Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, is a method of extracting natural gas. It was invented in the 1940s, but gained popularity in the past two decades, particularly in the U.S. This is because …
In the latest dispatch of things that don't pass the smell test in Manatee County, I'd like to draw your attention to your county commissioners’ efforts to outsource HR to one of their buddies. …
Florida Today recently reported on the under-punishment of pollution in Florida. It pointed to findings reported by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) …
ManaSota-88 has requested a public hearing for the purpose of providing an opportunity for the public to comment on a proposed marina by Sunseeker Florida, Inc. Sunseeker Florida seeks authorization …
It would be hard to ignore the heat waves that have plagued North America, Europe and Asia in recent months. If you did not experience them yourself, chances are that you read about them, or their …
On Thursday, a sizable congregation of well-intentioned citizens assembled in the Manatee County Commission chambers to bear witness and enter testimony before their elected representatives went …
My name is Brice Claypoole. I’m fifteen years old and run the advocacy group Kids for Clean Water. The group was founded in 2020 by me and six other local kids. Our first campaign was an effort …
Sustainable parenting isn’t easy given all the ways modern society has become largely a profusion of disposable products. Besides making conscious decisions about the products you buy, you also …
Manatee County is proposing to eliminate several policies that provide wetland protections. Revisions to the county’s Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code will defer to the state …
Back when dinosaurs ruled the earth and I was in high school, I was part of a singing group that traveled around to Panhandle churches and performed religious songs. No, really! I’m not making …
At Thursday's Manatee County Commission land use meeting, commissioners will cast a final vote on plans to gut the county's wetland protection policies. If board members move …
The sea level surrounding New York City (NYC) is nine inches higher today than it was in 1950. Put differently. While it took 48 years for the sea level around NYC to rise by six inches, the next …
On Tuesday, Manatee County Commissioners once again crammed an impressive amount of excrement into a single meeting. From an ill-advised takeover of a prestigious department to the final play in …
We live in the “free” state of Florida. It allows insurance companies “free” rein to charge whatever they want to homeowners and HOAs.
If you are among the 92 percent of Americans who use email as a means of communication, you are a recipient of unsolicited batch emails called “spam.” Every day, upwards of 14.5 billion …
On Tuesday, Manatee County Commissioners will take up a late addition to the agenda that would move the county’s historical resources department from the clerk and comptroller’s office to …
If you want to get environmental advocates agitated, bring up carbon offsetting. It is among the most hotly debated climate solution efforts, with opinions fanned out on the spectrum from …
Wetlands act as buffers for wind and water and are valuable in reducing wave energy which can damage structures and cause deaths. Wetland buffers reduce flood damage by absorbing flood …
One of the more interesting aspects of the interim financial report for April, 2023 (just released by the County Clerk) is that although the bulk of the property taxes for 2023 have already been …
This week, Democrats and Republicans in Washington pretended to be in a high-stakes debate over the potential effects of negotiating lower prescription drug prices on some drugs for some Americans. …