Florida Governor Rick Scott and the House of Representatives and are at each others throats over a tourism dispute that began with a tax break given to rapper Pitbull for his Sexy Beaches music video.

A 10-5 vote led by Republicans in the House subcommittee on careers and competition ended support for Visit Florida, a private organization receiving equal funding from the state and private contributions. Governor Scott had some harsh words for those House Republicans.

"I don't understand how anyone can look at Florida's booming tourism industry, and the more than 1.4 million jobs it supports, and vote to kill it," Scott said in a statement. "The legislation the Florida House is pushing puts more than 1.4 million jobs at risk and we cannot let that happen."'

Prior to the vote, Scott enlisted the Let's Get to Work political committee to drum up resistance to the vote by calling voters and telling them their legislator was in favor of a bill that would "destroy our economy and lead to higher taxes," the Associated Press reported.

In response, the Florida House produced a video attacking Visit Florida and accusing it of being involved in a secret $1 million deal with rapper Pitbull for his Sexy Beaches music video.

The past year hasnt been easy on the Sunshine State. Between two hurricanes, the mass shooting in Orlando, the Zika outbreak and an alligator attacking a child at DisneyWorld, convincing tourists to bring their money to Florida has proved challenging.

Despite the challenges, Floridas tourism industry still managed to draw a record number of tourists.

Read more here:

Tax break for 'Sexy Beaches' riles Florida GOP - RT

Feb. 17, 2017, 3:17 p.m.

Several road closures were impacting Malibu-area beaches Friday afternoon as a massive rainstorm slammed into Southern California.

The entrance to Point Dume State Beach was closed, as was the Pacific Coast Highway underpass to Zuma Beach, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Lifeguard Division. The ZumaBeach exit to Westward Beach Road was closed, as was Escondido Access Way at Pacific Coast Highway, officials said.

The county Department of Beaches and Harbors was distributing free filled sandbags Friday afternoon, at a limit of 10 per person, at multiple locations , including Will Rogers State Beach (near the Temescal Canyon entrance), three locations near Venice Beach, Dockweiler Beach, Manhattan Beach and Torrance Beach.

Health officials issued a beach-use advisory for all L.A. County beaches. Coastal visitors were cautioned to be careful when swimming, surfing and playing in ocean waters near discharging storm drains, creeks and rivers.

"Bacteria, debris, trash and other public health hazards from city streets and mountain areas are likely to enter ocean waters through these outlets," Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the county's interim health officer, said in a statement .

Beach areas that were not near discharging storm drains, creeks and rivers are exempt from the advisory, which will be in effect until at least 2 p.m. Monday.

Original post:

Malibu-area beaches impacted by street closures; beach advisory ... - Los Angeles Times

Seeker

Plastic 'nurdles' found littering UK beaches BBC News A search of 279 beaches around the UK has found that almost three-quarters of them were littered with tiny plastic "nurdles". Volunteers signed up to search their local shoreline, ranging between Shetland and the Scilly Isles, for the lentil-sized ... Tiny Plastic 'Nurdles' Are Invading the Shores of British BeachesSeeker Tiny plastic pellets found on 73% of UK beaches | Environment | The ...The Guardian Harmful plastic pellets found on three quarters of British beachesTelegraph.co.uk The Times (subscription) -Exeter Express and Echo -The Great Nurdle Hunt all 34 news articles »

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Plastic 'nurdles' found littering UK beaches - BBC News

A government committee has approved construction of an 800-megawatt coal power plant near pristine beaches on the Andaman Sea, Thailands prime minister said Friday.

The plant and an accompanying dock are slated to be built next to an existing oil plant on the coast in Krabi, a province whose sandy shores, aqua-blue waters, and soaring limestone cliffs that plunge dramatically into the Andaman Sea make it a world-famous tourist destination.

The announcement by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha that the National Energy Policy Committee has given the go-ahead to the project was criticized by activists who worry the plant will pollute local waters and spoil scenery. They say it will damage tourism and fishing, and that eco-friendly alternatives should be considered instead.

The Energy Ministry says southern Thailands power grid falls hundreds of megawatts short during peak demand, requiring electrical backup from Malaysia or provinces further north. But environmentalists argued in a report submitted to the ministry last year that biomass, wind, or other renewable energy sources could make up the shortfall.

The proposal will be reviewed to meet environmental standards before being forwarded to the Cabinet. Prayuth, who heads a military government, chaired the committee and in announcing its approval said the project was necessary to avoid future shortages and was safe.

Several hundred demonstrators traveled overnight from Krabi to stage a sit-in at the gates outside the prime ministers office compound, waving green flags emblazoned with NO COAL under skulls and crossbones. Some scuffled with police guards after the decision was announced.

