work for WomenandSexuality in Muslim Contexts: Restrictions and Resistance.
Dr Homa Hoodfar suffers from myasthenia gravis, which is a rare long-term condition that causes certain muscles to become weak. It mainly affects muscles controlling eye and eyelid movement, facial expression, chewing, swallowing and speaking. The condition can also affect the muscles of the arms, legs and neck, causing mobility problems and difficulty performing physical tasks. Dr Homa Hoodfar’s family told Amnesty International that her symptoms become worse when she is under stress. Dr Homa Hoodfar’s family and lawyer have not been permitted to visit her since her arrest, or to deliver her medication to the prison.
Amnesty International has documented several other complaints made by prisoners who have been denied essential medication in Iran’s prisons. The practice contributes to new health problems or exacerbates pre-existing conditions. In some cases, the withholding of medication is apparently a form of punishment. Depriving prisoners of medication for no legitimate medical purpose, whether by intent or neglect, is contrary to the rights to health and against the prohibition of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Whenever such deprivation is intentional, and inflicts “severe pain or suffering” for such purposes as punishment, coercion or intimidation, obtaining a “confession”, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, this constitutes torture.
The denial of the right of detainees to communicate with the outside world and to receive visits is a violation of the right to a fair trial and facilitates other human rights violations in custody, including torture and other ill-treatment and enforced disappearance. Under Article 49 of Iran’s new Code of Criminal Procedure, which entered into force in June 2015, the parents, spouse, children and siblings of arrested individuals are entitled to inquire about them from the local Office of the Prosecutor, the Provincial Prosecutor, and the Head of the Justice Department in each province. The Article notes that responding to the queries of the individuals mentioned in the provision is obligatory so far as “this does not infringe on the social and familial status of the detainees.”
Article 180 of the Executive Regulations for the Organization of State Prisons and Security and Corrective Measures stipulates that all prisoners and detainees are permitted to have contact with their relatives and acquaintances under supervision and in full compliance with Prison Regulations.
Under Article 48 of Iran’s new Code of Criminal Procedure, individuals who face criminal charges can request the presence of a lawyer from the start of detention and the lawyer can meet the detainee, paying due attention to the confidentiality of the investigations. The Code, however, does not guarantee the right to access an independent lawyer of one’s choosing in cases such as those related to national security. In such cases, the accused individuals are limited to choosing their lawyer from a list of lawyers approved by the Head of the Judiciary.
Article 14(3) of the International Covenant Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a state party, guarantees the right of detainees to have adequate time and facilities for the preparation of their defence and to communicate with counsel of their own choosing. The UN Human Rights Council has stated: “The right to communicate with counsel requires that the accused is granted prompt access to counsel.” Under international human rights law, delaying access to legal assistance may only be permitted under exceptional circumstances, which must be prescribed by law and limited to occasions when it is considered to be indispensable to maintain security and good order. However, even in such limited cases, access should not be delayed by more than 48 hours from the time of arrest or detention.
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Why are they going hungry?
Dear Justin Trudeau!
Maybe Canada can help Venezuela?
The computer News headlines show empty refrigerators and hungry people! Venezuela is starving and the country needs immediate international help before civil unrest becomes civil disobedience leading to dangerous violence!
Watch President Obama speak on the attacks on law enforcement in Dallas. The ...
Jul 8 (1 day ago)
The White House<info@mail.whitehouse.gov>
Jul 8 (1 day ago)
to me
THE WHITE HOUSE
President Obama: "We are horrified over these events"
Last night, law enforcement officers in Dallas, Texas who were keeping people safe during a peaceful protest were targeted and attacked.
This morning, President Obama offered a statement on these tragic attacks and made it clear that we as a nation stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas.
"I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events, and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas ... Let's be clear: There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement. The FBI is already in touch with the Dallas police, and anyone involved in these senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done."
With your understanding, I want to begin with a few words about the situation back in the United States, specifically the situation in Dallas, Texas.
My team has been keeping me updated throughout the morning of the evening in Dallas. I spoke this morning with Mayor Rawlings of Dallas to convey the deepest condolences of the American people. I told him that the federal government will provide whatever assistance Dallas may need as it deals with this tremendous tragedy.
We still don’t know all the facts. What we do know is that there has been a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement. Police in Dallas were on duty, doing their jobs, keeping people safe during peaceful protests. These law enforcement officers were targeted, and nearly a dozen officers were shot. Five were killed. Other officers and at least one civilian were wounded -- some are in serious condition, and we are praying for their recovery.
