Gentlemen, this thing in New Orleans…
Question:
…looks real bad. Everybody say your prayers tonight. I know I will. Freep
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> ….looks real bad. Everybody say your prayers tonight. I know I will. > Freep
Umm. I just happen to surf past CNN .. when did this thing turn into a category 5 ? I thought it was a cat 1 or 2 last week, obviously I haven’t been paying attention. New Orleans is *below* sea level too. They are already forecasting the worse long term damage with flooding.
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Oh, a while ago. As soon as it was over water again, it started pumping up. A lot. The water is very warm, you see. And it’s moving uncommonly slow, so it has lots of time to pick water up. Guess where all that water is going. Hoo-boy… It’s going to be a long night. Freep
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> ….looks real bad. Everybody say your prayers tonight. I know I will. > Freep > Umm. I just happen to surf past CNN .. when did this thing turn into > a category 5 ? I thought it was a cat 1 or 2 last week, obviously > I haven’t been paying attention. New Orleans is *below* sea level too. > They are already forecasting the worse long term damage with flooding.
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> Oh, a while ago. As soon as it was over water again, it started pumping up. > A lot. The water is very warm, you see. And it’s moving uncommonly slow, so > it has lots of time to pick water up. Guess where all that water is going. > Hoo-boy… It’s going to be a long night.
Are you in the area ? NO is TEN feet below sea level they just said. That is a hellva pond to fill.
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> Hoo-boy… It’s going to be a long night.
My thoughts and prayers to all of those in that area. See ya, John
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No, I’m not from there; I’m in NY state… I hope most of them got out, though. They’re saying right out in the open that no way will the levees take it — they’re made to take a Cat 3. There’s talk of a city completely under water for WEEKS. It’ll be for all intents and purposes, gone. God have mercy… At least they had plenty of warning. Freep
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Oh, a while ago. As soon as it was over water again, it started pumping > up. A lot. The water is very warm, you see. And it’s moving uncommonly > slow, so it has lots of time to pick water up. Guess where all that water > is going. > Hoo-boy… It’s going to be a long night. > Are you in the area ? > NO is TEN feet below sea level they just said. > That is a hellva pond to fill.
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>> That is a hellva pond to fill.
Fill up your cars ! NO handles 1/3 of gas imports. They are saying this could be a major economic impact .. Consider the event as losing a city .. for a long duration !!
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gas has already hit $70.00 a barrel. speculators be damned. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> That is a hellva pond to fill. > Fill up your cars ! > NO handles 1/3 of gas imports. > They are saying this could be a major > economic impact .. Consider the event as > losing a city .. for a long duration !!
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http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2005/08/28/afx2194163.html 08.28.2005, 11:03 PM TOKYO (AFX) – Crude oil prices surged to fresh record highs in Asian trading hours, with the benchmark contract rising briefly above 70 usd per barrel on worries a super storm will affect output at the Gulf of Mexico, dealers said. At 9.35 am, the benchmark New York light sweet crude oil for October delivery was trading at 69.86 usd per barrel, off a high of 70.80 usd. It closed at 66.13 usd in New York last Friday.
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> …looks real bad. Everybody say your prayers tonight. I know I will. > Freep
It ain’t good. I don’t think alot of folks realize what this storm’s power and position mean for N.O. They just finished the pump system recently, but it could be a while before they’ll do any good. I’ve spent lots of time living and working there, and I hate to see go. It’ll still be there, but it’s gonna look a bit different.
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> > Hoo-boy… It’s going to be a long night. > My thoughts and prayers to all of those in that area. > See ya, > John
Too bad the Louisianna Guard isn’t home to help out. Unfortunately, the citizens of the state of Louisiana are about to face the full force of Katrina without the benefit of their National Guard troops to protect them. This is a direct consequence of President Bush’s bad decision to invade Iraq. Bush’s decision to fight terrorism by taking the battle "over there" is about to hit home. How much Katrina impacts the oil supply from the Gulf. If prices at the pump spike significantly, this could further erode Bush’s support. (Yeah, I know that Bush isn’t responsible for hurricanes, regardless of how much Robertson may think God listens to him, but Americans tend not to be rational when it comes to their wallets at gas stations.)
