5A- Identifying Local Opportunities
Weeki Wachee River Worthy of Protection Former State
Official Says.
This article describes the study
recently conducted on the environmental impact of recreation and tourism on
Weeki Wachee River. The main issue is that this study took so long to be conducted
and released.
The problem is that the majority
of environmental harm was done by kayaks. The article cites too many kayaks
being launched and causing destruction to the environment.
The parks and recreation department
has this issue, as well as environmental conservatives and individuals who work
at the park. I imagine if the issues get worse the problem could expand to
affect individuals living in that area.
Heres How we Should Teach Civics
to Florida Students.
This opinion article details the
lack of knowledge about civics in the US, and more specifically Florida which
ranked #48 in civic participation. This article uses the impeachment trial as a
microcosm of the issue, explaining that many individuals fail to understand what’s
happening in the trial as they do not have a basic understanding of our
government.
The problem is that the teaching
of civics is not prioritized by our education system in a way that is
meaningful, but this article actually explains the solution—a bill that is currently
being considered by congress to incentivize students to become more active in
their civic community.
We all have this problem, our democracy
doesn’t work unless the electorate is informed. So this is a pivotal issue
considering how bad we rank regionally.
What I Learned by Throwing a
Safe Sex Pizza Party.
This article, also an opinion piece,
talks specifically about one individuals experiences learning about the sex ed initiatives
the state has. Its written by a high school senior and is all about her observations
of the system as she goes through it. The title is about her efforts to educate
the public and school system about this issue.
The issue is that schools have
an outdated mindset when it comes to sex ed. They focus on abstinence rather
than safe sex—and this means young individuals who are becoming sexually active
don’t fully understand how to protect themselves.
This problem is primarily that
of young adults who are becoming sexually active, but the burden or STI’s and
unwanted pregnancies move to affect many others.
Heres How Climate Change Will Affect Florida in the Next 20 Years.
This article is an opinion piece as well. The author uses
research to prove that climate change will have catastrophic effects on the
state of florida. Raising sea levels by 8 inches,
increasing tempatures, and overall degradation of infrastructure.
The problem is that the state
isn’t doing enough to both combat and prepare for this climate change, Infrastructure
needs to be improved, and emissions rates need to be reduced.
This problem primarily affects those
who live in coastal areas, but really so much of Florida is costal and a lot of
our demographic is elderly and vulnerable to the health impacts of rising heat
(increased risk of certain disease types.)
No More Public Money for Tampa’s downtowner
Car Service.
This is another opinion piece, about
a public transportation program in downtown Tampa. It's basically Uber with
state funding you don’t have to pay for. Tampa doesn’t have any sort of public
transportation so this service is pivotally important. This piece advocates
against the use of public money to fund this service, and talks about an important
upcoming vote that’ll determine whether the service stays or not.
The problem is the state doesn’t
want to fund this, as it brings in no revenues. There may be a cheaper
alternative to public transportation, but I personally believe the economic impact
of this rideshare app is worth more.
This problem affects the many
people who live and work in downtown Tampa. I mentioned prior there is no other
form of public transportation so this is a lifeline for many people to get
around and to work.
Hi Ty,
ReplyDeleteI really liked reading all of your local opportunities. I think that all of the opportunities you found articles about and listed are very important, especially the one about teaching civics in public Florida schools. I think that the lack of knowledge about civics in Florida is a huge problem, and can affect not only our state, but our country negatively. This is definitely a great opportunity as it is very important to prioritize learning about civics in school.