5A - Identifying Local Opportunities
For
this post, I chose Fort Lauderdale’s local newspaper, the Sun Sentinel.
Opportunity:
A better solution for strengthening seawalls instead of replacing them
“Residents
face costs of bigger seawalls”
Summary:
Because of rising sea levels, Broward County residents may be required to build
bigger seawalls if they live on the water. Current seawalls are around 3 feet
in height. Unfortunately, engineers believe that current seawalls are too old
and not structurally sound to build on top of.
Problem:
Proposed requirements for seawalls cause residents to face high costs for
replacement (around $1,000 per foot in length).
Who:
Residents of Broward County owning “wet lots” (lots bordering water).
Opportunity:
Vanilla being established as a new crop in Florida
“Florida
farmers could cash in on plain old vanilla as new crop”
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3ASFLB%21Sun%2BSentinel%2B%2528Fort%2BLauderdale%252C%2BFL%2529/year%3A2018%212018/mody%3A0910%21September%2B10&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/16E590B698520360
Summary:
The vanilla crop supply is facing massive declines as climate change affects
suppliers and natural vanilla demand is increasing. Florida is located in a
tropical climate where most orchids thrive. Vanilla, being from an orchid
plant, is a prime possibility for agricultural growth in Florida.
Problem:
Florida’s agriculture has always been challenged by states such as California,
and the state is always looking for crops to diversify. Vanilla’s decrease in
supply has caused the price to skyrocket as well.
Who:
Orchard Farmers of Florida
Opportunity:
New patient care services in nursing homes
“Earwax
poses risk in long-term care – Buildup occurs more often in elderly patients”
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3ASFLB%21Sun%2BSentinel%2B%2528Fort%2BLauderdale%252C%2BFL%2529/year%3A2018%212018/mody%3A0913%21September%2B13&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/16E68ABCE79FD838
Summary:
Earwax in elderly patients is going unnoticed – causing impacting buildup and
hearing loss. Researchers have found that the removal of earwax from cognitive
disability patients increases their cognitive ability and behavior. Hearing
loss, aggression, and vertigo are all side effects of earwax buildup for
elderly patients.
Problem:
Earwax buildup is going unnoticed in elderly patients. This causes more than
discomfort.
Who:
elderly patients in long-term care facilities
Opportunity:
Community jobs dedicated to cleaning beaches instead of relying on volunteers
“Thousands
of pounds of trash is waiting… for you – Broward, Palm Beach seeking volunteers
for Coastal Cleanup”
Summary:
Trash being left on the beach and building up in the ocean has become a severe
international problem. Annual beach clean-up projects occur in Broward and Palm
Beach counties for residents to band together and help clean up the
communities. Worldwide, over 20 million pounds of trash was collected through
ocean cleanup projects.
Problem:
Trash is being littered and accumulated on beaches in my community.
Who:
Residents of Broward County
Opportunity:
An app dedicated not just to the weather of a hurricane, but the potential
societal effects of one – even from a distance
“Florence
could affect S. Florida airports, cause beach erosion”
Summary:
While Florence is hitting the Carolinas, the effects of the hurricane will be
felt all the way to South Florida. Beaches, airports, cruises, and homes could
be affected by the storm.
Problem:
Residents are unaware of the effects they could face as they assume their won’t
be many due to the distance.
Who:
Residents of South Florida
Hey Jenna,
ReplyDeleteAll of your opportunities are very interesting. Your last two are particularly interesting. For problem 3, there could really be a great opportunity. With a small tractor and some simple implements a small crew could clean up a miles of beach in a day very effectively. As for the app access to topographical maps could make it a very marketable service. All of your descriptions clearly summed up the articles but I would've liked to see better formatting separating the opportunities.