Former White House employee and environmental advocate Nathaniel Reed spoke at UF's Pugh Hall Thursday night about two main problems plaguing Florida's Everglades.
Nathaniel Reed, 75, who was assistant secretary of the Interior Department for Presidents Nixon and Ford, has worked with state and federal environmental agencies for the past 40 years.
Reed spoke to about 50 people for nearly an hour on Florida's overdevelopment and lack of water resource management as a part of the Samuel Proctor Florida History Lecture Series at UF.
He said many new towns throughout the state have been created under the charade that all growth is good, but their creation actually destroys agriculture and unique ecosystems.
"I still think that agriculture is far more desirable than rooftops," Reed said.
Long-term economic, social and environmental benefits should be the driving force behind whether new rural communities are built, he said.
"Any growth that doesn't pay for itself isn't smart at all," Reed said.
He focused on the consequences of high phosphorus concentrations in Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River Basin during the second half of his speech.
Reed, who has done work in the area for about 20 years, said lake restoration efforts must begin now by reducing and eliminating phosphorus loadings from lakes and rivers.
"If you think that land management planning faces formidable changes, water planning faces challenges every bit as daunting," Reed said.
Reed said he lamented the fact that he consistently speaks about the same problems that remain unsolved and continue to threaten Florida's environmental future.
He said he would rather tackle new challenges such as increasing biodiversity and restoration efforts.
The only way these challenges can be tackled is if students begin to take part in the issues, he said.
"Be involved," he said. "It's your land and your world."
