Jimmy Buffett charmed me in 1981, died last year on September 1st, and charmed me again last week even though he was dead.
In the early 80’s I just discovered Buffett, and his album at the time was Somewhere Over China. I was very impressed with the best song on the cassette, also called “Somewhere Than China.” I fixed it, played it again, and put it back together until the tape tore.
(They did. That’s why someone invented the CD, which is now useful for the album, which the cassette failed in the first place.)
Buffett was always pictured in tropical luxury. Several of his album covers showed him in a hammock, jogging. He sang about being an old thief, being a Ship’s Son, Floridays, and Trying to Reason and Hurricane Season.
Who knew? Not me.
What I didn’t know while wearing Somewhere Over China was that Buffett went from making that album to forming the Save The Manatee Group with former Florida governor Bob Graham.
The group was formed because water quality issues threatened the existence of manatees, and its mission was to protect manatees and their aquatic habitats through education, advocacy and research.
The Save the Manatee Club became the world’s leading manatee conservation organization, and Buffett quietly served as chairman of the organization until his death, using his energy, money and time. his all the way.
Lord Parrothead has done so much for Florida’s environment.
Buffett has testified before Congress in support of reauthorizing the Endangered Species Act, using the West Indian manatee as an example of a species that has benefited from protection.
Naturally, playing with the Coral Reefer Group, Buffett supported non-profit organizations dedicated to protecting the coral reef environment. (You mean there’s another meaning to his band name?)
Buffett helped raise money for relief efforts following the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He sponsored the creation of the Save the Manatee Florida license plate. Buffett became prominent in public service announcements and used his concerts to promote waterway signs to protect manatees from speedboats.
For two decades, Buffett sat on the board of the Everglades Foundation, a non-profit environmental organization for members of other non-profit organizations that is now focused on seeing the Everglades Restoration to completion, which may not occur until the waning days of the Anthropocene.
As he sang with ease, Buffett was working hard to secure the future of many of Florida’s iconic brands. He consistently used his influence to support environmental causes related to marine conservation, water quality and the protection of Florida’s environment.
Then on September 1, 2023, Jimmy William Buffett Jr. passed away.
Will. Isn’t that amazing?
Buffett’s will was filed at the Palm Beach County Courthouse a few months ago, and the man intrigued me again.
What it was, was what he included in his will about halfway through it. It is not under the subsections about the copyrights of his work or the salaries but it was in a special section that is not visible. It needs something related to his advocate who took the fruits of his calling to make it financially possible.
Buffett has made it clear that he wants his businesses and assets to be environmentally friendly – all the time.
Giving credit where it’s due: For this account of the environmental aspects of Buffett’s will, I relied on “The Backstory blog” by Christine Stapleton, a retired Palm Beach Post reporter who apparently can’t to stop writing – I say that with unwavering respect – and now writes his thoughts a lot with a good mix of opinions and facts about a series of topics, usually in the field of environment and politics.
After repeating the above in a recent campaign, Stapleton asks:
“Who is doing this?” writes on The Backstory blog. “Who thinks about the environmental conditions of their businesses and buildings when they write their will? Or the future environmental conditions of their businesses and real estate? And who can authorize the use of money in the future to prevent environmental damage to their businesses and assets – even if there is no threat of a lawsuit or government action?
Jimmy Buffett, I guess. That’s what I’m talking about.
Despite his soft, pop-style rock songs that celebrate eating, drinking and smoking weed in the Florida Keys, Buffett was a good businessman,” Stapleton wrote. “Buffett was devoted to “It’s serious in the environment, especially in Florida.”
To inspire others?
There is a common misconception that environmental journalists are environmentalists, like activists, like members of Greenpeace or, like Jimmy Buffett.
You can’t do that. There is a rule of journalism, and a valid one, which says that you must keep objectivity in your heart and mind, which is hard enough to do without being unduly passionate about what you say.
Environmental journalists are professionals who, by luck, fate, or desire, have worked to the point where we research, analyze and present many messages about the science of the world, or the environment we live in, to includes air, water, soil, and weather.
