Summit on the significance of Louisiana's Coastal Master Plan tomorrow

Tomorrow at Louisiana State University's Lod Cooke Alumni Center in Baton Rouge, La., Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) & America's WETLAND Foundation (AWF) are hosting a Summit on the National Significance of Louisiana's Coastal Master Plan.

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) is a governmental authority created by the Louisiana Legislature following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Tomorrow's day-long event follows two leadership forums convened in October last year to address how to make the state's master plan work. During the summit, "coastal leaders will take stock of goals set in motion 15 years ago" and that, CPRA continues in its press release, "provided the framework and model for comprehensive large-scale restoration."

Coastal stakeholders from the private and public sectors will join scientists, coastal experts and state coastal managers to address opportunities of national significance for Louisiana's coastal master plan. Attendees include: Governor John Bel Edwards, Former Governor Kathleen Blanco, Former U.S. Senator, Mary Landrieu, Chair of CPRA, Johnny Bradberry, New Orleans District Commander for the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Col. Michael N. Clancy, Chairman of Governors Coastal Commission and the AWF, R. King Milling, Greater News Orleans Foundation, CEO, Andy Kopplin, and a panel of tv and print journalists.

The Coastal Master Plan's goal is a sustainable coastal Louisiana. The 2017 Coastal Master Plan will provide important information to Louisiana's coastal citizens, allowing them to protect their families, manage businesses, and plan for the future, according to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

Sessions include "Louisiana as the Bellwether in Coastal Restoration", moderated by former Senator Mary Landrieu, Dr. Don Boesch of the University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Sciences, and Justin Ehrenwerth, Pres. and CEO of Water Institute of the Gulf; and a panel on "The Continuous Storm: Making the Case for Urgent Action" moderated by Louisiana Governor Jon Bell Edwards, former governor Kathleen Blanco (2004-2008), a member of the Army Corps of Engineers, and someone from industry.

The meeting comes at at time when parts of the state have been recently battered by tornadoes and has been dealing with unseasonably torrential and warm weather.

Last year was the 11th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Katrina's's devastation occurred because of levees breaching, not because of the hurricane itself. The pumping system was determined to have been antiquated, and the Army Corps of Engineers was sued. New levees went up around the Big Easy, but have been the subject of controversy further away from New Orleans. Braithwaite, La., for example, suffered massive flooding in late August, 2012.

Mardis Gras season in the Big Easy is well underway, with Fat Tuesday Feb. 28.

For more about the summit, click here.

Photo: via Wikimedia Commons Images. Louisiana National Guard UH-60 Black Hawks of the 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment pick up bundles Christmas trees to drop into Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge to help rebuild the wetlands on March 30. The Christmas trees help to rebuild the missing wetlands that have been washed away over time by breaking waves and collecting silt for new vegetation to take root. (U.S. Air Force MSgt Toby M Valadie Louisiana National Guard State Public Affairs Office/Released) Unit: Louisiana Army and Air National Guard; Mar 20, 2010. By Sgt. Michael Owens, New Orleans, La. Source: https://www.dvidshub.net/image/265104/louisiana-national-guard-assists-with-coastal-restoration

Global sea level rise highest in 27 centuries, scientists find

The following article was published on Examiner.com a year ago, February 23, 2016

In a paper published Mon. Feb. 22, 2016 scientists were able to prove what has been suspected for some time: climate change is not only warming the planet, but pushing the seas to rise to dangerous levels.

"A significant GSL (global sea level) acceleration began in the 19th century and yielded a 20th century rise that is extremely likely ...faster than during any of the previous 27 centuries," report scientists in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

In their paper, "Temperature-driven global sea-level variability in the Common Era," lead investigator Robert E. Kopp of Rutgers and his team of scientists from Woods Hole, Tufts and other institutions, determine the estimated global sea-level (GSL) change over the past approximately 3,000 years based on information culled from a global database of regional sea-level data.

The scientists report that GSL varied by ∼±8 cm over the pre-Industrial Common Era, (also known as the Christian Era), with a marked decline over 1000–1400 CE coinciding with ∼0.2 °C of global cooling. The 20th century spike was "extremely likely faster than during any of the 27 previous centuries," the team reports. (A centimeter equals 2.54 inches.)

