Water Quality
–It’s Not Just Nutrients: How Climate Change is Necessitating New
Restoration Strategies
Updated May 18, 2021
Water
quality impairments, rising water temperatures and increasing filamentous algae
blooms have recently been documented in the Charlotte Harbor estuaries. As our
water quality declines, we face an estuary resource crisis which threatens our
economy and lifestyle. The causes of water quality degradation include
increasing nutrients from stormwater runoff and wastewater, and increasing sea
levels, water temperatures and storm intensities associated with climate
change. A combination of federal, state, regional, local and citizen actions
are needed to identify and implement innovative, comprehensive strategies for
protecting and restoring our local estuaries’ health while it is still
physically and fiscally feasible.
Addressing
water quality and climate change issues is time sensitive and requires
immediate action on all levels of government and society. Charlotte County has
initiated steps toward increasing understanding and management of water
quality. But we must also begin adapting to and mitigating climate change
through local, state and federal programs. Climate change adaptation is our
process for adjusting to anticipated changes by protecting existing
infrastructure, homes, and people from rising seas, fires, and stronger
weather. Mitigation intervenes with climate changes by reducing heat-trapping
emissions and removing carbon already in the atmosphere.
Resistance
to climate change mitigation is dangerous, especially for Florida. For example,
while Florida’s Governor has acknowledged climate change exists, the title for
the new climate change director is “Chief Resilience Officer”, reflecting focus
on adaptation but not mitigation. Charlotte County’s Comprehensive Plan updates
do not consider the causes of sea level rise and warming, thereby ignoring
mitigation. And, while Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties are developing a
“Southwest Florida Resiliency Compact”, a comprehensive “climate compact” is
more critical. The city of Punta Gorda was named one
of the most progressive cities in the world in the 2014 National Climate
Assessment. But the city’s comprehensive
plan is almost exclusively about adaptation, with little if any explicit
mitigation. We must expand our focus beyond adaptation and resiliency. Without
mitigation, the climate will continue to change and long-term impacts will
become too severe to manage. To avoid rapidly increasing algae blooms, water
quality decline and other devastating consequences we must enhance our
mitigation strategies immediately.
Mitigating
climate change causes and effects is urgent. Scientist estimate that we must
implement significant actions and policies within 10 years or rapid natural
processes, such as melting of the permafrost and associated methane release,
will render us incapable of slowing the runaway heating of our plant. Critical
goals include:
1)
reducing emissions by 70-100% by 2030 through conservation and
transition to non-emitting energy sources; and
2)
removing excess carbon from the atmosphere by reforestation and soil
management.
Action
by businesses and individuals is essential, but the greatest leverage comes
from federal, state and local governments utilizing their specific authorities
and policies, including:
·
Federal: Pass laws which put a rising price on carbon and return revenues
to consumers, such as the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, which
could reduce emissions by 40% in 10 years, create jobs, and stimulate the
economy. Global cooperation is essential
to achieve the degree of climate mitigation to achieve the level of carbon
removal needed. We need, at a minimum, support for participation in
the Paris agreement. Pandemic Action:
Incorporate clean energy initiatives & economic strategies in pandemic
recovery plans.
· State: Adopt
regulations which: a) require energy providers to create carbon energy
portfolios with 100% zero emission electricity by 2030; b) prohibit utilities from earning
higher profits from selling more electricity; c) eliminate barriers to using
and distributing solar energy; and d) ban fracking.
· Local:
Adopt rules and comprehensive plans which include: a) building codes,
landscaping and farming rules, and public transportation policies which
conserve, sequester and transition to zero emission fuels; and b) climate
change adaption and mitigation, especially as it protects and restores water
quality and native habitats.
Click
HERE to see a presentation
at CHNEP’s Watershed Summit June 1, 2020
Click HERE to
see a list of additional readings and references about water quality and
climate change