The Right to Pollute is worth billions, especially the right to pollute a national park. That means there’s money to be made defending that right. Champions of pollution build careers and fortunes helping private industry destroy public places, and few…

Welcome to the sugar policy awakening of 2018! Today’s vote in the House means more than just refining an old government program. Not long ago few people paid attention to this giveaway tucked inside the Farm Bill. Today, with a…

The Alliance for Fair Sugar Policy is calling out sugar production in Florida for its role in polluting the greater Everglades ecosystem, costing taxpayers millions of dollars in restoration efforts. 

Tony Friedrich never wanted to be an expert on how nutrient pollution strangles an estuary. But he never had a choice, either. He’s been studying the Chesapeake as long as he can remember, watching dead zones spread through one of…

Don’t underestimate the importance of Treasure Coast congressman Brian Mast’s pledge to support Sugar Program reform this week. It’s the latest confirmation that clean water politics are forcing lawmakers to confront the sugarcane industry’s impact on Florida. Until now, for…

Florida politics changed this week, quietly but profoundly. Candidates for governor have declared–on the record–whether they will accept donations from the sugarcane industry. That makes sugar money a statewide election issue in 2018, pushing two billionaire families and their sprawling businesses…

The South Florida Water Management District is cracking down on citizens who ask too many questions. The state agency recently threatened legal action against 16 people requesting details on its multi-million-dollar deal with a Martin County mining operation. And when…

Jerry Kustich’s books (including his latest, Holy Water) offer contemplative, insightful meditations on the peace and beauty of fly fishing. But this piece is different. Kustich grew up watching pollution destroy fisheries in his backyard and across the nation, and now…

This legislative session’s anti-clean-water proposals are going to affect your life. Here’s how.   Toilet-to-tap: HB 1149 Not a fan of birth control in your drinking water? Too bad. As populations explode statewide, demand for water supply grows and not…

Last week we made fun of the connection between sewage, politics, and industry in Florida. It’s one way to cope with the cycle we’ve been stuck in, where three institutional forces survive and thrive by literally crapping on the public: Florida’s…