Floridan: Water Is Our Life
April 28, 2017
The Floridan Aquifer is the source of Florida’s water. Water is our life, and all religious traditions use water symbolically in rituals. We are bound together by water. We are water. Protecting water sources is self-preservation as well as the preservation of Florida’s bio-diversity. Who are Florida’s water-protectors? How shall people of faith and conscience respond?
John Moran, award winning photographer and co-director of the Springs Eternal Project will deliver the keynote address on Friday, April 28, 10:00 am.
The third annual Florida Interfaith Climate Action Network is scheduled for April 28-29, 2017, at First United Methodist Church, 142 East Jackson Street, Orlando. This year’s assembly will lift up how the theme “water is life” is reality in Florida, from the precious Floridan Aquifer to the river of grass flowing into the Everglades to the rising seas along the beaches, and the estuaries threatened by runoff and salination, plus the growing threat of fracking. Florida development projects a population increase of 15 million people by 2070, nearly doubling the current 20 million. Florida is already experiencing water issues; imagine 35 million residents fighting for clean water.
This Assembly will give participants a working knowledge of Florida’s critical water system issues and will provide opportunity for participants to collaborate in networks with other to protect Florida water.
Registration opens March 1 at www.interfaithflorida.com.
The sea level is rising around Florida. There’s no getting around it. In the last five years, sea level has risen .92 inches per year in Tampa Bay and Virginia Key.
Weather patterns are changing. The predictable four o’clock summer showers have become days without rain followed by days of thunderstorms. The rainwater fills low lands quickly and takes days to drain away. With the higher sea levels there’s no place to pump it too.
In Miami, the sea now regularly washes into the flood control sewers and floods street corners. A full moon at high tide is all it takes for standing seawater in the streets.
Citrus trees are dying off from infection and disease because the winter cold snaps that infestations keep in check no longer come at the right time – if at all.
The sun burns more quickly and the number of extremely hot days increases.
Fresh water sources are being compromised by saltwater sources. The everglades is under increasing stress.
People are adaptable. With sincere, serious and sober conversation we can develop collaborative solutions to insure an equitable society meets the changes in our environment.
To that end, the Council has convened the Florida Interfaith Climate Action Network. Our past two assemblies were held at Northland Church, Longwood.
Faith leaders and advocates are invited to join FL-ICAN. Send us note on the form at http://interfaithflorida.com so we can sign you up!.