PUBLISHER’S LETTER
When visitors to our beautiful coastal region are asked what has brought them here, the overwhelming response is a common theme― the water. Being blessed by living in one of the most idyllic waterfront regions in the entire world means people from all over the globe are drawn here, to enjoy the same aquatic ambience we locals sometimes take for granted. But will it always remain this way? From the salty surf that washes our shores to the miles of canals, inlets, bays and estuaries that dot our landscape, I fear that we are a complacent society, assuming that we will always have access to the bountiful waters for which we have become known. It is just too easy to decide to do nothing to keep our waterfront lifestyle, or perhaps we just don’t have enough awareness of what exactly we can all do to preserve it.
Most of us are disgusted when we see trash along our shorelines, or a native bird entangled in carelessly discarded fishing line. Shocked, we wonder how someone could be so thoughtless. But few are fully compelled to do anything about it. After all, it’s always the “other guy” who would do something so disrespectful to our water―never us.
Many local organizations undertake waterfront cleanup efforts, large and small. Their efforts are to be commended― and joined. But the big question is how did our local waters get this way to begin with? Anyone tossing a plastic bottle or food wrapper into a trash can―and missing―is culpable. When the cumulative effects are tallied, the damage to our delicate ecosystems is palpable. Sadly, there are far too many of us who fail to understand that one discarded cigarette makes an impact, one plastic bag turns into tens of millions.
From offshore fracking (injecting pressurized fluids into the earth to force the expulsion of oil) to fishing, the topic of our water quality in Southwest Florida is hard to ignore in our daily lives. Surrounded by the beautiful waters that bring so many to our area, it’s time we all start to do our individual part to make sure the allure never fades. Turning a blind eye to careless waste and problems with our local water quality is the recipe for watching it all wash away. We can all do our part, one drop at a time. Speaking of our lovely water, I invite you to explore our current RSW Living magazine for great beach reading on diving in the Gulf ("Undersea Adventures" on page 48) and an exciting swim with giant sea creatures ("Snorkeling With Señor Big" on page 56).