Its not right, Akradej Chakjinda, leader of activist group Save Krabi, said of the decision. Hes not listening to the local people. Hes listening just to members of the energy ministry, to his friends.

Activists say the plant and its pollution will wreck Krabis tourist trade and hurt fishermen, damaging two of the largest industries in the province. Tourism made up 17.7 percent of Thailands economy in 2016, according to official statistics.

Krabi is very famous for its nature, people come for nature, but now you destroy nature. said Ponwarin Kanantai, 20, a college student whose parents run a hotel in a beachside town in Krabi. Its not our generation you have think of the next generation, how will they be impacted by coal.

Officials say the plant will adhere to high cleanliness standards and will burn premium-grade coal imported from Australia to cut down on emissions. They point out it will be built next to an already-existing power station hidden behind trees not, they say, on pristine grounds.

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Thailand Government Plans to Build a Coal Plant Near Popular Tourist Beaches - Skift

Thousands of dead fish have washed up on the shores of Costa Ricas Gulf of Nacoya on the Pacific, covering beaches and dotting the coastline of beaches.

According to officials, sardine species at Abangaritos Beach in Puntarenas have mostly been affected but no exact cause has yet been determined. The bodies of the fish cover approximately two kilometres (1.2 miles) of the coastline.

Costa Ricas coast guard have taken samples of the water to determine the cause of the incident.

Most probably it was a natural phenomenon that caused this, that resulted in an increase in algae, and this caused a release of excess oxygen, and given that the fish are here in great quantities they could not breathe. That is what could have happened, given what we have to go off now. But it could also be pollution. Eight days after the samples are taken, we will know if theres another theory, said marine biologist for Costa Ricas coast guard, Fredy Campos.

Authorities have urged locals not to eat the sardines.

(REUTERS)

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Thousands of dead fish wash up on Costa Rica beaches - NTD.TV - New Tang Dynasty Television

By Deborah Wheeler | 315-4432 | @WaltonSunDeb | dwheeler@waltonsun.com

Walton county commissioners held a public hearing last week to solidify rules and regulations regarding beach vendors and activities for the coming year.

Despite some opposition, the 15-foot buffer for vendors will remain from the toe of the dune, and that is a universal rule due to Customary Use ordinance that will go into effect April 1.

The Beach Activities Ordinance now prohibits vending of tents larger than six cubic feet, and rows of chair setups must have an aisle down the middle going to the water.

Assistant County Attorney Sydney Noyes said that no food and beverage vendors are currently allowed on any Walton County beaches, but commissioners voted to allow resorts with private beaches such as Sandestin to provide food for their guests on their beach as they are in control of it.

This leaves vendors prohibited from cooking on the county's public beaches for special events.

Although District 4 Commissioner Sara Comander said the days are long gone for cooking on the beach, District 5 Commissioner Tony Anderson said he likes to celebrate his birthday each year on the beach and cooks with a gas grill.

"I hate to see that taken away," he said.

Noyes assured him that the BCC is only addressing vendors.

However, Walton County's Director of Beach Operations Brian Kellenberger stated that it is unlawful to ignite an open flame without a permit on the beach, although enforcement is at an officer's discretion.

Fees and fines for violations were raised from $500 to $750 and in the case of catered special events, the vendor would be the one fined, not the person who hired them.

For catered special events, the vendor must have a parking plan for guests.

Also new this year will be the space that must be given a marked sea turtle nest. The rule in the past was no event set ups within 50 feet of a nest.

Valerie Lofton with South Walton Turtle Watch told commissioners that South Walton's beaches is nesting habitat for four of the world's seven sea turtle species, and they are endangered.

"When they hatch, they get disoriented on a lighted beach," she said.

South Walton Turtle Watch's Matt Magera told commissioners that even 100 feet away from a nest that could hatch is not nearly enough.

"It should be 200," he said. "You are putting an endangered species at risk."

Turtle walker Tom King of Rosemary Beach agreed.

"It's a sacred thing," he said. "We have a responsibility to take care of the turtles."

Commissioners voted to increase the turtles' space to 100 feet.

Read more here:

Walton Commission tweaks beach ordinance regulations - The Northwest Florida Daily News

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Two storms in one week took a toll on Cape Cod beaches.

"There were three of four cycles of pushing the tide in and just taking chunks of beach away," said John Defoe, roads and trails supervisor of Cape Cod National Seashore.

In Provincetown at Herring Cove Beach, erosion further crumbled a parking lot.

"It's heartbreaking to see, when you pull up to check on the stairs and they're gone," said Defoe.

Some stairs to Marconi Beach in Wellfleet were destroyed. The cost to replace them could be as much as $175,000.

"The massive amount of erosion that's happening out here, it's really kind of discouraging," said Janet Golan of Eastham.

"We have seen the stairs go away like every year for the last couple of years," said Mike Golan of Eastham.

