Green slime oozes into Florida's primary elections
Cape Coral, Florida (CNN) — Usually, politics and slime go hand-in-hand. "Sliming" a political opponent is well-worn tradition, after all.
But in this midterm election season in South Florida, it's the slime itself that's driving people to the polls.
Green slime oozing from Lake Okeechobee is polluting Florida's pristine waterways that flow east and west from the lake and eventually south into the bays and oceans. This disaster has caused a dramatic decline in the economy.
It's the topic of conversation around here. Campaigns are going heavy on the environment. Television ads are focused on the algae and billboards now line the roads.
Some voters say they've had enough and they want their voices heard in a big way.
Looks like guacamole, smells like eggs
Chris Wittman is on the water daily. He has lived in Florida his entire life and has never seen his backyard so polluted. He lives and works near Cape Coral, Florida, just south of Fort Myers. He has seen a huge decline in the number of boats on the water. "People come here and live in Florida to recreate on the water, to fish and to boat and to ski and swim and this robs them of that," says Wittman.
The green algae and dead fish are driving them away. He describes it as "offensive."
The algae are the brightest shade of green you can imagine, its consistency is similar to guacamole and smells like rotting eggs and flesh.
The smell is so strong it can cause eyes to sting. It's toxic to touch and dangerous to breathe.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/28/politics/florida-algae-primary-election/index.html
