The path leads south!
Greetings!
My name is John G. Heim, and I represent the west coast chapter of an Eco advocacy group called, "Floridians
for Clean Water.”
As a coastal resident of Fort Myers Beach for the past 28 years, I’d like to start by thanking you for taking time
to meet with this delegation of Florida’s residents today.
Your ability to both hear or concerns and intervene on our behalf is greatly appreciated, but also expected; you
are, after all, representing our interests here in Florida.
Though our time together today is limited, our shared reality and desire for positive resolution is only part of
what we share in common. And, this shared reality is, of course, the subject matter at hand.
The polluted water discharges from Lake Okeechobee and its after-effects have created ecological destruction
in multiple Florida communities, all over the state.
And because these ecological issues means that Floridians are now all on common ground, we implore
everyone to work with one another to find and implement the real solutions.
We are united from the Gulf to the Atlantic, and believe in progress through dialogue. One of our goals is to
report back to our family, friends and community at large that you listened, you heard our collective voice, and
that you, too, are moved to action on our behalf.
Especially since spring, our quality of life has been hard hit by the discharges, drastically altering the lives and
fortunes of those experiencing the effects of the discharges along the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers.
The nature of Florida’s climate and proximity to water influenced the types of industries present here. It means
we are almost exclusively reliant on a well-functioning environment.
Let me give you an example. Due to the deluge of fresh water through river systems and into estuaries, 100%
of oyster beds in multiple locations around Florida have been destroyed. Many Floridians rely on the
availability of oysters from those who harvest them, to those who supply restaurants and the restaurants
themselves. Our visitors to Florida look forward to Florida seafood. What do we tell them when those oysters
aren’t available?
This is our shared reality as people who reside in towns such as my own home town of Fort Meyers Beach.
We rely heavily on tourism, and the loss of visitors has been devastating for us, and in many, many more
towns just like us in Florida.
My daughter, Willow, is now ten years old. She has grown up on our island and has learned to be a caring and
ecologically-minded young person who. Through her family and the community, she learned to pick up trash
outside rather than sit inside playing video games all day.
She has climbed trees in an effort to save them from being clear-cut for housing and business developments,
as a statement against the destruction of nature for industries notoriously “overbuilt” Florida in the past decade.
In short, she and many children on the island are what we call “Eco Kids” and my daughter and children just
like her, all around Florida, are afraid for our ecological environment. They care about what happens, and it
comes naturally to them to care about their natural home. They won’t stand by and do nothing when they feel
it’s their responsibility, too.
My daughter and the other Eco Kids know that sick lagoons and a polluted gulf means an ill ecological
atmosphere. They understand that pollution and natural destruction will only make us as sick and ill, as it’s
killing manatee and dolphin and many kinds of birds. As adults, it’s humbling to see that children do see the
truth, and they are pleading for change – they want to fix and heal problems, too.
Look at a map of Florida, and you’ll see that Fort Meyers Beach has but one road separating the bay from the
Gulf of Mexico. Living on an island, adult or child, you learn to respect nature, at the very least. The Eco Kids
on the island notice change; they are keenly aware of the interconnection of water and land, and when the
discharges began this year, the collective hearts of those children broke seeing the consequences.
Our children fully understand that it is you who will determine their fates now and in the future by how you
choose to respond to our shared reality.
Our children know that there is an “elephant in the room,” crowding your offices, and they are waiting to see if
you choose to take notice of it.
They are waiting to know if you choose to acknowledge that “elephant” in your offices as their parents and
friends’ parents come here today to plead our case before you.
And at the end of the day, it is we – not you – who will have to be truthful with them based upon your decided
course of action.
As previously stated, we want to work with you - not against you - as a movement for clean water in all of
Florida, not just our own particular areas. Will you choose to do as we have been for forced to do, to face our
shared reality? If we choose to ignore the problem, it will simply remain, and eventually worsen until ecological
collapse is ensured.
Collective myopia is what too many people seem to have when it comes to the mentality of fear produced by
the discharges. Collective myopia is a manifestation of psychic numbing; it’s a psychological defense against
witnessing the environment’s pain and destruction.
It’s a form of denial shielding us from fully experiencing the latest solid reports on ozone depletion, increasing
pollution, toxicity, poverty, illness, and the death of our species and other life on Earth. Our myopia defense
blinds us to the urgency and severity of our current conditions. This is a problem for us all, really. To have
such a mentality that a problem “out of sight, out of mind,” is to simply ignore that elephant in the room for
whatever the reason. We as coastal communities personally implore you keep this problem in plain sight.
We as coastal communities stand united together as one Florida for Florida because we refuse to look away
from our shared realty and we know it’s our shared truth. We are willing to face it - are you? We are willing to
fight for our communities - are you? We have taken a stand as people just as you would – or should - to simply
protect our livelihoods and way of life.
We’re not here to complain about our water being brown one minute longer, because it’s about much, much
more than that. We are talking about how we can make it clean and blue again, by working together as one.
We are no longer talking about whose fault this ecological disaster is or are not; because we know that is an
endless discussion and precludes action, all too often.
We are no longer nameless and faceless. hidden north, south, east and west, mired in the pollution, as now we
are with names and faces before you today.
We know that as simple ordinary people, our shared reality could turn into a genuine nightmare if we fail to fully
acknowledge the problem and delay implementing a real solution.
We encourage you as our state representatives to purchase the land south of the lake from the sugar industry
to restore natural water flow to the south. It's not just a catchy phrase anymore - Plan 6 is the only fix!
Thank you for your time and please know that our children are watching your decision on that “elephant” in
your offices.
Floridians For Clean Water Movement