CONNECTING THE DOTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL UNDERSTANDING'

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CONNECTING THE DOTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
UNDERSTANDING.

• Robert A. Thomas
• Center for Environmental Communications
• Loyola University New Orleans
• 504.865.2107
• rathomas_at_loyno. edu
• www.loyno.edu/lucec

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People like to live near the water. Coastal
development has taken its toll.
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Pristine beaches
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Fragmentation of forests
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Congested cities (with drains)
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NINE IMPORTANT CONCEPTS

• Hidden values
• Trade-offs
• Unintended consequences
• Unforeseen events
• Our political process
• Enlightened capable leadership
• Value of being able to connect the dots
• What we should expect of ourselves
• Social justice

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WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR OUR FUTURE?

• MANAGING A GLOBAL ECONOMY

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WHAT IS OUR BIGGEST NEED?

• ENLIGHTENED CAPABLE LEADERSHIP

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WHY IS THE ONLY PATHWAY TO SUCCESS?

• GLOBAL SOCIAL JUSTICE

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Coastal Louisianas Resources

• 30 of oil gas used in the U.S. enters the
  nation through Louisiana
• The Port of Louisiana is the largest in the
  country
• 40 of the coastal fisheries of the continental
  U.S. is from Louisiana 7 of the nations top 10
  landing ports are here
• 3rd largest petrochemical corridor
• Strategic importance of the mouth of the
  Mississippi

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The coastal food web how does it relate to the
economic and cultural webs?
Dont forget about the chicken connection!
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Worst case scenario all the green is underwater
in 2050 (it wont happen).
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It was projected that we would lose 60 sq mi of
vegetated wetlands east of the Mississippi River
over the next 50 years. In less than a day
during Hurricanes Katrina Rita, we lost 80 sq
mi.
Between the Atchafalaya Pearl rivers, we lost
217 sq mi.
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THE FUNNEL EFFECT
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ONE RESULT OF THE FUNNEL EFFECT
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The Mississippi River drains 41 of the
continental U.S. (39 states and two Canadian
provinces).
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While birding in Montana, I noted that the snow
melt ran into a little creek (top left), which
ran into a larger creek (top right), which ran
into the Yellowstone River (lower left), which
ran into the Missouri River (lower right), which
runs into the Mississippi River.
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The Mississippi River Delta grew by swinging back
and forth across the continental shelf.
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The Mississippi River used to overflow its banks
and spread from Lafayette on the west to
Mississippi on the east. The photo on the right
is men standing on railroad cars in the 1927
flood.
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We built levees to protect ourselves from
periodic flooding from the river.
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The MR Delta doesnt continue to grow into the
Gulf of Mexico because the Balize Subdelta has
reached the edge of the continental shelf.
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Sea level is rising. No, not as high as the
Statue of Libertys arm pit, but it will rise
about 6 inches over the next 50 or so years.
That wont bother people in England, but in
Louisiana we live on low gradient land, so it
will come up much higher.
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Our need for oil gas led to the construction of
many canals and keyholes.
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The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) and its
connections to the Gulf of Mexico allowed salt
water and tidal activity to enter freshwater
zones. Good for commerce, bad for wetlands (and
their associated commerce).
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The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) is one
of the biggest culprits (note dead cypress trees
to the right).
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Over time, the spoilbanks along the pipelines
change marsh hydrology and lead to marsh
deterioration (l). Plugging the canals (r)
helps.
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When I-10 was built over the LaBranche wetlands
(l), a deep ditch was dug to deliver the
structure thus allowing saltier water to enter
the fresh wetlands. When I-310 was built, no
canals were constructed, so there was no major
wetlands loss.
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In the Netherlands, there were no coastal marshes
along their dikes (l). They constructed
sedimentation fences that 1) calmed the waters
and 2) trapped sediment as tides go out, and
marshes began to grow when the sea became
shallower (r).
Wadden Zee, 1980s.
Zuider Zee, 1958.
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WEVE TRIED EVERYTHING TO CONSERVE OUR AMERICAS
WETLAND.
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Political cartoons by Mike Luckovich.
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We are losing our graves to the sea in Leeville,
LA.
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WHAT WE REALLY LEARNED
PLUS GRATITUDE TO ALL OF YOU WHO CAME TO HELP!!!
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Robert A. (Bob) Thomas Center for Environmental
Communications Loyola University New
Orleans 504.865.2107 rathomas_at_loyno. edu
www.loyno.edu/lucec