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Alternative solutions for global warming
Essays on the history of the florida everglades
Alternative solutions for global warming
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The Florida Everglades have been slowly and steadily diminishing in size for over many decades. Throughout the years, the Everglades have had an abundant, healthy environment. The massive swamps were once rich with marshland, and had ecosystems chock-full of wildlife. However, due to large corporations, natural disasters and most importantly, the growth of the human population, the Everglades are 50% smaller than they were hundreds of years ago. The destruction of the Florida Everglades includes not only a diminishing number of the marshland, but also the lessening of wild life, such as alligators, herons, and exotic plants. While there is a government plan set for the restoration of the everglades, it will take many years to make up for the …show more content…
Due to the climate change during the Late Archaic period, the water levels rose and the large area became marshland. They once ran from the Kissimmee River in Orlando all the way down to Southern Florida, in the bay (ok 2002). Before development due to the increase in the Florida population, the Everglades were around 5,000,000 acres and covered a third of the state. (ok 2002). However, there are 3,000,000 acres expanding from Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Bay, that are called the ‘Historic Everglades.’ The Everglades are full of fresh water, that moves over blades of sawgrass. Sawgrass is a sedge with spiny-edged leaves (dict. 2002). This gives the large wetlands a ripple effect from far away. Sawgrass is not the only kind of life in the Everglades. The ‘old’ Everglades had an abundance of freshwater sloughs, mangrove swamps, pine rock lands and hardwood hammocks (ok 2002). In figure one, it is shown …show more content…
If there were about one million visitors this year, the park would make at least $8,000,000. Every dollar goes back to the park and its rangers. While that may be a nice stream of revenue, it does not even cover a fourth of the cost to restore the Everglades. The estimated cost of fully restoring the Everglades will total to around $10 to $14 billion and could take upwards of 15 years starting from the year 2015.
The national park also employs hundreds of Floridians. Because Florida relies so heavily on the tourism industry, there are also many different activities offered around the Everglades area. Many tourists can enjoy airboat rides into the wetlands or alligator and crocodile sight-seeing boat tours. Within the last five years, tourists have collectively spent over $500,000,000 in the areas surrounding the Everglades National Park. The money spent contributes to local businesses in the counties surrounding the Everglades. Just a few of the counties are Collier, Broward, and
Florida became a state in 1845 and almost immediately people began proposing to drain the Everglades. In 1848, a government report said that draining the Everglades would be easy, and there would be no bad effect. Canals and dams were dug to control seasonal flooding. Farmers grew vegetables in the rich soil of the drained land, Ranchers had their cattle graze on the dry land, and new railways lines were constructed to connect communities throughout south Florida; but the ecosystem of the Everglades was not suited for either farming or ranching. The natural cycle of dry and wet seasons brought a devastating series of droughts and floods. These had always been a p...
This is a very critical situation that needs to be fixed urgently. The habitats of the Everglades depend on an annual water cycle which has been hindered by the development construction which was imposed on the farmland. Back in the 19th century, developers were keen on draining all the swamps in the Everglades for developmental purposes. Their intention was to grow sugarcane plantations on the land yet sugarcanes are highly destructive to the Everglades. They too disrupt the water cycle to which the wildlife has adapted. The Florida sugar industry built on the southern Shore of Lake Okeechobee directly clocks the water source for the remaining Everglades hence destroying the habitats of the wildlife existing in the affected areas.
Fifty percent of the original wetlands doesn’t even exist today. The water supply in the Everglades is changing and that has affected the Everglades in many ways. For one, population is decreasing and mankind needs to restore it somehow. Next, the Everglades are in need of some money to do that restoration, but where will they get it from? Last, the water supply is poisoning the humanity around it with much bacteria and many bad and dangerous elements. The Everglades water supply affected it in fixing the Everglades and wildlife.
...restore natural lands. The federal, state, and local governments are joining forces to bring these pristine natural lands back to their original splendor and beauty. "The question of why we should protect the Everglades has now evolved into how we should restore the Everglades," according to Suzie Unger. "Everglades National Park is the largest remaining sub-tropical wilderness in the continental United States and has extensive fresh and saltwater areas, open Everglades prairies, and mangrove forests. Abundant wildlife includes rare and colorful birds, and this is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side. The park is 1,506,539 acres (606,688 hectares) in size. It is a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve, and a Wetland of International Significance," according to the following website: http://nps.gov/ever
Within the state of Florida there are dozens of individualized, non-profit organizations making an effort to help the local wildlife. The local land and marine wildlife includes birds, geckos, frogs, snakes, panthers, manatees, sea turtles, fishes, sharks, corals, lizards and many, many more. Florida State is located on the Southeastern tip of the United States providing a unique opportunity for conservation of salt-water animals. While there are animal conservation efforts taking place all over the world, this essay will focus on two animal species that humans are specifically trying to save in Florida State. The two main animal species of focus are manatees and sea turtles.
Maintaining ecological diversity is necessary for the survival of a biological community. In the United States, American citizens are on the verge of irrevocably damaging one of the country's most unique and diverse treasures - the Florida Everglades. This national park is now the only remaining patch of a river that used to span 120 miles from Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Bay. Dikes and levees created by the Army Corps of Engineers in the late 1940's drained this river to reduce flooding and increase useable water for the development of the region. This major diversion of water lead to a trickle down effect causing the continual decline of the environmental state of the Everglades. Since then, debates over the Everglades' future have silently raged on for years about how, why, and when the restoration will begin. This ongoing, but virtually unproductive effort has cost taxpayers a great deal without any apparent benefits. Recently, this debate has been amplified by the voices of the sugar industry in Florida, which was attacked for its major contribution to pollution of the Everglades. Now debates rage on with a new effort called the Restudy. Backed by the Army Corps of Engineers, this effort would change the flow of the Everglades, potentially restoring it into the viable community of life that it used to be. The question now is, will this latest attempt to restore the Everglades ever be realized (thus ending the cyclic Everglades debate) or will it simply add up to one more notch on the bedpost of inadequate and failed attempts to save this national treasure. The world is watching to see how the United States will handle this unprecedented cleanup.
