“We will restore science to its rightful place.” — President Barack Obama, 2009
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In 2007, the National Academy of Sciences identified six critical environmental science issues that will drive twenty-first century America. These topics impact local and national economy as well as ecology, and their solutions will significantly enhance our quality of life. The six issues are: biodiversity, climate change, biogeochemistry (meaning the biological, geological and chemical cycles regulating our ecosystems which includes water), land use, infectious diseases, and invasive species. The last issue alone (invasive species) is estimated to cost Americans more than $160 billion per year, and most current control efforts are akin to the proverbial needle in a haystack. All of these issues relate directly to climate change, and our priorities for keeping the planet healthy directly link to the COP15 outcomes.
The state of Florida has the dubious distinction of boasting all six of the National Academy’s grand science challenges. In Florida — with our subtropical climate, location in hurricane alley, and high density of coastal populations, our landscape comprises a crossroads for these ecological bottlenecks. North Dakota, for example, does not suffer such critical threats from urban sprawl, invasive species, or biodiversity loss; and subsequently, their regional governments do not face the financial burden of paying for their solutions. Predictions indicate that issues such as tropical infectious diseases will hit Florida before they threaten North Dakota. So does that mean we should move to North Dakota? With all due respect to North Dakota, the answer is “no.” But it certainly means that Floridians need to be vigilant about environmental issues, and prioritize them for long-range planning and policy solutions.
he importance of investing in research and of integrating ecological science with policy-making can not be understated for Florida in the next few decades. It is sometimes easy to overlook the direct links between quality of environment and human health. A short-list of science “hot-topics” for Florida’s future include:
- Sea level rise
- Carbon storage
- Salt water intrusion
- Cap and trade
- Water conservation
- Biological field station
- Mass transit
- Pollen
- Adaptation
- Soil nutrition
- Mitigation
- Agricultural practices
- Climate change
- Mangrove conservation
- Air quality
- Locavory
- Noise pollution
- Science education
- Invasive species
- Fisheries
- Infectious diseases
- Aquaculture
- Land use
- Toxins
- Biodiversity
- Hurricane-proof construction
- Off-shore drilling
- Hurricane predictions
- Energy
- Weather forecasting
- Coral reef decline
- Endangered species
- Ocean acidification
- Home insurance
- Tourism
- Fire ecology
- Urban sprawl
- 2050 growth planning
- Storm water runoff
- Fertilizer applications
- Health and nutrition
- Allergies
- Urban heat islands
- Ecosystem restoration
- Beach re-nourishment
- Health
This list is just a beginning! While these scientific challenges put Florida at risk under ordinary circumstances, they also provide opportunities for research initiatives and solutions in our state: to pilot new clean energy, to find new ways to eradicate invasive species, and other projects leading to an updated economy grounded in sound science and technology. Most important, the outcomes of COP15 and the international agreements about carbon emissions will drive Florida’s economic future. A veritable testing grounds lies outside our door, if we have the vision to initiate new economic opportunities that seek solutions using science-based technologies. No other state boasts these six hot environmental science topics operating synergistically in its own back yards. As the old adage says, if you get lemons, make lemonade!