Trouble in the Swamplands
The Everglades used to be widely described as a pestilent, vicious swamp--why develop it?
It has this alluring black, rich soil and this gorgeous climate, and it's got plenty of rain, so people think, "If this swamp wasn't here it would be a really nice place," which is true. But in 1848, they estimated it would cost $250,000 to drain the Everglades. It's been a few billion dollars since then.
What do the battles you describe say about our relationship with the environment?
For a long time, the national policy was pretty much an all-out war against nature. Even Teddy Roosevelt's proudest conservation projects were dams and other reclamation projects. People drained the Everglades because they thought it would be beneficial, but it has created massive fires, massive droughts. This isn't an argument for people to get out of south Florida, but it's a challenge for people and nature to coexist.
Why is the Everglades environment so fragile?
I hate it when people say nature is fragile, because nature is tough and resilient. But the Everglades is about as fragile as an ecosystem can get. Even a couple inches in elevation changes the vegetation. The chemistry is equally sensitive. Even tiny traces of phosphorus can muck with the ecosystem. So you see saw grass, the heart of the Everglades, getting pushed out by cattails, which don't belong there.
Can the Everglades be saved?
I think it's possible. People say the Everglades is a test. It is. You have all this [federal and state] money. You've got this amazing commitment from right-wingers and left-wingers. And it's probably the most studied wetland in the world. If you're not going to save the Everglades, what are you going to save?
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