Beaches along the Cape typically lose two to three feet a year in erosion, but at Nauset Light, it's 12 to 15 feet a year.

"What seems to be happening is that there is no offshore sandbar, so the waves break directly on the beach instead of a sandbar, said Karst Hoogeboom, chief of facilities and maintenance of Cape Cod National Seashore.

The stairs are off limits again now. The Park Service Hopes to repair them. But for now, the bluffs here are very unstable.

Published at 5:34 PM EST on Feb 17, 2017

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Storms Taking Toll on Cape Cod Beaches | NECN - NECN

Miami Herald

Spat over 'Sexy Beaches' morphs into Florida Republican feud Miami Herald What started out as a disagreement over taxpayers footing the bill for a version of Pitbull's "Sexy Beaches" video is now turning into a full-blown public relations war between Republican Gov. Rick Scott and the GOP-controlled Florida House. The two ... Spat over 'Sexy Beaches' morphs into Florida Republican feud - WFSB 3 ConnecticutWFSB Florida, Palm Beach County saw record tourism in 2016Sun Sentinel all 44 news articles »

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Spat over 'Sexy Beaches' morphs into Florida Republican feud - Miami Herald

Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson

SACRAMENTO State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) is continuing her efforts to protect California beaches by reintroducing a bill to monitor and cap Californias old, abandoned and leaking oil wells. Senate Bill 44, the Coastal Oil Well Clean Up and Remediation Act, would require that the California State Lands Commission plug very old orphaned oil wells in California waters when the original oil company that operated the well is out of business and cannot be held responsible.

SB 44 is the reintroduction of a bill Jackson carried in 2016 that was vetoed by Governor Brown. Research completed by the State Lands Commission in 2016 identified approximately 200 improperly capped orphan oil wells that risk contaminating our coastal waters through the continual seepage of oil. The vast majority of these so-called legacy wells in California are located along the Summerland and Ellwood beaches in Santa Barbara County and along the Central Coast.

No one hoping to take a peaceful walk along the beach wants to find themselves or their family members stepping into black, toxic gunk instead, said Jackson. Oil is toxic, it is a carcinogen, it leads to poor air quality, and it is unsafe for wildlife. We dont want it on our beaches, soiling a place of beauty and economic vitality, nor do we want it near our children, our out-of-town visitors, or our fish, birds and marine life. To the extent we can prevent having our beaches soiled by it, we should. I look forward to working with the Governor this year to get this bill passed.

Jacksons bill was originally inspired by the influx of oil onto Summerland Beach, south of Santa Barbara, which continues to prompt health warnings and beach closures. The oil is believed to be coming from the Becker Onshore Well and other similar wells dating back to the 1890s, long before the creation of regulatory agencies and requirements about how to properly cap unused wells, and is believed to have been leaking oil for decades. The company that operated that well is now out of business.

During the 2016 legislative session, Governor Brown approved $700,000 in funding in the state budget to remediate the Becker Onshore Well. It is estimated that the State Lands Commission will be able to start remediation of the Becker well by 2018.

SB 44 redirects up to $2 million dollars annually to a fund set aside for the remediation of additional improperly abandoned legacy wells. With this fund, the Commission can begin identifying which old wells are leaking oil and prioritize addressing the highest risk wells first.

The first hearing for the bill has not yet been set.

More:

Jackson Reintroduces Bill To Clean Up Beaches By Plugging Old, Leaking Oil Wells - Tri County Sentry (blog)

NEW YORK Spring break is right around the corner. For some travelers, that means seeking out beaches and sunshine. Others may be tempted by Europe, which has become more affordable for Americans, or by spring skiing.

Airfare, destinations, bookingsAirfares vary considerably this time of year. Travelers not tied to a holiday week may find flights are cheaper at other times. Most colleges schedule a week off in March, but family vacations often revolve around school breaks for Easter (April 16 this year) or Passover (beginning April 10).

Booking.coms data shows that travel March 18-April 30 will be 2 percent more expensive overall than last year, but a few domestic destinations are cheaper, including New Orleans, 8 percent cheaper than last spring; Miami Beach, 4 percent cheaper; and Tampa, Florida, 9 percent cheaper.

And take a look at Europe: A strong U.S. dollar has made vacations there much more affordable for Americans.

Expedias top 10 destinations for March and April are Cancun, Mexico, followed by Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas; New York; Miami; Los Angeles; London; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Phoenix and Paris.

American Express Travels top five international destinations are London, Cancun, Rome, Paris and Tel Aviv. But American Express reports a few other spots spiking compared with last year, with spring bookings to Iceland up 150 percent, to Auckland, New Zealand, up 129 percent, to Madrid up 114 percent, to Casablanca, Morocco, 103 percent, and Zurich, 101 percent.

