Florida Legislature Adourns, Rejects Vote on Drilling Ban
The Republican-led Florida House of Representatives adjourned a special session after 49 minutes Tuesday, rejecting Gov. Charlie Crist's call for a permanent constitutional amendment to ban offshore drilling near Florida's shores.
House Speaker Larry Cretul, who opposed the amendment, called it a "simple solution designed to produce sound bites, photo ops and political attacks."
Inspiration: Happy Birthday, Henry David Thoreau
Monday was the birthday of the man who wrote, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." That’s noted transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau.
During his life, Thoreau wrote more than 20 books on a variety of topics, but he is best known for Walden, which he published in 1854. The book chronicles the two years Thoreau spent at his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson’s cabin near Walden Pond near Concord, Mass.
NOAA Finds Deep Oil Plumes Far From Leak
The federal government confirmed Tuesday that large plumes of oil are drifting far below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico as far as 40 miles from the Deepwater Horizon leak. The findings raise new concerns about the impact of the spill on sea life.
Water samples gathered by a University of South Florida team aboard the research vessel Weatherbird II found toxic compounds spreading throughout the Gulf of Mexico that would have evaporated if the oil was floating close to the surface.
Florida's Largetooth Sawfish May Land on Endangered Species List
Less than three weeks after oil started gushing into the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon leak, marine scientists asked the federal government to add Florida's largetooth sawfish to the national endangered species list.
If Congress votes to approve the request made by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the species would become legally protected and funding may be allocated to protect its habitat.
Largetooth sawfish (Pristis perotteti) once occupied northern Gulf waters, but they haven't been seen in that area for decades. The last remaining population in the U.S. migrates along the coast from Central America to the shallow waters off southwest Florida.
Model Shows Oil Likely to Move into Atlantic
A computer-generated model released June 3, 2010, suggests oil from the Deepwater Horizon leak will likely enter ocean currents that will move it around Florida and up the Atlantic coast.
The National Center for Atmospheric Research, the group that created the model, said oil could reach the North Carolina coast before moving out into open Atlantic waters as early as this summer.
Where Booms Fail, Biotechnology May Succeed
As rust-colored tar from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill begins littering Florida's beaches, officials are cautioning that traditional methods of containment may not be effective. Scientists are now suggesting that oil-eating bacteria may be the long-term solution.
Florida already has more than 250,000 feet of boom laying off its shores, and more is being requested. But officials acknowledge that the physical barriers won’t be able to stop oil from washing up on beaches.
FloridaSphere is an independent publication that produces and publishes in-depth Florida environmental news stories in the public interest. Our mission is to be the most comprehensive source of Florida environmental news and information on the internet. We publish a combination of original journalism by the FloridaSphere team, original journalism by our content sharing partners, and links to stories by outside publications on issues related to the Florida environment.
Read more »
Subscribe to Newsletter