As I told Mayor Rawlings, I believe that I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events, and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas. According to police, there are multiple suspects. We will learn more, undoubtedly, about their twisted motivations. But let's be clear: There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement. The FBI is already in touch with the Dallas police, and anyone involved in these senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done.
I will have more to say about this as the facts become more clear. For now, let me just say that even as yesterday I spoke about our need to be concerned, as all Americans, about racial disparities in our criminal justice system, I also said yesterday that our police have an extraordinarily difficult job and the vast majority of them do their job in outstanding fashion. I also indicated the degree to which we need to be supportive of those officers who do their job each and every day, protecting us and protecting our communities.
Today is a wrenching reminder of the sacrifices that they make for us. We also know that when people are armed with powerful weapons, unfortunately it makes attacks like these more deadly and more tragic. And in the days ahead, we’re going to have to consider those realities as well.
In the meantime, today our focus is on the victims and their families. They are heartbroken. The entire city of Dallas is grieving. Police across America, which is a tight-knit family, feels this loss to their core. And we're grieving with them. I’d ask all Americans to say a prayer for these officers and their families. Keep them in your thoughts. And as a nation, let’s remember to express our profound gratitude to our men and women in blue -- not just today, but every day. Watch the President's statement here.
Our world problems are sometimes over-whelming but there are solutions.
1. Education is a key and it involves introducing science to both boys and girls in countries that are dominated by faith based religions. Surprisingly, that includes all of North and South America.
2. There are many religious and political leaders in power who will not hesitate to use their power to cruelly dominate any person who questions his or her authority. The solution is to quietly provide millions of small computers to children within countries dominated by dangerous authorities. That of course would include North American authorities.
3. Indoctrinating children to believe in fantasy based religion is foolish and against that child's human rights. Science based facts based on provable evidence must be the norm for all children around the world. There is so much in the universe that is magnificent and astounding that every human being on Earth will be occupied for the rest of their lives learning provable facts.
4. Protecting a child's ability to learn is important! That protection derives from the top down and only when international leaders implement change will children learn to create a peaceful world. Quietly placing highly intelligent peace loving leaders into power around the world must be the priority for organizations such as the United Nations. Thanks for reading: Signed: Joseph Raglione. human4us2.blogspot.com
More than 14 years ago, after al Qaida attacked our nation on 9/11, the United States went to war in Afghanistan to combat these terrorists and the Taliban that harbored them.
Over the years, thanks to the heroic efforts of our military, intelligence officials, diplomats and development professionals, we pushed al Qaida out of its camps, helped the Afghan people topple the Taliban and establish a democratic government, dealt crippling blows to the al Qaida leadership, delivered justice to Osama bin Laden, and trained Afghan forces to take responsibility for their own security.
Given that progress, America's combat mission in Afghanistan came to a responsible end in December of 2014.
Compared to the 100,000 troops we once had there, today, fewer than 10,000 remain. And compared to their previous mission -- helping to lead the fight -- our forces are now focused on two narrow missions: training and advising Afghan forces and supporting counterterrorist operations against the remnants of al Qaida as well as other terrorists, including ISIL. Even as we remain relentless against those who threaten us, we are no longer engaged in a major ground war in Afghanistan.
Still, even these narrow missions continue to be dangerous. Over the past year and a half, 38 Americans -- military and civilian -- have given their lives in Afghanistan for our security. We honor their sacrifice. We stand with their families in their grief and their pride. And we resolve to carry on the mission for which they gave their last full measure of devotion.
Today, our mission in Afghanistan is not ours alone. For the second year now, Afghan forces are fully responsible for their own security. Every day, nearly 320,000 Afghan soldiers and police are serving and fighting -- and many are giving their lives -- to defend their country. Meanwhile, in another milestone, we recently removed the leader of the Taliban, Akhtar Mohammad Mansur.
Nevertheless, the security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious. Even as they improve, Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be. The Taliban remains a threat. And as President and Commander-in-Chief, I've made it clear that I will not allow Afghanistan to be used as safe haven for terrorists to attack our nation again.
That is why today, based on the recommendation of our military leaders, my national security team, and in consultation with Congress, the Afghan government and international partners, I announced an adjustment to our posture.
Instead of drawing down to 5,500 troops by the end of this year, the United States will maintain approximately 8,400 troops in Afghanistan into next year, through the end of my administration. The narrow missions assigned to our forces will not change -- they'll remain focused on supporting Afghan forces and going after terrorists. However, maintaining our forces at this specific level will allow us to continue providing tailored support to help Afghan forces continue to improve. And we will continue supporting critical counterterrorism operations.