AAAs bookings have three Florida destinations Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Miami in the top five domestic destinations, along with Anaheim, California (home to Disneyland), and Las Vegas. Internationally, AAAs top five are Punta Cana, Rome, Jamaica, London and the Bahamas.

At StudentUniverse, which caters to travelers 18-26, top spring break destinations are London; Los Angeles; New York; Miami; Paris; Madrid; Orlando; Barcelona, Spain; Cancun; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tokyo and Dublin.

Debbie Sebastian, a Travel Leaders agent in Danville, Kentucky, says shes seeing lots of groups traveling with Punta Cana being the most popular choice this year. The flight times and charter options make it a great option.

March is typically the Miami airports busiest month for domestic arrivals, with 1.08 million passengers in March 2016.

Karen Malone, with Travel Leaders in Woodbury, Minnesota, says in addition to the Dominican Republic, Jamaica is also proving popular, with both destinations offering new resort choices. We here in the frozen North are attracted to those turquoise blue waters and white sand beaches, she said.

Cancuns always big for spring break, but its not just a destination for the pina colada-and-party crowd. Cancun also serves as the gateway for more quiet environs like Isla Mujeres, which is growing in popularity, as well as the entire Riviera Maya and all points directly south of Cancun, including Playa del Carmen, said Travel Leaders spokesman Steven Loucks. The region has all-inclusive resorts for every kind of traveler couples, families, multigenerational groups.

Spring skiing, spring trainingSome ski resorts schedule fun events to mark the end of winter, from concerts to costume contests and parties with a beach-and-barbecue theme. Vail, Colorados Spring Back to Vail festival is April 14-16 and includes the World Pond Skimming Championships, where skiers land in the water. Breckenridge, Colorado, has a Spring Fever festival, April 1-23.

Baseball fans often schedule trips to catch their favorite MLB teams getting ready for opening day. Late February through April 1, the Cactus League plays in the Phoenix area, the Grapefruit League plays in Florida.

Culture vulturesNot everybody hits the beach for spring break and not every family heads to theme parks. Wendy Perrin, founder of the travel planning site WendyPerrin.com, says her best spring vacations with two boys have been to Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia; Paris; and a Panama Canal cruise. This year, shes taking the family to Morocco, to introduce the kids to a completely different culture.

If you like visiting museums, note two important openings this spring: the American Writers Museum in Chicago on May 16 and the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia on April 19.

Other noteworthy events include the Whitney Museum of American Arts Biennial 2017 in New York, a contemporary art survey opening March 17; in Kansas City, Missouri, special exhibitions at the National World War I Museum and an April 6 commemoration of the centennial of Americas 1917 entry into the war; and at the Dallas Museum of Art, opening March 12, a survey of 200 works of Mexican modern art by Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and others. A new attraction opens at Graceland in early March, Elvis Presleys Memphis, with museum exhibits, a stage and more.

Finally, spring means flowers. In Washington, D.C., the National Cherry Blossom Festival runs March 20-April 16 with various Japanese-themed events, though bloom times vary depending on the weather. And at Walt Disney World in Florida, the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival runs March 1-May 29.

Visit link:

Spring break ideas: From beaches to Europe to new museums - The Durango Herald

Tiny plastic pellets, known as nurdles, found at Tregantle Cove in Newquay. Photograph: PA

A search of hundreds of beaches across the UK has found almost three-quarters of them are littered with tiny plastic pellets.

The lentil-size pellets known as nurdles are used as a raw material by industry to make new plastic products.

But searches of 279 shorelines from Shetland to Scilly revealed that 205 (73%) contained pellets.

The largest number recorded in the Great Winter Nurdle Hunt weekend in early February were found at Widemouth Bay in Cornwall, where 33 volunteers from the Widemouth Task Force collected about 127,500 pellets on a 100-metre stretch of beach.

Thousands of the tiny pellets were spotted by volunteers over a short period in locations from Porth Neigwl in Wales to the shoreline in front of the dunes at Seaton Carew near Hartlepool, County Durham, and after stormy conditions on the Isle of Wight.

More than 600 volunteers took part in the hunt organised by Fidra, the Scottish environmental charity, in collaboration with the Environmental Investigation Agency, Fauna and Flora International, Greenpeace, the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage.

The lightweight nurdles can escape into the environment at various points during their manufacture, transport or use, spilling into rivers and oceans or getting into drains where they are washed out to sea. It is thought that billions are lost in the UK each year.

Nurdles are one of the main sources of primary microplastics small pieces of plastic that have not come from larger items broken down into little bits in European seas and can cause damage to wildlife.

Experts say they soak up chemical pollutants from their surroundings and then release the toxins into the animals, such as birds and fish, that eat them.

Results from the hunt will be fed into the governments consultation on microplastics, which is looking at ways of tackling the problem.

