Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, USA.
Sci Total Environ. 2014 Sep 15;493:898-909. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.083. Epub 2014 Jul 5.
To mitigate the damages of natural hazards, policy responses can be beneficial only if they are effective. Using a self-administered survey approach, this paper focuses on the adherence to local fertilizer ordinances (i.e., county or municipal rules regulating the application of fertilizer to private lawns or facilities such as golf courses) implemented in jurisdictions along the Southwest Florida coast in response to hazardous blooms of Florida red tides (Karenia brevis). These ordinances play a role in the context of evolving programs of water pollution control at federal, state, water basin, and local levels. With respect to policy effectiveness, while the strength of physical linkages is of critical importance, the extent to which humans affected are aware of and adhere to the relevant rules, is equally critical. We sought to understand the public's depth of understanding about the rationales for local fertilizer ordinances. Respondents in Sarasota, Florida, were asked about their fertilizer practices in an area that has experienced several major blooms of Florida red tides over the past two decades. A highly educated, older population of 305 residents and "snowbirds" reported relatively little knowledge about a local fertilizer ordinance, its purpose, or whether it would change the frequency, size, or duration of red tides. This finding held true even among subpopulations that were expected to have more interest in or to be more knowledgeable about harmful algal blooms. In the face of uncertain science and environmental outcomes, and with individual motivations at odds with evolving public policies, the effectiveness of local community efforts to decrease the impacts of red tides may be compromised. Targeted social-science research on human perceptions about the risks of Florida red tides and education about the rationales for potential policy responses are warranted.
为减轻自然灾害的损害，政策响应只有在有效时才会有益。本文采用自我管理的调查方法，重点关注佛罗里达西南海岸各地区对当地肥料法规（即规范私人草坪或高尔夫球场等设施施肥的县或市规则）的遵守情况，以应对佛罗里达赤潮（凯伦藻）的有害爆发。这些条例在联邦、州、流域和地方各级水污染控制不断发展的计划中发挥作用。就政策有效性而言，虽然物理联系的强度至关重要，但受影响的人类对相关规则的认识和遵守程度同样至关重要。我们试图了解公众对当地肥料条例的基本原理的深入了解。在过去二十年中，佛罗里达州萨拉索塔的受访者被问及他们在该地区的肥料使用情况，该地区曾经历过几次大规模的佛罗里达赤潮爆发。受过高等教育、年龄较大的 305 名居民和“候鸟”报告说，他们对当地肥料条例、其目的或它是否会改变赤潮的频率、大小或持续时间知之甚少。即使在预期对有害藻类爆发更感兴趣或更了解的亚人群中，这一发现也是如此。面对不确定的科学和环境结果，以及个人动机与不断发展的公共政策不一致，地方社区努力减少赤潮影响的有效性可能会受到损害。有必要针对人类对佛罗里达赤潮风险的看法进行有针对性的社会科学研究，并对潜在政策应对措施的基本原理进行教育。