I know that when we first sent our forces into Afghanistan 14 years ago, few Americans imagined we'd be there -- in any capacity -- this long. As President, I've focused our strategy on training and building up Afghan forces. And because we have, we were able to end our major ground war there and bring home 90 percent of our troops.
Yet even as we work for peace, we must deal with the realities of the world as it is. And we must never forget what's at stake in Afghanistan. This is where al Qaida is trying to regroup and where ISIL is trying to expand its presence. And make no mistake, if these terrorists succeed in regaining areas and camps where they can train and plot, they will attempt more attacks against us. I will not allow that to happen.
This September, we'll mark 15 years since the attacks of 9/11. Once more, we'll pause to remember the nearly 3,000 lives we lost. We'll salute our men and women in uniform -- our 9/11 Generation -- who have served in Afghanistan and beyond. We'll honor the memory of all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, including more than 2,200 American patriots who have given their lives in Afghanistan.
As we do, let's never forget the progress their service has made possible. Whether it's millions more Afghan children in school, or dramatic improvements to public health, or the first democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan's history, Afghanistan is a better place than it once was. That’s progress we've helped make possible -- progress we can help sustain, in partnership with the Afghan people and our coalition partners. And that’s why I firmly believe that the decision I'm announcing today is the right thing to do -- for Afghanistan, for the United States and for the world.
Algae covered water at Stuart's Central Marine boat docks is thick, Thursday, June 30, 2016, in Stuart, Florida. The blue-green algae is the latest contaminant in years long arguments over water flowing from Lake Okeechobee.
Former presidential candidate and current Sen. Marco Rubio (R) was in his home state of Florida over the holiday weekend, where he took the opportunity to check out algal blooms that have caused a state of emergency in two counties.
Polluted fresh water from Lake Okeechobee has caused massive, toxic algal blooms that are threatening the region’s health and economy. But Rubio’s response to the crisis largely failed to acknowledge why it is happening — and even included a suggestion that could be disastrous.
“It’s a complex and painful thing to talk about and it’s a very difficult thing to deal with because it doesn’t have one singular cause and it doesn’t have one singular project that solves it all,” Rubio said in a statement, urging the lake’s managers to stop releasing water into the estuaries just north of West Palm Beach.
It’s true that the problem is complicated. The algae that is stifling marine life and the coastal economy flourishes in fertilizer runoff and warm waters. The resulting blooms can be toxic and are certainly unpleasant, smelly, and gross. But this isn’t just about getting rid of 2016’s coastal algal blooms. This is also about the ongoing pollution of the lake, the paving-over of the Everglades, a lack of water storage, a risk of levee breach, and Florida’s seasonal cycles of rain and drought.
And Rubio is flat-out ignoring two major forces behind Florida’s water woes: Pollution from agriculture and climate change.
Big Ag is a big problem
“We have fought for years to try to get agricultural pollution treated,” Alisa Coe, an attorney with Earthjustice, told ThinkProgress. “It is not being dealt with, and now we are seeing the consequences.”
Earthjustice has fought for years to clean up the lake. Sugar is a major industry in central Florida, and runoff from sugar fields has been tied to Lake Okeechobee’s pollution. In addition, the sugar industry has opposed a popular plan to buy back areas of wetlands south of the lake, which would allow for more flexible runoff plans. Rubio, incidentally, has received “multiple, six-figure” donations from the sugar industry, according to Alan Farago, president of Friends of the Everglades.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) gets a firsthand look at South Florida’s algal bloom.
“His record in Florida is tirelessly working on behalf of Big Sugar to lower water quality standards,” Farago wrote this week. “In 2003, Rubio was a whip for Gov. Jeb Bush on a bill lowering Everglades water quality standards crowd-swarmed by sugar lobbyists. That new law was successfully challenged by Friends of the Everglades and the Miccosukee Tribe in federal court but caused a decade delay in water quality improvements, setting up today’s disaster.”
Sugar isn’t the only problem. The beef industry also pollutes the water, as does urban runoff, but many experts say that the sugar industry is the biggest contributor.
Confusingly, Rubio seems to think that multiple contributors mean responsibility is too diffuse for action.
“If I believe[d] that the sugar industry was the only contributor to this then we would do everything possible to address that immediately, but there are multiple contributors to this and it’s not just agriculture,” Rubio said.
There is a clear parallel here with Rubio’s approach to climate change.
Water pollution is similar to carbon pollution: It has a cost
Rubio has gone on record saying that addressing climate change, which he does not believe is caused by human activity, would destroy the U.S. economy. He has also said that it is fruitless for the United States to act, because it is not the only country contributing to climate change.
