Blog Archives

Delta Dispatches: Climate Science & Hurricanes and New Orleans City Park

Delta Dispatches: Climate Science & Hurricanes and New Orleans City Park

Thanks for listening to this episode of Delta Dispatches. Our hosts, Simone & Jacques, catch up after a few weeks off and reflect on the long (and finally over) 2020 hurricane season. Our first guess is Ilissa Ocko, senior climate scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund. She talks about her work and how climate change impacts hurricanes. On the second half the show, we chat with Meg Adams, the Director of Environmental Stewardship at New Orleans City Park. Meg talks …

Delta Dispatches: Preserving Louisiana’s Cultural Heritage

Thanks for listening to the latest episode of Delta Dispatches. This episode was recorded early last week, before Hurricane Zeta made landfall. Everyone at Delta Dispatches sends good vibes to all our listeners, as we’ve been impacted with the rest of Southeast Louisiana and coastal Mississippi. We hope this episode will provide some entertainment as you may be waiting for the lights to come back on. We talk to Maida Owens, Louisiana Folklife Program Director about her important work capturing …

Coalition Unveils Findings on MRGO Ecosystem Recovery 15 Years After Hurricane Katrina

Report assesses impacts of channel’s closure, vital restoration needs and ongoing community recovery NEW ORLEANS (Oct. 1, 2020) — 15 years after Hurricane Katrina, the MRGO Must Go Coalition released a white paper today detailing new information about the environmental benefits of closing the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) and the ongoing, urgent need for large-scale restoration of the ecosystem in order to protect communities from hurricanes and climate change. The white paper, titled “MRGO: The Road to Recovery,” was …

Delta Dispatches: Hurricane Laura Recovery

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode! Today Simone and Jacques talk about the ongoing needs and obstacles in the wake of Hurricane Laura. First, we speak with Sara Judson, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana. She talks about the relief and recovery after the storm and the role her organization is playing to help the people of Southwest Louisiana. Also joining us is Corey Miller, Director of Community Resilience with our friends at CRCL. Corey …

Delta Dispatches: CPRA Leader Discusses Hurricane Laura Response

In the wake of the destruction of Hurricane Laura, we sit down with Chip Kline, Executive Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Activities and Chairman of the CPRA Board. Chip talks about the work CPRA is doing to protect the people who call South Louisiana home, what it’s like in Louisiana’s Emergency Center, what he saw when he toured southwest Louisiana, the importance of coastal restoration in the face of future storms and more.  Please consider helping those affected by …

Delta Dispatches: Reflecting on Hurricane Katrina’s Legacy

This week we sit down with two guests to reflect on where we’ve come in the years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. First we talk to Sidney Coffee, who headed the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities in 2005 at the time of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She would go on to be the first chair of the CPRA and has been instrumental in shaping that agency, the Coastal Master Plan, and coastal restoration in Louisiana. Next we welcome Arthur Johnson …

Signs of Progress as the Katrina Anniversary Approaches

As we learn more about the impacts from Hurricane Laura, which hit our state earlier this week as a Category 4 storm, our thoughts are with our neighbors in southwest Louisiana and all whose lives were affected by this storm. You can find ways to support those in need here as they embark on their long road to recovery. While we hold those affected by Laura in our hearts and reach out to support them, we also remember another devastating …

Help Support the Victims of Hurricanes Laura and Delta

Hurricane Laura made landfall in southwest Louisiana in the early morning of August 27th as a Category 4 storm — the highest-rated category storm to hit Louisiana since 1856. Laura remained a hurricane as it moved north to Shreveport. The impacts of the storm are still being assessed — from flooding, wind and rain damage to concerns of pollution and air quality to more than half a million homes in the region without power.  As people were starting to return …

Delta Dispatches: A Coastal Conversation with Garret Graves

On this extra special, lagniappe episode of Delta Dispatches, we welcome Congressman Garret Graves back to the show. We reflect on the coming 15 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and how coastal restoration has played a role in preparing Louisiana for future storms. Rep. Graves also talks about how he sees bipartisan work to create cleaner energy and community resilience in Louisiana.   Listen Now:

Delta Dispatches: Fragile Grounds

This week on Delta Dispatches, we speak with Jessica H. Schexnayder about her book, Fragile Grounds, which compiles stories and photographs of endangered cemeteries throughout Louisiana’s coastal zone and beyond. On the second half the show we welcome back Deborah Visco Abibou, Ph.D., restoration programs director for the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. CRCL is about to install their latest oyster reef as part of their oyster shell recycling program.   Listen Now:

Louisiana’s Future Depends on Reducing Carbon Emissions and Building Climate Resilience

Governor’s executive orders establish task force to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and to develop resilience strategies across all sectors of state government (NEW ORLEANS – August 19, 2020) Earlier today, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signed two executive orders that will have significant impacts in addressing the state’s climate and land loss crises. The first executive order establishes a Climate Initiatives Task Force charged with developing recommendations for how Louisiana can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to help …

Delta Dispatches: Checking in on Hurricane Season with Steve Caparotta

Thanks for tuning in! Last week, forecasters updated their outlook calling for an ‘extremely active‘ remainder of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Simone and Jacques chat with WAFB Meteorologist Steve Caparotta to get his insights on the update and what is driving it, as well as discuss prior record-breaking seasons and other trends. On the second half of the show, Jacques and Simone discuss a number of coastal updates, including reflecting on the legacy of Dr. Sherwood “Woody” Gagliano, highlighting …

Delta Dispatches: Scoping Out the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion

We’re dedicating this entire episode to the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion, which is officially in the scoping period. During the scoping period, the public can provide comments and suggest questions about the project that they think should be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to ultimately inform how the project moves forward. This episode breaks down the scoping process and talks about how you can deliver your comments about the project to the Army Corps of Engineers. The official regulatory …

Your Voice is Needed: Why and How to Participate in the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion Scoping Process

Skip to a section What is ‘Scoping’? Podcast: Scoping Out the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion How to Participate in Mid-Breton Scoping How to submit your official scoping comments and questions Additional Resources One of the cornerstone projects the State of Louisiana deems most central to the future of the Mississippi River Delta is, after over 35 years of planning, hitting a major milestone. The Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion project is officially in the scoping period, which means the public has an opportunity …

Delta Dispatches: Upriver Diversions and the Bonnet Carré Spillway. Also, hello, Pontchartrain Conservancy!

Thanks for listening to another episode of Delta Dispatches with Jacques Hebert and Simone Maloz! Today we talk with Dr. Ehab Meselhe, Professor, Tulane University, School of Science & Engineering about his illustrious career. He talks about his time studying two of the largest rivers in the world, the Nile and Mississippi. Dr. Meselhe also recently completed a study that looks at the impacts of planned upper river diversions on operations of the Bonnet Carré spillway. Later in the show, …