In understanding how my worldview was subconsciously constructed by my life experiences from the past nineteen years, I had to first think about my roots. I was born in Tampa, Florida to a Puerto Rican mother and white father. They divorced when I was too young to remember, and while I did have a relationship with my dad, I lived with my mother and was raised in a tight-knit Puerto Rican family, often times being cared for by my grandmother. I was an only child for ten years which I’m sure has impacted my personality, and at ten I got a baby sister whom I am very close to. Growing up in Florida was interesting because I was half white and half Hispanic, which mirror the main demographics of Florida well, but I never quite fit in with either group because while I look very white and this is what people perceive me as, I was not raised by the white side of my family but rather the Puerto Rican side. Still, I don’t quite fit into this group either because I don’t speak perfect Spanish at home and most Hispanic people treat me as an “outgroup” and not one of them.
Vacation is the one thing that people look forward to throughout the year. People usually think of it as a time to relax, unwind, and enjoy an amazing tropical getaway. Maybe it’s chilling at the beach or taking the night out, vacation is always something fun for anyone. Imagine yourself soaking in the sun, laying by the shore, breathing in the salty air, and laying under a palm tree. People can experience this all right along the island of Key West. Key West is an exciting vacation for the whole family to enjoy that includes snorkeling to amazing seafood.
The Florida Everglades is one of the most diverse wetland ecosystems in the United States. These tropical wetlands span an area of more than seven hundred square miles in southern Florida. The term Everglade means river of grass. The system starts in central Florida near Orlando and travels southwest to the tip of Florida. The Everglades has a wet season and a dry season which causes a great change in hydrology. During the wet season the system is a slow moving river that is sixty miles wide and over a hundred miles long. During the dry season water levels drop and some areas will completely dry up. The Everglades has many different aquatic environments all having interdependent ecosystems. The most important factor for all these environments is water. It helps shape the land, vegetation, and all the organism that live in each area. Each environment has particular needs for the organisms living in that area. Throughout the years humans have diverted the water to fit their varying needs. The state has built dikes and levees, dug canals, and have built locks to divert the water. This has all been done to keep areas completely dry for developing and agricultural needs. Today, The Everglades is half the size of its original size. Throughout the years many restoration acts have been created and updated. The Everglades restoration projects have been the most expensive environmental repairs in The United States. This is because The Everglades is one of the three most important wetland areas in the world. The Everglades National Park is the home of thirty six protected species including the West Indian Manatee, the American Crocodile, and the Florida Panther. The Everglades also homes hundreds of species of birds, fish, mammals, and repti...
At a price tag of 3 million dollars, the first Six Flags park, Six Flags over Texas, opened in Arlington Texas in the year 1961. (When first park opened) Since then the company has grown to 18 parks, 16 in the United States, 1 in Canada, and 1 in Mexico; and is currently the world’s largest theme park company. (The biggest) Last year 25.6 million guests attended a Six Flags park (six flags attendance), posting $1.2 billion in revenue. (Six flags makes money). Ticket transactions accounted for approximately 55% of sales revenue with the rest being from food, games, merchandise, and other income sources. (six flags report, page
Most families take a yearly family vacation. Before, the trip to Florida was the best trip. The beaches had tan sand, there were people everywhere, the water was a dark blue and there were many stores to explore. The trip to Florida could not be beat by any other trip. Until the trip to Georgia was made. Georgia is the most memorable place because of the islands, the beaches, and the attractions.
When most people think of wetlands the first thing that will pop into their mind will be visions of swamps and flooded plains. These marshy lands would seem to have no purpose, while in reality they are the most precious form of ecosystem that we have in America. Wetlands contribute to biodiversity, clean water, flood control, and provide a habitat for millions of species of plants and animals. Even with all this wetlands still face mass destruction, much like the rain forests they are just as productive and face similar rates of devastation (Mitchell, J. (1992, October). “Our Disappearing Wetlands” National Geographic, Pg 15).
Orlando is known as the Theme Park Capital of the World, and it stays true to its name. Regardless of age, these attractions aim to bring out your inner child, and inspire visiters to create lasting memories, year after year.
Disney also invested in advanced technology systems. Disney tripled investments in 2008-2012 by refreshing Fantasyland, in the Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando. The main concern was to attract locals living surrounding areas to come and participate in the festivities, as well as to accommodate people who could drive to the parks. Disney spent a total of $9.2 billion dollars on refreshing Orlando parks and resorts. Domestic park visitors boosted second quarter earnings causing a rise in admission passes (Carr A. 2015). In a very short time, the park had increased its investment tenfold, and was entertaining tourists from around the world. With the original site having some attendance ups and downs over the years, Disneyland has expanded its rides over time and branched out globally with parks in Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong, with a Shanghai location slated to open in December 2016. A sister property,
The Everglades, a huge swamp at the tip of Florida, is a famous wildlife reserve. It is fed by fresh water seeping through it from a lake and river. The water forms pools, marshes, and meandering channels-it is one of the greatest wildlife sites in the world. The heart of this ecosystem is protected by the Everglades National Park, a Biosphere