High officials announce significant investments in restoring the Everglades

Jul 16, 2012 07:29 GMT  ·  By

Just recently, US high officials made it public news that they are they set aside $80 million (about €65 million) from the national budget, money that is expected to go into conservation projects aimed at restoring the Everglades.

As an American icon, the Everglades represent a region of subtropical wetlands in the southern part of Florida, and are presently home to countless plant and animal species.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the US Secretary of Agriculture, the Chair of the President's Council on Environmental Quality, an Assistant Secretary of the Army and a leader of the Department of the Interior all agreed that it was high time something was done to protect the biodiversity in this part of the world.

More so given the fact that, as The Nature Conservancy reports, quite a lot of American citizens believe that the country's natural areas need be protected for the benefit of the generations to come.

Thus, according to recent surveys, 83% of Americans would be willing to pay extra-taxes, provided that this money goes into such green-oriented projects.

The same source informs us that, cultural and environmental legacy aside, the Everglades also play a very important role in safeguarding America's water resources and help prevent floods in the region.

More precisely, the natural ecosystems here are in charge or absorbing significant amounts of the water resulting from heavy rains and storing it in swamps.

As one can easily guess, this means that during extended periods of drought, nearby communities can rely on the Everglades as an important and trustworthy water source, not to mention the fact that their homes are kept safe and sound from being washed away by extreme weather manifestations.

The fact that the Everglades store water is particularly important for the people of Florida who are in the business of raising cattle or farming, as these activities typically require that significant amounts of water be used.

It is our opinion that investing in the Everglades' preservation and well-being is a good decision indeed, both from an environmental, and from an economic standpoint.