Grunwald

While reading Grunwald's essay about the Everglades restoration program I became increasingly angry over the power that politics has to create effective change. As a political science student at FGCU I have come to understand the political process and its tendency to favor backroom deals and political re-election posturing over the common good. Re-election comes in the form of monetary contributions and endorsements to campaigns. The Everglades Restoration Project was plagued by "Florida sugar growers, home builders, water utilities, and other economic interest groups" pg. 85 who cared more about their quarterly statements than the Florida their Great Grandchildren would grow up in. In our society today money is everything it circumvents any type of moral responsibility we feel towards our environment.

http://everglades.fiu.edu/reclaim/timeline/timeline6.htm

However I understand that its difficult to get people to care about something, especially if they have never seen it themselves. I understand that, "there are no alligators in New Hampshire" but "the Everglades seem to transcend state lines, just as they seem to transcend party lines. It has become a symbol of America's responsibility to make amends with mother nature." The Everglades aren't just a Florida treasure, they are an American treasure. And their destruction wasn't only the result of Florida politics, but federal politics, which makes it a national problem. It has the opportunity to stand as an everlasting reminder to future generations that nothing is hopeless, and even the worst man made destruction against nature can be rectified if we have the courage to move boldly forward and correct our wrongs.

 

Growing up my grandfather and I would travel to the small general store near our farm. Mr. Johnson had a sign hung on the door that stated "you break it, you buy it." It dictated to customers that any destruction of property whether intentional or not would not be tolerated. In the case of the Everglades I find this statement increasingly true when it comes to Grunwald's article.

http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/everglades-national-park-outdoor-pp2-guide-cid8984.html

 

The Everglades were fine before man intervened. We broke it by draining it in the name of flood control and progress. It seems only right that we are the ones to fix it no matter the cost. Senator Baucus' statement that "its like the Vietnam War in a sense, we've got to keep pouring more money into it because it's gone this far. What's out exit strategy?" pg. 89 thoroughly enraged me. We didn't cause the problems in Vietnam, but we are the sole cause of the devastation of the Everglades. To simply claim that its too expensive to fix what we broke would be like refusing to pay Mr. Johnson for the Vase that purposely smashed to the ground in anger at not being allowed to buy a piece of candy. Its simply ridiculous. We need to fix what we caused regardless of the price tag. This isn't about money its about doing the right thing. We have an ethical responsibility to restore the Everglades to their previous glory.