Water
The Marina They Deserve?
Last week, in a case involving a proposed coastal Georgia development, the GA Supreme Court voted (5-2) for a narrow interpretation of Georgia’s 38 year old Coastal Marshlands Protection Act. The central legal issue before the Court was whether development on land adjacent to coastal marsh, rather than just in the marsh itself, is covered … Continue reading
Tybee Island City Council Strikes Again
At a time when we are witnessing what happens when greed and short-sightedness mix with lack of regulation and oversight, the Tybee Island City Council voted (again, last night) 4-2 to repeal the city’s shoreline protection ordinance. Since its passage in 1999, the city’s ordinance has provided a level of protection (from the negative impacts … Continue reading
Recent News of Note
Trip highlights river ecology, history “When you think of the Savannah River you think of the ports and the issue of harbor deepening and you’ve heard about (nuclear power) Plant Vogtle,” Neal said. “You think it’s going to be an industrial corridor, but really it’s an isolated wild river. That’s what makes those issues vital. … Continue reading
Red, White and Blue. And Green!
This post on Boing Boing led me to a wonderful gallery of high resolution images on the American Legion Web site. In the gallery are hundreds of posters used during World War II to encourage civilians to change their daily routines to aid in the war effort. The individual, who originally posted the link, suggested … Continue reading
Can building green make storms less mean?
On Sunday, Savannah Morning News Environmental Reporter Mary Landers included an interesting angle in her wide ranging story, “Big losses likely when Savannah’s luck runs out.” Here’s a snip: “The damage would be enormous in part because development itself intensifies a storm’s effects. Hard surfaces such as streets, parking lots and roofs don’t allow water … Continue reading
WSAV drills deeper into oil story
Our local television news operations are good at a number of things. Delivering spot news, weather and interviews with high school football players are among these. Unfortunately, tight deadlines usually prevent them from fully exploring complex issues, which can’t be told with two interviews and some b-roll. Russ Riesigner’s “Drilling for Answers” report, which aired … Continue reading
Tony Thomas talks trash
I was recently watching a long-running reality television series on Comcast cable channel 8. TV Guide described the most recent episode of “Savannah City Council Meeting” as a “regular meeting of Savannah’s mayor and aldermen.” The episode I watched was taped before a live studio audience on July 17. Near the end, Tony Thomas—who joined … Continue reading
Imagination
Last night, creative city making champion Charles Landry spoke to a packed house. I had the pleasure of being in the audience along with most of the usual suspects (govt., real estate development, business, downtownies, a few artists & SCAD folk) . . . you were probably there too. He was worth standing up for, … Continue reading
Judge rules in favor of trees, against residents and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
A federal judge has stopped residents’ plans to destroy cypress trees near Statesboro, a decision that’s supported by Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper Chandra Brown. Cypress Lake is a picturesque pond on Lotts Creek in Bulloch County. Like many mill ponds across the region, it’s lined with cypress trees and homes. It feeds a slow-moving river the color … Continue reading
GA Supreme Court Examines Scope of CMPA
Background: The Coastal Marshlands Protection Act (CMPA) states . . . This coastal marshlands resource system is costly, if not impossible, to reconstruct or rehabilitate once adversely affected by man. It is important to conserve this system for the present and future use and enjoyment of all citizens and visitors to our state. Activities and … Continue reading
