Author of Everglades History to Offer Broader Environmental Insights
Michael Grunwald, award-winning author and senior correspondent for Time magazine, will talk about his book, "The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise," and its universally applicable lessons, at 7 p.m. Nov. 6. His appearance, co-sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's School of Natural Resources, College of Journalism and Mass Communications and Water Center, as well as the Lower Platte River Corridor Alliance, will be free and open to the public in the Hardin Hall auditorium at 33rd and Holdrege.
(Media-Newswire.com) - LINCOLN, Neb. — The Everglades may be half a continent away, but the history of all the ways people have tried to deal with them is a microcosm of environmental management that is fully applicable in Nebraska.
Michael Grunwald, award-winning author and senior correspondent for Time magazine, will talk about his book, "The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise," and its universally applicable lessons, at 7 p.m. Nov. 6. His appearance, co-sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's School of Natural Resources, College of Journalism and Mass Communications and Water Center, as well as the Lower Platte River Corridor Alliance, will be free and open to the public in the Hardin Hall auditorium at 33rd and Holdrege.
In an interview with the Naples ( Fla. ) Daily News, Grunwald said, "One of the really fascinating things is the way so many of the people who have destroyed the Everglades have meant well. I knew that we used to think of nature as something to be tamed, and now we think of it as something to be treasured. But I didn't realize that the people who led the fight to tame nature were the conservationists of their day."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and legions of other stakeholders have reversed efforts to drain the Everglades and now are striving to restore them.
"The Everglades are hundreds of miles from Nebraska, but the Great Plains can learn from what happened in Florida. In fact, we can't afford not to," said Michael Jess, senior lecturer in the School of Natural Resources. Jess, formerly Nebraska's state engineer, noted that in the Platte River valley, "construction of dams, large reservoirs and irrigation projects brought substantial economic benefits to our state, but they adversely affected valuable wildlife habitat."
"Instead of identifying physical solutions, the greater challenge for today's resource managers is leadership," Jess said. "In nearly every situation, broad-based support, which is essential for implementation of effective environmental changes, depends upon creation of coalitions and working together."
In addition to his public appearance on Nov. 6, Grunwald will be the keynote speaker for the Second Biennial Lower Platte River Summit earlier that day, and will speak at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications on Nov. 7.
Before his presentation, Grunwald will autograph copies of his book, which will be available at the Nebraska Maps & More Store in the first floor lobby of Hardin Hall. Parking next to Hardin Hall will be free during the event.
The Water Center and School of Natural Resources are part of the university’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
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