U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson does diddly in Washington, but when there's something going on back home, he's a master at hanging out with the drama.
Take Thursday in Martin County.
Not only did Nelson make a big splash of telling the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wednesday to quit sending Lake Okeechobee discharges east instead of south, on Thursday he joined a boat tour of some of the most algae-choked waters in Martin County.
Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and the tour was cut short. Never mind. He had a Plan B. Plan B was a press conference at a marina where the water was blanketed with algae.
The jist of his message: “The long term solution is ... send more water south. Store it, cleanse it, and then send it on south into the Everglades." Cheers, applause, it was all good.
It's the Everglades Foundation's litany to a tee. Nelson usually gets top marks for delivering it even when, like this time, he has nothing concrete to offer.
This time, though, he extended the litany, suggesting the state invoke eminent domain -- a "taking" -- to get land south of the lake.
Only trouble is, not everybody in the world of science and research agrees with "buy land, move the water south." You already know how marine biologist Brian Lapointe feels about that, I've written about it enough. But now, amid the algae and desperation, thankfully The Palm Beach Point shined a light on it again.
In a story following Nelson's visit, the Post interviewed Lapointe, an expert in algae blooms and a research professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce. “It is not the lake,” Lapointe told the Post. “It is really the human activities on the watershed. The algae is just the ecological response to excess nutrients. Lake Okeechobee is easy to point your finger at, but the reality is that it is coming from many, many sources.”
The Post also interviewed Bill Louda, a research professor in Florida Atlantic University’s chemistry department. Louda laid it on the line. He said the "solution" of diverting water south into the Everglades isn’t just the wrong answer, it’s the worst idea.
“They can’t or they’ll kill the Everglades,” he said.
Next time you hit town, Senator, come with more than empty pockets.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith
