Image: Shutterstock
Florida has an algae problem. There’s been a huge bloom this year, which has resulted in frothy green water visiting some of their beaches. It’s also apparently toxic algae and it’s having a pretty negative impact on the state’s tourism and other industries.
The economy of Florida is heavily reliant on tourism, as well as fishing and other water-based industries. The algae is mostly along the shores, so people who want to head out to deeper waters and fish can still do that, but the problem isn’t so much the reality of the algae bloom as it is the perception of that bloom.
People don’t want to go on vacation in Florida if they’re afraid that half the activities they want to do is going to be unavailable or, well, gross. That’s not a good impression for a state that really needs people to visit and take advantage of white sandy beaches. It means that, as long as the bloom persists, the state is going to have to develop some marketing tactics to address the issue; otherwise they could be facing some serious, long-term economic consequences.
It’s also a good reminder that no matter how insulated you may think your business is, it can still be affected by outside forces over which you have no control. In this case, it’s nature, although considering the toxic nature of the algae, it might not be a totally natural event. Green concerns, namely how human activity impacts the environment, can have a real impact on the economy, something that a lot of activists have been saying for years. From switching to sustainable energy sources, to the dangers of things like this algae bloom, thinking about the environment can be essential to running a successful business.