Madeleine Berg, projects officer at Fidra, said she was delighted so many nurdle hunters braved the winter weather to take part.

The information weve gathered will be vital to show the government that pellets are found on beaches all around the UK and, importantly, that so many people care about the issue.

Simple precautionary measures can help spillages and ensure nurdles do not end up in our environment. We are asking the government to ensure best practice is in place along the full plastic supply chain, and any further nurdle pollution is stopped.

Fidra has been working with the UK plastics industry since 2012 to promote best practice to end further pellet pollution.

View Fidras interactive map to see where nurdle pollution has been found across the UK in the past few years.

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Tiny plastic pellets found on 73% of UK beaches - The Guardian

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's a joyful noise that you've probably never heard.

For the last 25 years, the Ebony Chorale of the Palm Beaches has been belting out tunes in all genres.

Their primary focus is bringing light to a dark, yet hopeful chapter, of American history.

Our mission is the performance and preservation of the Negro spiritual, the song that grew out the slavery experience, says Dr. Orville Lawton, founder of the Chorale.

It gives a strong sense of our heritage, and understanding from whence we've come, and we're trying to get to, Chorale president Lee Hooks added.

Lawton says there was interest in the idea from the very beginning.

I got 25 singers that I knew and asked them to bring someone, and by the time we did the dedication, I actually had 100 singers, Lawton said.

In those 25 years, their travels have taken the Chorale around the world, from performing in West Africa, to right here in our area, where the group performed with the Palm Beach Opera earlier this month.

Claudine Cotton has been with the Chorale since the beginning.

It wraps you, it warms you, and when you're finished, you're tired, but you feel great, said Cotton. Its a good group to be with. In here, everybody gets along.

Leslie Powell, on the other hand, just joined last August.

It is amazing, said Powell. And to say that I have a voice in the group, I feel like that's truly a blessing.

It's a group made up of men and women, old and young, from different backgrounds.

They all want to send a united message they say is still relevant today, of a past that shouldn't be forgotten, and a brighter future they hope to embrace.

All of it done in a language we can all understand.

Music actually transforms people's ideas, makes them look at things a different way when they can hear it, and feel it, and be a part of it.

The Ebony Chorale will be having their 25th anniversary celebration on May 28 at 5 p.m., at Palm Beach Lakes High School.

For more information, visit here.

Read more:

Ebony Chorale of the Palm Beaches celebrates 25 years in the community - WPTV.com

USA TODAY

Explore Florida's best beaches USA TODAY Miami Beach often hosts global events like Art Basel Miami Beach, the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Miami Beach International Fashion Week and the Miami International Boat Show. Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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Explore Florida's best beaches - USA TODAY

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Panama City Beach boasts 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordering the clear, emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrews Bay.(Photo: Panama City Beach CVB)

Home to Disney World, cosmopolitan Miami and the wild Everglades, Florida has much to offer before you even set foot on its 663 miles of world-class beaches. Get inspired for your next trip to the Sunshine State with the photo tour in the carousel above.

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Chris Lindahl @cmlindahlMary Ann Bragg @MaryAnnBraggCCT

SOUTH WELLFLEET Recent storms have once again eaten away at some of Cape Cod's vulnerable shoreline, tearing away sand, destabilizing dunes and eliminating at least one access point to the beach below.

Two sets of stairs to the beach within the Cape Cod National Seashore were closed Tuesday until further notice because of storm damage over the weekend.

At Marconi Beach, the bottom of the stairs was washed away, and the entire structure will need to be removed and replaced, said Karst Hoogeboom, chief of maintenance and facilities at theSeashore.

On Wednesday, Seashore staffers were assessing the stairs at Nauset Light Beach to determine if the structure could be stabilized and reopened, Hoogeboom said. An area of the bluff washed away under the stairs but the structure itself may be OK, he said.

We might be able to save them, he said.

At Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown, storm damage to the 208-space northern parking is continuing as it has in previous years, Hoogeboom said. On Wednesday, about 55 spaces were available for use, with the rest of the buckled and eroded lot blocked off to cars. Funding to move the northern parking lot back from the shoreline is expected to be available in 2018, he said.

Watch: Recent storms have damaged the stairs at Marconi Beach

Nauset Light Beach, in particular, is a hot spot for accelerated winter-storm erosion, according to Seashore officials. The federal agency spent about $130,000 to rebuild the stairs for the 2016 summer season but is working with consultants to evaluate options and costs for stairs that could be removed before winter each year and then reinstalled after the threat of winter storms has passed, according to an announcement from the Seashore last year.

In 2013, the National Park Service spent over $200,000 to repair the stairs at Nauset Light Beach and at Marconi Beach after they had been damaged by the previous winter's storms.

