In Ohio, Scotts Miracle-Gro has been criticized for many years about their contribution to the algae blooms that damage waterways and ecosystems, but is now doing something to fix the problem they helped cause. Together with the Everglades Foundation, Alliance for the Great Lakes, the Nature Conservancy and other environmental guardians, Scotts is sponsoring the $10 million George Barley Water Prize. The prize is given to scientific organizations that compete and develop an effective, scalable technology that removes phosphorus from fresh water.
According to Jim King, President of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, “the company’s steps to remove phosphorous from our fertilizer products and launch a formal Water Positive Landscapes Initiative mark a significant step for our industry,” but recognized that “we continue to see harmful algal blooms plague freshwater bodies and know that more must be done to solve this global crisis.”