Louisiana’s compounding coastal threats
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By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, National Wildlife Federation Worldwide, rising global temperature is a threat to coastal communities in the form of rising sea levels and stronger hurricanes. Last week, the Louisiana State Museum in New Orleans hosted a presentation by Virginia Burkett, Ph.D., Chief Scientist for Global Climate and Land Use Change at the United States Geological Survey. In Dr. Burkett’s presentation, “Climate Change and Sea Level Rise: Implications for New Orleans,” she discussed the science of …
VIDEO: 3 Years Later, Make BP Pay
On April 20, 2010, 11 people lost their lives and the biggest environmental disaster in our nation’s history began. Three years later, BP’s oil is still here, and it continues to impact the people, places and wildlife of the Gulf. On April 20, 2013, to mark three years of BP’s ongoing disaster, local groups and citizens gathered to memorialize all that has been lost, call out BP for the ongoing effects of the spill, and take a stand to fight …
May 3 Telebriefing: Next Steps for Increased Funding for Coastal Restoration
Coast Builders Coalition and the Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign will host a telebriefing on Friday, May 3, 2013 at 11 a.m. EST. Businesses and business associations seeking an update on the RESTORE Act, Deepwater Horizon settlement and the Gulf Council are encouraged to register. These issues will impact a wide range of businesses, from the coastal restoration companies that can expect to see increased demand for their services to the tourism companies that depend on a healthy Gulf ecosystem. …
Tagged EconomicsLouisiana Public Broadcasting Presents: "Louisiana Coastal Concerns: BP & Beyond"
From CWPPRA Newsflash: What are viable strategies for addressing our coastal erosion in light of sea level rise, subsidence, hurricanes and oil spills? The Deepwater Horizon oil spill dumped nearly five million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, with Louisiana’s coast receiving the greatest percentage of direct ecological damage. Three years later, a civil trial is taking place to determine the financial liability of BP and three other companies for the impact to the five Gulf states. Eighty …
Thursday: WWNO SpeakEasy featuring NWF’s David Muth and journalist Bob Marshall
From WWNO: You’re invited to join WWNO — New Orleans Public Radio for our next SpeakEasy this Thursday, March 28, at 6:00 p.m. CT at Chickie Wah Wah in New Orleans. Join WWNO’s General Manager Paul Maassen as he moderates a discussion on environmental concerns that impact the Gulf Coast, Southeastern Louisiana and far beyond. The panel includes Pulitzer Prize-winning environmental journalist Bob Marshall and David Muth, Director, Mississippi River Delta Restoration at the National Wildlife Federation. SpeakEasy is a …
Secretary Salazar: Putting Restoration on Steroids
By Amanda Moore, Greater New Orleans Program Manager, National Wildlife Federation On Wednesday, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar visited Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Lacombe, La. for what possibly could be his last public meeting outside of Washington, D.C. Salazar said he was proud to hold the meeting in the Mississippi River Delta, adding that it is “a world-class conservation area for hunting and fishing.” State and local government officials, fishermen and women, and non-profit leaders turned out …
City of New Orleans, National Wildlife Federation host coastal restoration public forum
By Amanda Moore, Greater New Orleans Program Manager, National Wildlife Federation Last Thursday evening, the City of New Orleans hosted their 2nd in a series of coastal restoration public forums. Community members came to hear Drue Banta, Counsel to the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities, talk about ways to advance coastal restoration in Louisiana through use of BP oil disaster funds. Ms. Banta spoke to a crowd of about 75 people, including neighborhood leaders, parish officials, landowners, fishermen, legislators, …
Environmentalists, activists rally outside courthouse for start of BP oil spill trial
By Elizabeth Skree, Communications Manager, Environmental Defense Fund Beginning at 6 a.m. this morning, Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign members and dozens of Gulf Coast supporters rallied outside the U.S. District Courthouse in New Orleans, urging the U.S. Department of Justice to hold BP fully accountable for the gulf oil disaster. As the civil trial began inside the building, Gulf Coast residents representing communities, industries and diverse sectors gathered outside, holding signs showing the spill’s destruction, reading “#makeBPpay.” The group …
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Louisiana public meetings: Feb. 19-21
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council is holding public meetings to get public opinion on how RESTORE Act dollars should be spent, and we invite you to attend and be a voice for environmental restoration. The Restoration Council is looking for public input on their draft Comprehensive Plan for Gulf Coast restoration which will outline how RESTORE Act dollars from the BP oil spill will be translated into restoration projects. To make the gulf whole, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council must make a concerted …
Signed, sealed, delivered: 133,501 petitions to #makeBPpay
By Ryan Rastegar and Elizabeth Skree, Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign Today, staff from Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society and Earthworks hand delivered 133,501 petitions to the U.S. Department of Justice, urging them to hold BP accountable to the fullest extent of the law for the 2010 gulf oil disaster. You can see a Facebook photo album from the event by clicking the photo below. Almost three years after the BP oil disaster, the question around …
What is Our Coast Worth (In Dollars)?
This story was originally posted on the Coalition the Restore Coastal Louisiana’s Coastal Currents blog. By Scott Madere, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana Our coastal wetlands have immeasurable worth to Louisiana in terms of culture. Our history, art, celebrations, recreational opportunities and so much more are tied to the muddy waters and vast green expanse of our swamps, forests and coastal marsh. Our love for our land defines us as a people, and we often cite it to those who …
Tagged Economics18th Annual Tulane Environmental Summit
From the Tulane University Law School: Tulane Environmental Law Society is pleased to present its 2013 Summit on Environmental Law & Policy, to be held February 22-23, 2013 at Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, La. The Summit will feature concurrent, Continuing Legal Education (CLE)-accredited panels and is open to attorneys, students and university faculty, public interest organizations and the general public. Panel Topics include: Friday: Bayou Corne Sinkhole, BP Spill: Reformulating Risk Management, The Mississippi Gopher Frog & the …
BP Oil Spill: 1,000 Days Later
It’s been exactly 1,000 days since the BP-operated oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, gushing millions of barrels of crude oil into a body of water that supports countless ecosystems and economies. Below is a timeline of major events that have occurred in the last 1,000 days. Tell BP to stop stalling, take responsibility, and pay the maximum Clean Water Act fines for which they are liable — now! Sources: – Restorethegulf.org, “First oiled bird is recovered.” – …
Tagged EconomicsNominations Open for 2013 CRCL Coastal Stewardship Awards
From the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana: Restoring and protecting the natural treasure of Louisiana’s coast is a duty embraced by many people with diverse backgrounds. Some may be volunteers, students, researchers, sportsmen, governmental or business leaders, or simply coastal citizens who care enough about the future of our state to take action. Every year the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) is proud to honor and individuals and organizations who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to the coast with a CRCL …
Audubon Christmas Bird Count Begins, Delta Region Highlights Local Opportunities
Conservationists in the Mississippi River Delta region have announced local details about this year’s Audubon Christmas Bird Count: the longest-running citizen science wildlife survey in the world. There are numerous opportunities for Louisianans to participate in this celebrated international tradition. Running December 14 – January 5, the count spans the Arctic to the Andes and is now in its 113th year. “Christmas Bird Count participants experience seasonal gifts of unforgettable sightings,” said Erik Johnson, director of bird conservation at Audubon Louisiana. …