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Louisiana’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Disappearing Coastline

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Re: Louisiana’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Disappearing Coastline

#31

Post by mr_overalls »

PeterStuer wrote: post #14
spodek wrote: post #3

I've been asking people to name the most effective leaders in the area of global warming. When I say my answer, they look surprised, but then agree: the Koch Brothers and Donald Trump. They are leading people not to change their behavior and this is the result. No one is leading in the direction of reducing consumption with nearly the effectiveness as them. Instead of leading ourselves, the overwhelming majority of A…

Abstinence is the answer that can not exist in a neo-liberal society.

http://www.siecus.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Feature.showFeatu...

Key finding: In comparing abstinence-only programs with comprehensive sex education, comprehensive sex education was associated with a 50% lower risk of teen pregnancy.

Re: Louisiana’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Disappearing Coastline

#32

Post by mythrwy »

So Louisiana's governor requests a bunch of money from Washington.

I often cynically wonder if the true aim of some of these "emergencies" is boosting the local economy and adding jobs which presumably allows the governor to claim economic growth.

Re: Louisiana’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Disappearing Coastline

#33

Post by ehnto »

kgwgk wrote: post #27
ehnto wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Entire cities will have to be moved as even a few meters of rise can flood an entire region. It is not as if we just lose a bit of beach, if sea levels rise then everything at the new level that can be sought by water through rivers or otherwise will be under water. Not Atlantis style, but no longer habitable by cities as we currently build them. What's more, the coastline going missing is but one symptom. Weather pa…

A few meters of rise will take a few centuries to materialise.

It is still our problem to solve, a few centuries is just a handful of generations.

Re: Louisiana’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Disappearing Coastline

#34

Post by erentz »

dnautics wrote: post #6
erentz wrote: post #2

I have real issues with states like this where it's leaders deny climate change and prevent action on it, yet cry when issues like this occur. Similar when the BP oil spill occurred and they cried about the affect on their coast and fishing industries. They seemingly are fine with destroying their environment so long as it occurs over 50 years rather than 5 months.

Isn't most of the coastline damage a result of creating shipping canals and pushing brackish water further inland?

Today. My issue is with the ongoing support for actions that will lead to the eventual destruction over decades anyway, while complaining about current or historical destruction. If the coastline is important to them today, why don't they care about it in the future?

Re: Louisiana’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Disappearing Coastline

#35

Post by maxerickson »

adolph wrote: post #29

The first two comments seem to associate anthropogenic climate change with the changes in Louisiana's coastline. A more likely culprit is hydrologic mismanagement. The coastline was formed by waterways that periodically changed channels and dumped sediment in different areas. In relatively recent times cities on the existing waterways became politically influential enough for the federal government to build a series…

Declaring an emergency likely grants some powers or access to funding.

Re: Louisiana’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Disappearing Coastline

#37

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

erentz wrote: post #2

I have real issues with states like this where it's leaders deny climate change and prevent action on it, yet cry when issues like this occur. Similar when the BP oil spill occurred and they cried about the affect on their coast and fishing industries. They seemingly are fine with destroying their environment so long as it occurs over 50 years rather than 5 months.

I'm still waiting for the red states to prove their fiscal conservatism by not taking a disproportionate share of federal money.

Re: Louisiana’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Disappearing Coastline

#38

Post by lbhnact »

ryanmarsh wrote: post #24

At issue is deteriorating coastline due to projects by the army corps of engineers. Don't confuse this with global climate change (although I'm sure it doesn't help).

While the ACOE has a complicated role in all this, they must serve many competing interests. The State of Louisiana, the needs of the maritime industry, oil and gas interests, and the federal government that allows the situation to continue, because of the temporary economic benefits we all reap from inaction.

An incredible overview of the problem was written 20 years ago by John McPhee[1], as part of his book "The Control of Nature". Unfortunately, solving the problem in the long term means essentially undermining the entire economy of South Louisiana, and leaving the City of New Orleans destitute.

I served in Baton Rouge for 3 years and spent a lot of time on the Mississippi River. It's an extraordinary resource that much of America silently takes for granted. I with there were better solutions to save it and protect the people of Louisiana, but I don't feel like I have better answers to these questions that anyone else. It's a tough situation.

[1]: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1987/02/23/atchafalaya

Re: Louisiana’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Disappearing Coastline

#39

Post by OliverJones »

adolph wrote: post #29

The first two comments seem to associate anthropogenic climate change with the changes in Louisiana's coastline. A more likely culprit is hydrologic mismanagement. The coastline was formed by waterways that periodically changed channels and dumped sediment in different areas. In relatively recent times cities on the existing waterways became politically influential enough for the federal government to build a series…

Thirty years ago, John McPhee wrote about this very issue. At that time a ship on the Mississippi river could go through a lock, drop FIFTY FEET, and take a shortcut to the ocean via the Atachfalaya river.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1987/02/23/atchafalaya

Just because it's not a new situation doesn't mean it's not an emergency.

Re: Louisiana’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Disappearing Coastline

#40

Post by djanogo »

spodek wrote: post #3

I've been asking people to name the most effective leaders in the area of global warming. When I say my answer, they look surprised, but then agree: the Koch Brothers and Donald Trump. They are leading people not to change their behavior and this is the result. No one is leading in the direction of reducing consumption with nearly the effectiveness as them. Instead of leading ourselves, the overwhelming majority of A…

"They are leading people not to change their behavior and this is the result."

Rising sea level is the _result_ of Mr.Trump swearing in 3 months back?, I understand this forum is echo chamber for anti trump discussions, but you are reaching so far here.

Most peoples behavior is mainly due to capitalism, all of them, multiple generations, were raised watching ads which gets them to buy new "stuff" all the time, so "stuff" gets made/sold to keep the cycle going.

Internet and TV ads are storefront's of this "stuff". Instead of using your personal dislike of few people and spreading the message to blame them for climate change, you could get politics/personal feelings out of it, and tell people not to buy so much "stuff".

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