“Every time someone comes to see me and asks me to support one of these [climate change mitigation] policies, I always ask them, ‘Can you tell me how many inches of sea rise it will prevent?’ They say it won’t, but it will set an example for the rest of the world,” Rubio said in March. “Then when you ask economists, it’s clear that the cost of these policies will fall on American businesses.”
But as Karl Haven, director of the Florida Sea Grant College Program dryly put it:
Climate change is expected to result in increased temperatures of nearshore ocean water, and this could lead to increased growth of harmful microorganisms. These include algae that form noxious or toxic blooms, including red tides, and bacteria and other pathogens. This situation could have negative consequences in regard to human health and also Florida’s ocean-related economy.
The costs of not addressing climate change are expected to be much, much higherthan the costs of cleaning up our act.
This area of South Florida is a perfect example.
Florida’s coast and the Everglades are low-lying regions that are massively at risk from sea level rise — another effect of climate change that puts even more stress on the state’s water storage systems.
In addition to warming and rising oceans, climate change has been tied to more extreme weather -- and that means rainier rainy seasons here. More rain puts more pressure on the Lake Okeechobee levee. This spring, that prompted the Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the levee, to release more than a billion gallons of water from the lake every day between February and the end of June. (As POLITICO reporter Mike Grundwald pointed out in this stellar tweetstorm, the levee actually did break in 1928. Two thousand people died. Today, more than 40,000 people would be affected if the levee broke.)
A water quantity problem, not just a water quality problem
But, amazingly, Rubio has asked the Army Corps of Engineers to stop releasing water from the lake.
"I don’t know that we’re in a position where that makes a lot of sense," John Campbell, a spokesperson for the Army Corps of Engineers, told ThinkProgress.
The surface of the lake is currently 14.9 feet above sea level. This elevation — which is how the Army Corps measures lake height — is worryingly high for this time of year. Florida's water management issues are complicated by its cycle of dry seasons in the winter, and wet seasons in the summer and fall. A tropical storm system can add three feet of elevation to Lake Okeechobee in just a few weeks.
"We’re one storm away from being at 18 feet," Campbell said.
After Rubio's request, on Friday, the Army Corps reduced flows to the east, where the algae has run amok, but that has made the lake rise.
Campbell called the blooms "disastrous," but prudent water management called for continuing to drain the lake.
"People are currently being impacted, and we are sensitive to that," he said. "Our concern is the lake — it’s wet season, we’re early in wet season... and the lake can take on water a lot faster than we can get it out."
An elevation of 17 or 17.5 feet is considered dangerous for Lake Okeechobee, where the levee is rated in the Army Corps' highest risk category. When the water has risen that high in the past, emergency measures have been taken to fix eroding earth beneath the levee or cavities in the structure itself. Despite $800 million worth of repairs over the past decade, the Army Corps has fixed only 22 miles — "only" 22 miles — of the 143 miles of levee that surround the lake. Some of the culverts that have been fixed date back to the 1930s, Campbell said.
Various flood control structures that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District operate. The red arrows indicate discharges that are at levels that lower salinity to the poor range. The green arrows show the movement of water to the Everglades, and the movement of water from the water conservation areas into the L-29 canal to avoid potential ecosystem impacts at Everglades National Park. The district began this movement on Feb. 15, 2016, after receiving an order from the Corps at the request of Gov. Rick Scott.
CREDIT: FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
"It is an extensive structure," he said. "It’s kind of hard to digest how big of an undertaking [repairing the dyke] is."
Rubio has worked hard to get additional funding into the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Project, but he is ignoring the causes of the pollution and water management. Instead, he wants a state of emergency declared.
"I hope the president will have an emergency declaration because that will open up the full portfolio of aid that the federal government can provide local businesses and communities that are being impacted by this," Rubio said. (Presidents make emergency declarations at the request of a state governor. That request has not happened yet.)
But in the meantime, Rubio has directly impeded federal action on climate change, which threatens not only the Lake Okeechobee region, but the entire state. Rubio has opposed all but one piece of climate legislation since he arrived in office, according to the League of Conservation Voters.
So the real question is: Why do politicians keep opting to bail out polluters? If agricultural pollution and greenhouse gas pollution are putting Floridians and the Everglades at risk, why doesn't Rubio go after them? Why is it all right for the government to spend a billion dollars on helping to fix the lake's runoff issues, while state and local partners will kick in another billion dollars, but it's not all right to cut off subsidies to the same entities that are causing these problems?
Rubio called the algal blooms "beyond just an ecological disaster; it’s an economic disaster with long-term implications. I’m in favor of answers. I want this problem to be solved."
But solving South Florida's water problem will take more than tough talk against the federal government. It will take facing the causes head on.