Erosion-prone Town Neck Beach in Sandwich also took a beating in Mondays storm, according to David DeConto, the towns assistant director of natural resources.

The worst effects were west of the Sandwich Boardwalk, near homes on Bay Beach Lane and White Cap Path. The storm also took down a portion of town fencing that protects dunes from foot traffic, he said.

DeConto said he suspects that damage was due to two factors: the northerly winds and the fact that some dunes were more square, rather than gently sloping, which makes them more susceptible to erosion. The squared-off dunes were a result of previous storms, he said.

Photo Gallery: Outer Cape erosion

Town officials dont yet have a precise answer on how much beach washed away, DeConto said. Hell need to closely study a series of photographs taken before and after the storm to gauge the exact damage, which varied depending on location, he said.

In a separate project, U.S. Geological Survey officials were at the beach this week taking measurements for a study of the wave action of Cape Cod Bay, which theyll use to create a model. That work and data, including photographs, will also help Sandwich officials with their erosion-control efforts, DeConto said.

Follow Mary Ann Bragg on Twitter: @MaryAnnBraggCCT. Follow Chris Lindahl on Twitter: @cmlindahl.

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Cape beaches bruised by winter weather - Cape Cod Times (subscription)

A recent trend of auto burglaries has police in Jacksonville Beach and Atlantic Beach on the offensive.

Jacksonville Beach saw a 34 percent increase in auto burglaries between 2015 and 2016, the highest increase the department has seen in recent years. They accounted for more than half of the 500 total burglaries recorded last year.

Atlantic Beach recorded 112 auto burglaries and 29 cases of car thefts in 2016. This year the department already has 21 reported auto burglaries and six reported car thefts. Interim Police Chief Victor Gualillo said auto burglaries usually spike around the winter holidays, but the department has seen a change in the past year.

It runs in just strange spurts, Gualillo said.

Jacksonville Beach Police Department spokesman Sgt. Thomas Crumley said the department started noticing this trend in September.

To the south, Ponte Vedra Beach has also experienced a spike in auto burglaries in the past two years. St. Johns County Sheriffs Office reports a 57 percent increase in Ponte Vedra Beach between 2015 and 2016. The number of reported auto burglaries spiked from 84 in 2015 to 132 in 2016.

Cmdr. Chuck Mulligan, spokesman for the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office, said car burglaries are the No. 1 crime in St. Johns County and among the most common crimes in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Authorities in all three areas report that unlocked cars and leaving valuables in unlocked cars are the top two causes of auto burglaries. Mulligan and Crumley said unlocked cars are an easy target for criminals, as it means easier access and less chance for them to set off car alarms.

Young adult men are the suspects of most auto burglaries. Often going to different areas in groups, two or three people in the group will pull on the door handles of cars and will quickly go through any cars that are unlocked. This can mean taking things from a few dollars in change to valuables such as laptops, wallets or guns. In Atlantic Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach, there have been some reported cases where cars have been left unlocked with the keys in the ignition or in the car.

If its an unlocked car, and all you get is the change, its two or three dollars out of every car, Crumley said.

The Jacksonville Beach Police Department restarted its Lock It or Lose It campaign in September in response to raising auto burglaries. Authorities urge people to lock their cars and take any valuables especially handguns with them to discourage potential criminals and help police curb this trend.

I think that the harder we make it on them, potentially theyll find another path and another area to look at, Mulligan said.

Tiffanie Reynolds: (904) 359-4450

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Beaches law enforcement combats recent auto burglary trend ... - Florida Times-Union

The coasts of Ghana and Kenya, as well as those of Cape Verde and Zanzibar,are lined bypicturesque beaches strewn with the finest sand making them perfect postcard idylls.But what if Africa's dream beaches suddenly lost their sand and only had dirt and gravel to offer?

"Zanzibar has less and less sand," Zanzibar's Minister for Natural ResourcesHamad Rashid Mohammedtold DW. The reason for this, he said, is the excessive use of sand for construction projects in the semi-autonomous archipelago that forms part of Tanzania.

Official statistics from the Department of Forestry and Non-Renewable Natural Resources show that almost three million tons of sand were mined on Zanzibar between 2005 and 2015. This amount equals around 120,000 full truckloads.

"This is only the official mining. The unofficial numbers could possibly be twice this amount,"Mohammed said.

Big business, little regulation

Many locals worry that increased sand mining will lead to the decimation of tourist beaches in Zanzibar

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates around 40 billion tons of sand are processedworldwide every year. Today one can find the popular commodity not only on the world's beaches but also in microchips, telephones andGerman motorways. Around 30 billion tons of sand are used to makecement every year. However, sand is a finite commodity. Alongsidecoal, natural gas and oil, sand is one of the world's non-renewable resources. That means that it cannot be regenerated as quickly as people removeit.