The modeling further shows that without global warming, GSL in the 20th century very likely would have risen by much, much less, between −3 cm and +7 cm, rather than the ∼14 cm observed.

"Semiempirical 21st century projections largely reconcile differences between Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projections and semiempirical models," according to the scientists' abstract.

New Orleans is one of many regions of the world that will be most gravely affected by sea rise. Here on the Louisiana coast we are already losing wetlands at an alarming rate, at about 75 square kilometers (about 29 square miles) annually, and harsher, warmer weather on land and sea means a greater risk of hurricanes. PHOTO: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Images. Source: US EPA

Six years after BP oil spill, dolphins, fish and corals inspire restoration

The following article ran on Examiner.com on the sixth anniversary of the BP oil spill, April 20, 2016

Six years ago today, April 20th, TV viewers nationwide turned on the news to see a horrific site: footage of a fire on a rig in the Gulf off the Louisiana coast. The BP oil "spill" had begun, and at the time, no one would have imagined it would take 87 days to cap the Macondo well.

Twelve workers on the Deepwater Horizon rig died that day. For their families, today is a sacred and painful reminder that the errors made leading up to the spill are deeply personal. There were also several serious injuries, and countless illnesses tied to the catastrophe.

Beyond the human tragedy, which included individuals still suffering health effects from working on a Vessels of Opportunity boat that would prove cruelly and ironically named, respiratory illnesses, kidney problems, weight loss, and mysterious rashes would fill their family photo albums.

The tragedy of that day doesn't just include the oil. The dispersant, so called Corexit from the UK - again, ironically since BP stands for British Petroleum - was airdropped by the truckload on Barataria Bay and throughout the gulf.

I spoke to Ocean Conservancy's Bethany Kraft, Director of their Gulf Restoration Program, who said this week that while scientific studies have been and are being done on dispersant effects, largely, at this stage, it's tough to parse what damage was done by them versus the oil.

"I think the jury is still out on that," Kraft said. "In the early days (of the spill), some decisions were made - it was a trade-off, because had all that oil reached the coast, it would have been an environmental and public relations disaster on multiple fronts. It would have been a PR disaster for the government and for BP."

Her concerns right now are numerous. Early restoration projects have begun, even as the bulk of the BP billions won't roll out until next year. Projects currently underway include a seagrass restoration project in Florida; a loggerhead, green, and Kemp's Ridley turtle project in Texas that seeks to offset bycatch by way of trawling with gear improvements and increased monitoring; and a Florida-based fishing gear conversion project that will help bluefin tuna fishermen.

Her overarching concern is addressing this question: "How do we put together the suites of programs in an order and in places where they will reap the most benefits?" She said, too, that it is critically important that as ecosystem restoration goes into overdrive that the science leads, not politics or personalities.

From dead corals to dead turtles, dolphins who give birth to premies who wash up dead on Gulf shores, to deep concerns about the health of the ecosystem and human residents, the legacy of all that oil and Corexit will last for decades, maybe centuries.

And the fix can't be myopic. For example, when addressing a watershed issue, look too at oyster issues and fisheries, helping the oyster harvest and shoreline protection, said Kraft.

Ironically again, had the spill not occurred, the coastal erosion issues are among many preexisting problems funded by the BP dollars approved by Judge Carl Barbier in the New Orleans federal courthouse. Even so, the funds are "a drop in the bucket in terms of what our needs are," Kraft said.

Are there any positives in the Gulf six years following the disaster? She said yes.

"I think we learned this ecosystem is resilient, even though any rubber band eventually loses its elasticity and breaks," she said. "It is reassuring in some ways, and one thing the spill did do was catalyze cooperation across the region like we haven't seen before."

However, she said with a dark laugh, "it's a really dumb business model to get hooked on."

PHOTOS: Top, the author on a boat in Barataria Bay, early April, 2013; Bottom, via Wikimedia Commons Images, Department of the Interior - June 30, 2010. Birds Prepared for Release at Fort Jackson Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45431346

State of Emergency declared in Louisiana: Tornadoes cause injury, building collapse in New Orleans and vicinity

A State of Emergency has been declared in Louisiana by Governor John Bel Edwards, as more news comes in about the horrific weather events in the state today. Tornadoes have touched down in New Orleans and vicinity wreaking havoc, including injuries, across the area and the state. As of this writing, a tornado watch remains in effect for South Louisiana. Homes, buildings, and highways saw damage across a wide swath of the Bayou State, with some areas still vulnerable to tornadic activity.

