'bella wrote: > ONe boat yes...but the florida keys ecosystem is fragile. > You might forget boating is a 12 mos a year propositon in the keys.. > and there are a LOT Of boats down there.. a lot... > > I do not mind being pumped out while visiting or living down there.. > the price is worth the view.. sorry you don't apparently feel the same > way...
Not sure how you deduce that last, as I did not say or imply it, or at least I did not think I did. If it seems I did, I did not mean to, don't let it put you off, let me try again. What I said was simply that I don't think the amount the boats could pump out in a non restricted water flow area in general would make a discernible difference to the health of the keys, and I stand by that, as studies I have read have shown it to be true in locations all over. It just is not the boats that are or ever were the problem. If you have solid evidence to the contrary I would like to see it. You say there are a LOT of boats...well sure, but how many of them could be 'out there' at any one time, pumping out? Not that many relative to the amount of biomass mass 'waste' already put into the waters by nature. And of course, much more 'waste' and sewage by man, sources other than boats though! THAT'S the REAL problem! As for the eco-system being fragile, sure, but to what? As far as the coral goes it has been shown it is nitrates, phosphates, ect from other sources that are not boats, and also water temp changes that appear to be doing the damage, I think the waste from boater 'pump outs' has never been a hazard there. And pristine looking waters are often a sign of an eco-system already in trouble, they should NOT be crystal clear! My whole point is not that sewage is not a pollutant (in enough quantity it is for sure, but it's not like smoking cigarettes or eating plutonium which generally are very bad things to do no matter how much), or that it is not a real or potential "problem" in the keys, but rather that the amount that boats could or do contribute to the "sewage problem" in the keys is negligible compared to the amount of Government dollars spent 'solving' that problem where boaters pump outs are concerned. The money would be much better spent in cleaning up the "real" or "actual" 'significant contributors'. But they lack the political will for that, it seems they would rather discharge their authority toward boaters who are if anything only a minuscule part of the problem, and then they use this as an example of "solving the problem", when it certainly is not. > just remember getting caught can cost you a huge fine.. and they > do enforce those fines in the keys. So since I don't "do it" (unless I can't find a pump out station, that is...but that's another story), I don't worry. Harumph! <G> But...what about those who DO "do it", IE munic. treatment, stormwater drains, ect as so tellingly revealed in the pdf doc recently linked from Southwinds here on this forum? Those who are concerned with the keys eco-system in this regard should read that document. -Ken _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
