News
In the Everglades, a Clash Portrayed as ‘Science vs. Politics’ Pits a Leading Scientist Against His Former Employer
An influential foundation contends that Tom Van Lent stole “trade secrets.” Environmentalists question why such “secrets” exist, as work unfolds on a controversial reservoir touted by Gov. Ron DeSantis as the “crown jewel of Everglades restoration.”
By Amy Green
ORLANDO, Fla.—In the two decades since one of the most ambitious attempts at ecological restoration in human history became law, Tom Van Lent has built a reputation as a leading scientist in the effort to save the Florida Everglades.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate science
State of Play
What began as a theory in the 1890s — that industrial emissions of carbon dioxide could increase global temperatures — had progressed to a scientific fact a century later. Scientists across a range of disciplines are studying the impact of the still-growing concentration of carbon dioxide and other so-called “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere as they call for industrial and governmental policies to slow, then halt, the warming of the planet.