The Advocate has mapped out the tornado touchdowns, with nine confirmed tornadoes and one possible tornado in Baton Rouge.

Confirmed tornadoes have touched down in:

Orleans East

Old Jefferson

Ponchatoula

Madisonville

Killian

Donaldsonville

Lutcher

Lemannville

and

West of Independence

Mayor Mitch Landrieu held a press conference about the tornado damage in New Orleans East, and tweeted that he knew that despite major damage, the city would rebuild.

Early this afternoon two people were reported to have suffered serious injuries and about a dozen others minor injuries, according to Fox 8.

However, later today, Weather.com reported:

"One of the hardest-hit areas was New Orleans East. Shortly after the supercell passed through, severe damage to homes and businesses was reported by local media. Emergency managers reported at least 60 homes and businesses were damaged in New Orleans East, and about 25 people were hurt." The Weather Channel reported at 4:30 CT that more than 50 homes have been destroyed so far

and 11 people injured. Following a preliminary survey, the National Weather Service said the twister was at least EF2 in strength, meaning it can have wind speeds between 111 and 135 mph, and while serious, is typically survivable if one is in a sturdy home. Mobile homes can be wholly lifted off the ground, though.

New Orleans Fire Department Chief Tim McConnell said the worst of the damage on Chef Menteur Hwy is in the 4700 block, Fox 8 reported. Ironically, almost 10 years to the day, a tornado ripped through the Carrollton section of the Big Easy (see photo).

On the NOLA.gov website, the city issued this release:

"Today, at 10:45 a.m., the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in New Orleans East. Emergency crews are currently responding to several reports of damage in the affected area. As a result, Interstate 10 exits at both Chef Menteur Highway and Downman Road are CLOSED at this time.

No information is available at this time regarding possible injuries, fatalities or damage assessments in relation to this weather event. Public safety is our top priority, and residents are advised to be aware of and cautious around downed power lines, gas leaks and other debris. Please avoid all impacted areas.

The City will open a temporary shelter at Joe W. Brown Recreation Center (5601 Read Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70127) at 3 p.m. for impacted residents. The New Orleans Health Department, with support from the Red Cross, Catholic Charities and NOFD, will assist affected individuals. The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will provide bus transportation to the shelter for affected individuals at the intersections of Dwyer Road and Wilson Avenue; Dwyer Road and Crowder Boulevard; and Dwyer Road and Wright Road.

Currently, the New Orleans Fire Department is conducting a primary search of damaged homes from Chef Menteur Highway to Dwyer Street and Wilson Avenue to Bullard Avenue, as well as one block south of Chef Menteur Highway."

Energy provider Entergy, who stepped up to the plate after Katrina, reports approximately 9,200 outages, according to the City of New Orleans. The situation is fluid, though, so do check the company's website. They have interactive maps showing where the outages are.

Louisiana residents should stay tuned to local news and keep their phones and radios at the ready. NOLA.gov advises, "The City’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is monitoring weather conditions and will keep residents updated through e-mail alerts and at @NOLAReady."

UPDATE, 5:30 pm CT: NBC News reports that at least a dozen people have been injured.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Images: by Infrogmation - Own work, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1673259, CARROLLTON, NEW ORLEANS TORNADO, FEB 13, 2007

Incoming administration looked at with skepticism, 'wait and see' from environmental groups

In a lengthy conference call from Washington, DC with Natural Resources Defense Council today, headed by their president, Rhea Suh, representatives of the New York-based agency stressed the need to hold President Elect Trump and Congress accountable for choices they will make on the environment. The consensus was that the outlook is not good, but that doesn't necessarily come as a surprise - nor as an excuse to throw in the towel.

One individual who won't give up on greening America is Interim Director of Ocean Conservancy's Gulf Restoration Program in Daphne, AL, Kara Lankford. She spoke with this reporter later this afternoon about her interests, which are not only focused on the Gulf, but more broadly on environmental issues such as acidification, that mirror the NRDC's.

