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EcoSummit an enduring success

EcoSummit an enduring success

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Environment, Outdoors, Reel Time.

I hope you had the opportunity to attend the 2023 EcoSummit in Sarasota this past week. In case you missed it, I wanted to share some of the excellent presentations that were given and provide you with some resources to get a glimpse of what was one of the most well-planned, presented and attended environmental events I’ve had the pleasure of attending.

On Monday morning, Dec. 4, Suncoast Waterkeeper board member Rob Brown and I took summit organizers Dave and Jennifer Shafer, lead sponsor Elizabeth Moore, her daughter Grace, and award-winning Australian documentary filmmaker and EcoSummit Keynoter Damon Gameau and his daughter Velvet, 9, on Suncoast Waterkeeper’s patrol boat.

That night, the event kicked off with a screening of Gameau’s film 2040 (watch it on Prime Video). The premise of the movie is Gameau’s imagining what the future might look like for his then-4-year-old daughter if climate change solutions are brought to scale and the problem is solved. In choosing what to feature in the film, Gameau limited it to solutions that are already available or have the potential to contribute to reversing climate change by the year 2040. The movie was screened at the Bay Nest at Bay Park in Sarasota and was very well attended.

The next two days of the summit featured a list of speakers who presented a diverse spectrum of ideas, solutions and ways to be involved in and live a sustainable life, now and in the future. One of the highlights of the event was an evening with best-selling author Carl Hiaasen, who was joined by environmental journalist and author Craig Pittman and dolphin researcher Randy Wells. It was a humorous and entertaining evening that featured a standing ovation by the sellout crowd in the Roskamp Auditorium at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center. During the three days, attendees were serenaded by the excellent music of the Karen Jonas band.

Here’s a round-up of resources from the organizers to help you keep the momentum going.

There were 497 guests, including 54 speakers, over the two-day event from across the U.S. and as far as Australia and Mongolia! Speaker bios can be found in the EcoSummit Program.

If you are interested in doing more in your community, use the EcoSummit Next sign-up form to indicate your areas of interest and they will get you connected! Sign up at bit.ly/2023ecosummit-next.

If you’re interested in taking steps to help build a green, healthy and sustainable future for you, your family and your community, they recommend 24 local sustainability solutions and have organized them as action steps. Choose the solutions that make the most sense for you and pledge to make them happen. Also, visit their greenlivingtoolkit.org for curated expert advice.

This year’s event was the second organized by the Science and Environment Council’s founders, Dave and Jennifer Shafer, and the turnout proved the effectiveness of the group’s mission and the interest of the public in a sustainable future for our children and future generations.

Reel Time: Join the 2023 EcoSummit

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

On Dec. 5-6, the Science and Environment Council, the region’s network of 43 leading science-based environmental organizations, will offer the community a two-day summit at Van Wezel Hall in Sarasota that will explore solutions for balancing growth with nature and reducing our impacts.Join the 2023 EcoSummit

Since 1930, the population of Sarasota and Manatee counties has grown from 35,000 to 891,000 people. The growth has resulted in significant degradation, fragmentation and loss of natural habitats and the fish and wildlife they supported. The summit will offer the public a lively, thought-provoking and entertaining experience that will include lectures, panel discussions, storytelling, film and music.

Dozens of national, regional, and local experts will share the stage with local storytellers and Americana songwriter Karen Jonas and her band. Australian documentary filmmaker and regenerative environmental leader Damon Gameau will be the summit’s keynote speaker and will screen his film, “2040.”

Florida’s favorite storyteller and author, Carl Hiaasen, journalist Craig Pittman, and local dolphin whisperer Randy Wells will contribute to an unforgettable and entertaining evening of Florida stories.

U.S. News and World Report ranked the Sarasota metro area as the second fastest-growing place in America in 2023-24. Ongoing challenges with impaired waters, recurrent algal blooms and declining fish and wildlife make it clear that we cannot continue to grow the same way we have in the past.

This is particularly important to convey to voters who will need to elect leaders who understand that our economy and quality of life depend on a healthy, resilient natural environment. A recent decision by the Manatee County Commission to reduce wetland buffers, a move in the opposite direction, points to the urgency of informing the public. Nature cleans our air and water, supports fish and wildlife, promotes public health and drives our economy.

An important book by Florida author Jack Davis, “The Gulf, the Making of an American Sea” (winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for history), is highly recommended to show residents what has been lost and the importance of protecting what we still have. Floridians whose families have lived here for generations know this story well. For four years running, participants in Sarasota County’s annual Citizen Opinion Survey have identified population growth and development as the county’s biggest issue.

We’ve done it before. Since the 1970s, our region has often led the state with bold, community-driven environmental initiatives. Residents rallied to protect South Lido Beach Park, Emerson Point, Sister Keys and Casperson Beach. We banned phosphate mining in Sarasota County and adopted the first summer ban on fertilizer use. We established Sarasota Bay, Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor as estuaries of national significance and empowered three National Estuary Programs to protect and restore them. We protected the Myakka River and more recently the Little Manatee River as state-designated Wild and Scenic Rivers. In November 2020, 71.34% of Manatee County voters agreed to increase property tax by .15 mills and authorized purchasing $50 million in bonds to acquire, improve and manage land to protect drinking water sources and water quality, preserve fish and wildlife habitat, prevent stormwater run-off pollution and provide parks.

Our communities overwhelmingly support our natural environment, and we have exceptional environmental organizations with highly qualified and dedicated people who work to conserve and restore it. Now it’s more critical than ever that we elect leaders who listen to the will of the people. I highly recommend this summit as a learning experience and a call to action. See you there.