Is a town hall reporter a street politician? Is a police reporter an undercover officer? School board reporter night school teacher? Of course not.
Journalists they they are allowed to be people, and in doing so they appreciate the passion that certain people bring to their vocation or vocation.
That’s what I did here.
I believe that somewhere in Jimmy Buffett’s mind was the belief that by using the term environment in his will to ensure the stewardship of his natural resources, he would inspire others to do the same.
And now we join WGCU Water Quality Report from the point Jimmy Buffett wanted us to make.
RED CROWN
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission took a sample for the red tide creature, Karenia brevisand there were no good tests across the country.
No reports of fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were received last week, nor were there any respiratory outbreaks reported in Florida last week related to harmful algae bloom.
The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel acknowledged that one laughing animal was exposed to red tide toxin and the animal is receiving care. Even though it’s a lot, it’s down a lot compared to previous weeks.
BLUE-GREEN ALGAE
The Florida Department of Health has not reported blue-green algae in the area since Tropical Storm Debby made landfall.
The agency reminds residents that winds and ocean currents often push patches of blue-green algae around, so people in the area should be aware of the potentially toxic bloom.
Lake Okeechobee shows low to moderate shooting potential on about 50% of the lake, which is very scattered.
FDEP says it’s important to remember the ability of green algae can change due to rapidly changing environmental conditions or satellite inconsistencies.
What is a red wave?
A red tide is another type of harmful algal bloom caused by an overabundance of toxic dinoflagellates. K. breviswhich is a rare type of algae found in the Gulf of Mexico.
Red tides often form along the coast, usually in late summer or early fall, and are carried into coastal waters by winds and currents. Once ashore, these opportunistic organisms can use nearshore nutrient sources to fuel their growth.
Flowers usually last through winter or spring, but in some cases, they can last for more than a year.
Is red tide dangerous?
K. brevis produces potent neurotoxins that can be dangerous to wildlife and humans. Wind and wave action can break open K. brevis cells and release toxins into the air. That’s why you should watch the conditions and stay away from the beaches where the red tide blooms.
People living in coastal areas can experience various irritations to the eyes, nose and throat during a red tide bloom. Some people with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may have more
severe symptoms.
Red toxins can also affect the central nervous system of fish and other aquatic organisms, which can kill fish.
What causes a red tide?
A red tide occurs naturally, but recent studies have discovered that adding certain nutrients to the mix can make the red tide last longer or become more intense. But biology (living things), chemistry (natural or man-made nutrients for growth) and physics (concentration and transport mechanisms) work together to produce an algal bloom. There is no single cause that causes the development of a red tide flower.
What is blue-green algae?
Green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, are a group of microorganisms that can live in fresh, brackish or brackish water.
Large concentrations, called blooms, can change the color of water to blue, green, brown, orange or red. Some cyanobacteria blooms can look like foam, scum, or mats on freshwater lakes and ponds. As the algae in the cyanobacterial bloom die, the water may smell like something with an unpleasant natural odor has begun to decompose, too.
Is blue-green algae harmful?
Different types of blue-green algal blooms can look different and have different effects. However, regardless of species, many types of green algae can produce toxins that can make you or your pets sick if ingested or possibly cause irritation of the skin and eyes.
The FDEP advises staying out of water where algae appears as spots or mats or where the water is cloudy. Pets or farmed animals should not come into contact with water affected by algal bloom or with algal bloom or coastal fish. If they do, wash them off immediately.
class=””>What causes blue-green algae?
Blue-green algae blooms occur when the algae present often grow in excess of normal. After a few days, the bloom can make clear water cloudy.
Winds tend to push the floating flowers to shore where they are most visible. Cyanobacteria blooms can form in warm, slow, nutrient-rich waters. The flowers can appear at any time, but they usually appear in late summer or early fall.
If any major water quality alerts are issued, you can find the information here at WGCU Water Quality Report.
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