Lankford said, firstly, that it didn't come as a surprise to her that people of this region would have kept their states red in the last election. Changing overnight to a clean energy economy is a tough sell, particularly to people in the states most responsible for oil and gas production. "Oil and gas aren't going away tomorrow. I’m from here, I grew up in Mobile, and I think it's economic concerns [that drove the election]. There are a lot of poor people here, and I think it’s a slow transition."

Even so, the very states that bore the brunt of the Deepwater Horizon disaster of April 2010 should pay attention to who's incoming, including a possible EPA administrator who seems more intent on shuttering the agency, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt.

"The cabinet appointees are enough to give anyone pause," Lankford said. "It’s a little bit disheartening, when President Obama has done so many good things for the ocean." Some of her concerns include the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, which she said "may be opened up for oil and gas production." Yet that said, "I'm just looking through a crystal ball, and there a lot of questions and posturing right now when the reality is we have to wait and see."

Interestingly, during the NRDC call it was pointed out that Texas is number one nationwide in wind energy, and there are 400,000 Americans working in wind and solar industries. These people's jobs are as important as everyone else's, of course, and the incoming administration would be wise to heed their existence and further the transition to clean energy. Another takeway from the NRDC call was the notion that Republican-led Congresses can only effect so much change. They are still, ultimately, beholden to their "political capital" and for this reason, Trump and his ilk may be more environmentally-friendly than his Cabinet picks portend.

We shall see.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons Images, Wikimedia Commons Images, by NOAA (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/image/2minrelief.html) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

An earlier version of this blog incorrectly referred to Ocean Conservancy as Oceana, and Lankford's name had been misspelled. The writer regrets the errors.

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council approves plan to restore Gulf

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration (RESTORE) Council approved its updated Comprehensive Plan to restore Gulf Coast ecosystems "and their natural resource dependent economies" it was announced today in a press release.

Kara Lankford, Interim Director of Ocean Conservancy’s Gulf Restoration Program, said in a statement:

"Ocean Conservancy is pleased to see the Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Council renew their commitment in this updated plan to using the best available science when selecting projects to restore the Gulf. This road map for comprehensive restoration of the Gulf ecosystem is a critical foundation piece to ensure a science-based, holistic approach."

The Council, in its report, says that "Gulf restoration funding is distributed among a number of entities and programs, each with its own set of guidelines and decision processes." As anyone trying to untangle red tape knows, what matters is who gets paid and when.

The Clean Water Act penalties resulting from the spring 2010 BP/Deepwater Horizon oil disaster are allocated as follows: - 35% allocated for ecosystem restoration, economic development, and tourism promotion, distributed to all five affected Gulf states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas); - 30% for what are called "Council-administered restoration activities"; 30% to the states based on impact (i.e. Louisiana was hit the hardest as it was closest to the April 20, 2010 spill); -2.5% for research administered by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); and 2.5% administered by the U.S. Treasury for Gulf research programs.

Read about the Comprehensive Plan here

. Photo: Wikimedia Commons images; by Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Stumberg, from www.defense.gov/photoessays/photoessayss.aspx?id=1667

Another Gulf oil spill, but this time it's Shell and it's been contained

This article was originally published on Examiner.com, (from May 13, 2016)

It was only a matter of time before another oil spill would be reported here. The amount of deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico has spiked in recent years, despite the environmental laaughter to the region following BP's 2010 Macondo disaster.

Yesterday it was reported that Shell had a massive leak some 90 miles south of Timbalier Island, and an estimated 88,200 gallons had been released from their Brutus platform. Apparently, the leak was contained and no one was injured, but obviously all the facts aren't in.

In April of 2010, BP's spill began to gush following a tragic accident that killed 11 rig workers off the Lousiana coast. It took 87 days to cap that well, and cleanup efforts continued for years. Corexit was dispersed, killing sea life and sickening Gulf residents.

Luckily, it appears Shell's incident is far less worrisome.

The U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry air crew was sent to conduct an aerial assessment.

Shell said in a statement that, "The likely cause of the sheen is a release of oil from a subsea infrastructure and in response, we have isolated the leak and shut in production."

The company also said that, "No release is acceptable, and safety remains our priority as we respond to this incident."

The Examiner will report more as more news comes in. PHOTO: Via Wikimedia Commons Images; June 8, 2012, by Catherine Hammond.