According to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), recent legislation on sand mining at the national and county levels have helped to regulate the industry.

"We have issued restoration orders in several illegal sand sites and summoned some of the culprits to our offices," said Titus Simiyu, NEMA Director for Environment for Machakos County in central Kenya, told Reuters.

"The authority has to conduct environmental impact assessment report before awarding a licence to sand harvesters," he added.

A vicious circle

The islands of Cape Verde are located 600 km (373 miles)from the coast of West Africa. The country is regarded as one of the safest in Africabut every third person is unemployed. Stealing sand -a commodity which is constantly needed aroundthe world -is a fast way of earning money. However, the consequences ofexcessive sand mining are devastating. On the beaches where tortoises once buried their eggs,there is now only dirt and stones. No sand holds back the tides, salt water flows unhindered inland,ruining crops, plants and homes.

Sea turtles on Cape Verde bury their eggs in the sand on the islands' beaches

In 2002, the government of Cape Verde bannedsand mining in the city of Pedra Badejo on the island of Santiago. The black sand there is now protectedby the military. In early February 2017, the government passed a resolution halting sand mining on all islands. The use of machines to extract sand is also banned. Neverthelesspoverty still drives residents ever deeper intothe sea to bring back buckets full of sand from the seabed.

Widespread problem

In Ghana, sand mining is alsoillegal. Rising temperatures have forced fish to move elsewhere and coastal erosion is causing arable land to disappear. Manypeople can no longer earn enough fromfishing and agriculture so theyswitch to mining sand which exacerbates the problem even more.

In Kenya, illegal sand miners have focused on the Masaani, Kiungwani, Mbitini and Kwa Nditi rivers. But with the removal of sand, the miners are removing theirown basis of existence. With less sand, the rivers dry out and cut off citizens and their cattle from valuable water resources. In Nigeria, sand mining is also a problem and is causing bridge and road foundations to become fragile.

Built on sand

It is not only African cement works which profit from the exploitationof sand. One of the main customers for African sand is the desert country of Dubai, which wants to enlarge its coast. Forthe island project "The Palm Jumeirah alone, 200 million cubic meters of sand and stone were used. Some of the sand was taken from the sea off Dubai's own coast but a large amount also camefrom Africanbeaches.

Much of the sand used to build the Jumeira Palm Island in Dubai was imported from Africa

Dubai's own desert sand was not an option as it is too slippery.Desert sandgrains are generally too round and smooth to stick together which makes such sand unsuitable as a basis for cement and therefore asan alternative for seasand.

"We have to slow down the pace of mining and consumption to protect our farmlands and our villages,"Minister Mohammed said. "We must look for substitute materials and manage to use less sand."

For a start he wants mining permits tobereconsidered and monitored more strictlythan before so that the disappearance of sand in Zanzibar and elsewhere in Africa can at least be slowed down.

More:

Sand mining decimates African beaches - Deutsche Welle

By David Perlman, San Francisco Chronicle

Photo: Rex Sanders / USGS

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Scientists detect severe beach erosion along California coast

Erosion damaged miles of beaches along the West Coast more severely than ever during the powerful El Nio event that hit the Pacific a year ago, and scientists warn that even heavier erosion could hit shorelines in coming years as sea levels rise and threaten coastal communities.

The beaches lining the coast between Mexico and Canada form a protective barrier that keeps the turbulent ocean from eating away at seaside cliffs and flooding low-lying coastal towns and cities, scientists say.

In a study of 29 major beaches, including those in the Bay Area, a team of coastal experts found that immense quantities of sand had been lost during last years El Nio winter. Shorelines had retreated dangerously, and rivers that normally carry fresh sand downstream to the sea from surrounding hills and mountains failed to make up for the losses.

Beaches and shorelines normally lose sand every winter, but the scientists calculated the loss at 76 percent greater than normal. It was by far the worst loss of shoreline since surveys began nearly 150 years ago, said Patrick L. Barnard, a coastal geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey who led the erosion study.

The scientists went to extraordinary lengths to make their measurements. They hiked the beaches hauling GPS devices in their backpacks, used boats to measure waves and underwater sand levels, drove specialized vehicles to cross deep sand, and took to the air to measure each beach with sophisticated light detection and ranging instruments, known as LIDAR, that measured sand levels with laser beams.

The scientists covered a total of 2,000 kilometers (1,242.8 miles) to measure the trail of erosion caused by high waves from El Nio that pounded the beaches at the highest energy levels ever recorded, said Barnard and his team of experts from seven coastal science institutions.

On one December night in 2015, for example, offshore buoys measured wave heights along California beaches that ranged from 26 to 36 feet, and along the Oregon coast the waves ranged from from 39 to 62 feet more typical of the surf at Mavericks.

