wetlands protection
Court drama disrupts a key environmental alliance in Florida
A legal battle between the Everglades Foundation and a former scientist has sparked controversy, highlighting a clash over environmental policy and personal integrity.
In short:
- The Everglades Foundation's lawsuit against former scientist Tom Van Lent has caused division within one of the nation's leading environmental coalitions.
- Allegations of "trade secrets" theft and data destruction by Van Lent have led to legal consequences, including bankruptcy and potential jail time.
- This dispute has raised concerns about the impact of internal conflicts on the broader effort to restore the Everglades, a critical environmental project.
Key quote:
“A 2022 employment matter does not impact those of us who are mission-focused on restoration and the environment. The Everglades is the priority.”
— Jacquie Weisblum, Everglades Foundation’s VP of communications
Why this matters:
This conflict brings to light the challenges of maintaining unity among allies in the fight for environmental causes, especially when personal and political agendas may interfere with collaborative efforts for the greater good. How did we get here? Together, we make mud: Environmental politics at the start of a new decade.
Defending the Tijuana estuary
How the US supreme court and an Idaho couple upended wetlands protection
Often dismissed as dismal wet bogs and rampantly cleared since European arrival in the US, the underappreciated importance of wetlands has been placed into sharp relief by a supreme court ruling that has plunged many of these ecosystems into new peril.
What is compensatory mitigation? Evening the scales of environmental impact in NH
A billion-dollar coastal project begins in Louisiana. Will it work as sea levels rise?
In the Everglades, a clash portrayed as ‘science vs. politics’ pits a leading scientist against his former employer
An influential foundation contends that Tom Van Lent stole “trade secrets.” Environmentalists question why such “secrets” exist, as work unfolds on a controversial reservoir touted by Gov. Ron DeSantis as the “crown jewel of Everglades restoration.”