Original article by Shaun Ryan, Ponte Vedra Recorder Here are some examples.
Quinton White, executive Director of the Marine Science Research Institute, says education is key to tackling the environmental issues.
A panel discussion, hosted by THE PLAYERS CHAMPION on Friday March 4, was a step in the right direction if education is to be a conversation.
The TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse hosted Championing Change. Representatives from diverse industries in Northeast Florida were invited to participate in this event.
White, a Jacksonville University professor of biology, was joined by Anne Coglianese, Jacksonvilles first chief resiliency officers; Jeff Plotts (director of TPC Sawgrass golf course operations and winner of 2021 Environmental Leaders in Golf Award); Laureen Husband (charge of public policy, community, Feeding Northeast Florida); and Neera Shetty (executive vice president of social accountability and inclusion for PGA TOUR).
The discussion’s goal was to encourage the exchange of information and best practice that goes beyond current standards. The panel members addressed environmental issues from their professional perspectives.
Water conservation and clarity were two of the topics discussed along with their impact on the community.
White stated that a clean environment is essential for a strong economy. Nobody wants to live in Jacksonville. Sawgrass is not a place where the water is clean.
Plotts described one strategy TPC Sawgrass uses in order to address this concern.
He said that stormwater or recycled water were being used to irrigate the golf course.
He said that turf grass provides the best water filtration and that golf courses can have a cooling effect in the local community.
Coglianese stated that Jacksonville is currently conducting a vulnerability assessment to determine if areas of the city are susceptible to flooding. He also said that plans are in place for a heat study in the summer to determine which areas are hot.
She stated that the goal of the city’s future resilient strategies is to identify policies and programs that can achieve as many benefits as possible.
Shetty explained why she believes there has been a shift in the perception that protecting the environment is detrimental to profits.
She stated that she believes this is the reality of people’s perceptions. This is not something hidden. It is something we see every day. It is a feeling we all feel. We are sensitive to the effects of severe weather events.
Husband spoke out about the benefits of gardening, and encouraged everyone to eat at most one vegetarian meal per week. White’s idea that everyone can make a difference by doing the little things they do ties in with Husband’s.
White stated that it takes us all working together. Each of us can make a difference individually, but together we can make a bigger impact.
