Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Good morning! As you’re likely aware, it’s still fiercely hot in Coastal Georgia. If you want to place blame for it, there’s a clear climate change fingerprint on this heat wave, as we discuss below. For a little relief, we then turn to water issues, including a recently aborted effort to hold a referendum about wells in Bulloch. Finally, since we’re all feeling swampy, we take a look at the unfinished business of protecting the Okefenokee.
Questions, tips or concerns? Send me a note at mary.landers@thecurrentga.org
NEWS: ENVIRONMENT
Water protest ends
Bulloch Action Coalition last week announced it was dropping its pursuit of two referendums to overturn Bulloch County’s 2024 water use decisions, Grice Connect reports.
The proposed referendums sought to give Bulloch County voters the final say on several water use issues, including the sale of water from four local wells to Bryan County. Much of the water was earmarked for use at the Hyundai plant in Ellabell. But farmers and residents in Bulloch feared the new wells would jeopardize the health of their existing wells.
In a press release, the Bulloch Action Coalition indicated its decision was driven by the state’s plan to boost the use of Savannah River water through a $500 million investment in surface water treatment in Savannah and Effingham and its aim to provide that surface water to Hyundai more quickly than the referendums could deliver results.
Bulloch isn’t the only place with groundwater concerns. A new report from ProPublica warns more generally of the world’s overuse of groundwater. “The uninhibited pumping of groundwater by farmers, cities and corporations around the world now accounts for 68% of the total loss of fresh water at the latitudes where most people live,” ProPublica reports, based on a study published in the journal Science Advances.
Much of the water taken from aquifers ends up in the oceans, contributing to the rise of sea levels.
Even hotter
You probably don’t need us to tell you, but it was even hotter this week than last in Coastal Georgia. And as the nonprofit Climate Central reports, this week’s heat is made at least 5 times more likely due to climate change. That’s the highest multiple on Climate Central’s scale. And Coastal Georgia is not alone: 27 million people across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina will likely see heat made at least three times more likely because of climate change this week. Stay safe in the heat with these tips from a College of Charleston professor of public health.
NEWS: ENVIRONMENT
Risks remain for Okefenokee
Environmentalists in Georgia are urging legal protections for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge following last month’s announcement of a conservation group’s plan to purchase thousands of acres of land targeted for mining near the refuge. Mining interests are still eyeing property near the refuge, say swamp supporters, who are highlighting easements for purchase along mineral-rich Trail Ridge. The group also hopes to persuade Georgia leaders to enact legal protections for the Okefenokee that have eluded them for years at the state Capitol.
Speaking of the Okefenokee, don’t miss this video from the University of Georgia College Ecology Lab showing an “alligator congregation” of hundreds of gators at the swamp Saturday.
Also noted
- Savannah named Nylah Oliver to serve as the new Sustainability Officer leading the Office of Environmental Services and Sustainability. She previously served as the head of social responsibility at The Promise Homes Company in Atlanta, where she led sustainability and social impact projects across a 600-unit housing portfolio.
- Join the Glynn Environmental Coalition 12 to 1:15 p.m. Aug. 8, virtually or in-person at Sunrise Diner, 5031 New Jesup Highway, Brunswick for an update on the federal funding landscape, including ongoing community work that continues to make progress, and how GEC is combating federal funding rollbacks. Visit glynnenvironmental.org/events to RSVP or find more information about this free community event.
- Looking to defray the cost of removing from its drinking water so-called “forever chemicals,” Savannah in February sued 65 companies that make or use PFAS along the Savannah River. That lawsuit was originally filed in Chatham County Superior Court but last month was moved to federal court in Charleston, despite the city disavowing damages or claims related to the fire-fighting foam at the heart of that multidistrict litigation and opposing the move as “unfair and inconvenient.” Speaking to The Current Tuesday, Alderman Nick Palumbo said the city is committed to removing PFAS from drinking water moving forward regardless of the outcome of the litigation. “We need a 21st century facility for 21st century problems,” he said.
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8 things to know about Earth’s loss of its groundwater
A new study based on 20 years of NASA satellite data has found that 75% of the world’s population lives in countries facing a net decline in water supply, with the uninhibited pumping of groundwater accounting for 68% of the total loss of fresh water at the latitudes where most people live.
Georgia conservationists push to ‘finish the job’ of protecting Okefenokee from mining
Environmental groups in Georgia are celebrating the Conservation Fund’s purchase of thousands of acres of land near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, but are urging continued advocacy efforts to protect the area from mining interests and secure legal protections for the refuge.
How to stay safe during heat waves
Heat-related illnesses can quickly progress to life-threatening heat stroke, so it is important to recognize the warning signs and take steps to stay cool, such as drinking fluids, finding shade, and using cool, damp cloths to lower body temperature.
Thousands to start private school year with Georgia public money under voucher system
About 8,600 students will each tap $6,500 in public money to help their families pay for private school, home school programs or other educational supports this year, under a new project long sought by Georgia Republican legislators.
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