Yesterday I posted on an observation by Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Thomas, on the decline of the environmental movement in Florida. Among the points I sought to make: the mainstream media -- in its preference to tell green stories that are soft and unvarnished, thus posing no threat to advertisers-- bears significant responsibility for the decline of public awareness on the environment. I had confirmation of this point, yesterday, related to another post over the weekend, where I predicted that TV would be all over the Turkey Point nuclear reactor story now that Japan is in a blooming nuclear crisis, with facts defying the best efforts by the government to put a positive spin on failing reactors.
As an environmental activist, I've spent years in largely fruitless efforts to get Miami-Dade County to rein Florida Power and Light from its irresponsible behavior related to existing cooling canals-- spreading salt water intrusion toward drinking water supplies-- not to mention its ambition for two additional nuclear reactors that will cost in excess of $20 billion. Most people are unaware that we are already paying, through our electricity bills, hundreds of millions for FPL to move its nuclear plans forward, and that the biggest environmental hurdle, fresh water for cooling, was never even presented to local elected officials. Natacha Seijas, facing recall today in Hialeah, was one of the leaders of the county commission on the side of letting industry get whatever it wanted without scrutiny. She was also, for example, a leader in changes to county regulations that allow rock mining to go forward without public hearings and rock mining is key to providing elevated footprints for the new reactors.
So yesterday, right on time, one of the network TV stations in Miami called me and requested an interview. As you may be aware, Florida Power and Light has clamped tight as a drum on the tragedy in Japan. I, on the other hand, have plenty to say about FPL and did it on tape where I was as critical for the camera as I have been on this blog of FPL at Turkey Point. I said exactly what I wrote here over the weekend: that the first hint of trouble at Turkey Point and I'm heading north to Palm Beach. I've seen enough of FPL to know that not even an earthquake would budge its lobbyists and that its history is a better predictor of future performance than any promise or spin.
Last night's broadcast was the top story of the Six O'Clock News. The story, surprise!, failed to include my interview. Instead the broadcast did its green spin exactly along the lines I claim are responsible for the public's waning interest in the environment. I guess an argument could be made-- and was likely made by the TV station's news producers-- that now is the time to reassure the public that everything is fine at Turkey Point. But everything is NOT fine at Turkey Point, as the cooling canal problem proves. Bank robberies and car crashes can get the top story on local TV news, but when it comes to an environmental catastrophe cue the song birds.
2 comments:
A couple of additional comments: one reader noted that South Florida and the entire east coast is vulnerable to a tsunami from a large earthquake off the coast of Africa. While that is a possibility, the bigger threat is a large hurricane with a massive storm surge. Hurricane Andrew was a direct hit on South Dade, but it carried relatively little water with it. A big storm surge would devastate the region and leave Turkey Point exposed to a period when plant operations might not be adequately staffed, or accessible, and backup power could be interrupted. We have also made the point on this blog that sea level rise predicted from climate change will vastly change the landscape of South Florida within the period planned for the new nuclear reactors. It will also change FPL's customer base, duh. What FPL should be planning and implementing, now, is the decommissioning of the existing reactors at Turkey Point, not extending their lifetime as the corporation has done. FPL also has to fix the cooling canal problem, where it has shirked its obligations while government officials looked the other way.
Apparently, the news clip including my interview did appear on the 10 or 11 o'clock version of the news. I did not view and do not know what was included, or, not.
Post a Comment