Record high waves were also recorded by the buoy off Fort Point beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, at Point Reyes National Seashore and along the Monterey Bay coastline, Barnard said.

The team also measured changes along San Franciscos Ocean Beach before and after the El Nio event and found that the entire stretch between the ocean and the Great Highway had narrowed by as much as 180 feet, Barnard said. Erosion had carried the lost sand far out to sea, and it may never recover, he said.

Scientific forecasts of future changes in Earths climate indicate that the frequency of severe El Nio events will double in coming years, bringing higher temperatures and lowered precipitation along the coasts. That means less runoff of water from the interior and less sand carried by that water to rebuild beaches and threaten shorelines where 25 million people now live, Barnard said.

Barnards colleagues at the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz include oceanographers Daniel Hoover and Alex Snyder. The full teams report is published in the journal Nature Communications.

David Perlman is The San Francisco Chronicles science editor. Email: dperlman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @daveperlman

More here:

Scientists detect severe beach erosion along California coast - SFGate - SFGate

San Francisco Examiner

Line drawn in the sand between beach access and protection San Francisco Examiner Despite stormy weather last Thursday afternoon, Crissy Field beach wasn't empty. A determined man jogged across the wet sand. A pack of dachshunds in yellow and red raincoats waddled through ponds. A woman stood still, looking across the Bay. Even on ...

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Line drawn in the sand between beach access and protection - San Francisco Examiner

WEST PALM BEACH

Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training Tuesday at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, and they had plenty of company.

As pitcher Stephen Strasburg tried on pants in the Washington Nationals clubhouse, a construction worker atop a step ladder fiddled with wires on a blinking red curly W mounted on the ceiling.

Outside the Houston Astros clubhouse, sparks flew from a welders gun and dust spewed from a roaring concrete saw as pitchers Ken Giles and Mike Fiers played catch a few yards away.

West Palm Beach Fire Department inspectors brushed past first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and pitcher Gio Gonzalez on an inspection of the Nationals clubhouse.

Of course, no one was complaining on a day that marked the return of spring training to West Palm Beach for the first time since 1997.

Oh, man, its hard not to love this place, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said as he took in the view at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, a $150 million complex that broke ground Nov. 9, 2015, on an old trash dump south of 45th Street at Military Trial.

Obviously theres going to be some odds and ends weve got to finish, but you walk in, its gorgeous. Its got everything you can think of. The fields are ready for us. Its a wonderful new home.

The public, which helped pay for the complex through a hotel bed tax and a $50 million state contribution, gets to see the practice fields for the first time on Saturday. The first game in the main stadium is Feb. 28. But the 160-acre complex essentially opened for baseball Tuesday as players arrived for the first time.

You can see it (coming down 45th Street) off the highway, the lights and the netting. Its almost like an amusement park here, said Astros pitcher Mike Fiers. Once I pulled in, I saw all the construction workers and I was like, Where do I go?

Turns out the clubhouses are hard to miss: The Astros, with a giant H and star outside, are north of the stadium. The Nationals, marked by a giant red curly W in the parking lot, are to the south.

I wont get lost here. I see a big H for us so I know which side to go on, said Astros pitcher Ken Giles. Its a great facility. Everybody is doing a great job trying to finish up those small touches.

In the Nationals clubhouse, a hard-hat worker crawled across the carpet in front of Bryce Harpers locker, making sure the molding was perfect when the All Star right fielder arrives later this week. The chairs in the lobby were still covered in protective plastic.

It looks incomplete, Astros pitcher Luke Gregerson said about his first impressions.

Obviously they have such a short timetable to put a massive facility together so theres expected to be some delays and hiccups along the way. But the grass is green and the mounds look great. Thats pretty much our office.

Its certainly a vast improvement over the teams previous spring training homes, aging facilities in Viera (Nationals) and Kissimmee (Astros).

There are a lot of guys in awe of this place, and thats no knock against Kissimmee. Its more pro-West Palm Beach, Hinch said.

Im not trying to knock Viera but this is state-of-the-art, and the guys who have been with the Nationals since they were drafted have never seen anything like this before, said Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark.

It has the feel of a big league facility and we are lucky to have a place like this.

The biggest improvement is the location just a few exits on Interstate 95 from the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, and a 30-minute drive to the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie.

Once we get to (playing) games, we will feel the real benefit of being in West Palm Beach and having five teams within 20 or 30 miles, Hinch said.

Managers for both teams said the ongoing construction will not affect their usual spring drills.

I love the facility, said Nationals manager Dusty Baker, who spent spring training at the old West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium in the 1970s as a player for the Atlanta Braves.

Sure, theyve got some things that they still have to zero-in on but its outstanding. They even have a swimming pool out there. Thats really state of the art.

Link:

First time since 1997: Pitchers and catchers report in West Palm Beach - MyPalmBeachPost