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> > …looks real bad. Everybody say your prayers tonight. I know I will. > Freep > It ain’t good. I don’t think alot of folks realize what this > storm’s power and position mean for N.O. > They just finished the pump system recently, but it could > be a while before they’ll do any good. I’ve spent lots of time > living and working there, and I hate to see go. It’ll still be > there, but it’s gonna look a bit different.
satellite photos here: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/float-vis-loop.html impressive, not a pretty picture.
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>> …looks real bad. Everybody say your prayers tonight. I know I will. > Freep >It ain’t good. I don’t think alot of folks realize what this >storm’s power and position mean for N.O. >They just finished the pump system recently, but it could >be a while before they’ll do any good. I’ve spent lots of time >living and working there, and I hate to see go. It’ll still be >there, but it’s gonna look a bit different.
My guess is that pumping systems would have very little impact on something of this scale. Water is an incredibly powerful force, and combine it with a strong hurricane, and a city that’s below sea level… Not where I’d want to be right now. Pete — I saved your mechanical man from certain damnation. For his frail, electronic eyes had gazed upon the impenetrable! He was an unwilling beholder to the impossible! –Dr. Orpheus
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It’ll still be there, but it’s gonna look a bit different. To me, it looks so grim, I wonder if most of the desirable historical buildings, etc, won’t be toast. I live in Houston, and I’ve actually never in in N.O. proper. Close, but was in Baton Rouge. Makes me wonder if I’ll ever see it as it once was. It’s only a fluke of the weather fronts that that thing isn’t heading for Houston, instead of N.O. If we didn’t have that high pressure behind us, I fully expect it would gone on in to Galveston instead of making the turn. I’ve been in a few hurricanes, so I know what it’s like. The last one I was in was Alicia in about ‘83?? or so, and it was 105 mph when it blew over the house. The eye came right down main street nearly. I sat in my car much of the night, listening to the radio, and watching it. Yes, I was clear of any falling trees… :/ When the wind kicks up, all the power transformers start shorting out, and you see this weird green glow all over the sky. That storm blew down trees all over town, and blew out many skyscraper windows from the gravel flying off the roofs. Very dangerous. And that storm was a wimp compared to this one. The bad part about this storm is the way it strengthened so fast towards the end. I bet many that decided to stay at home will be regretting it about daybreak or so… I hope they can find high spots to sit away from trees. I fear a 25 ft storm surge easy… With them being under sea level, I would not want to be there unless I was in a STRONG building on a high upper level. I fear N.O. will basically be toast for a good long while. If that storm had come to Houston, we would have been wiped out. I’m talking HUGE damage. Probably would The only thing we have going is we are at 50-100 ft…+- We won’t drown from the storm surge. Most city dwellers die from falling trees, etc.. I’ve been listening to the usual hurricane HF nets on the ham radio, and am listening to a repeater that is linked into one of their UHF/VHF systems via the internet, and I’m hearing some of their local reports. I hope they all duck and cover. This one is about as bad as it gets. MK
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > Hoo-boy… It’s going to be a long night. > My thoughts and prayers to all of those in that area. > See ya, > John > Too bad the Louisianna Guard isn’t home to help out. Unfortunately, the > citizens of the state of Louisiana are about to face the full force of > Katrina without the benefit of their National Guard troops to protect > them. > This is a direct consequence of President Bush’s bad decision to invade > Iraq. > Bush’s decision to fight terrorism by taking the battle "over there" is > about to hit home.
Write to your representative. May national democrats pick up your line, kid. Because as everyone knows, nobody would die if a NG soldier were there to hold their hand. Go ahead, try to sell that. As I said, people ought to be kept aware of what goes on in the heads of those who purport to be an alternative to the GOP, and what they think about in times of disaster. Freep – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> How much Katrina impacts the oil supply from the Gulf. If prices at > the pump spike significantly, this could further erode Bush’s support. > (Yeah, I know that Bush isn’t responsible for hurricanes, regardless of > how much Robertson may think God listens to him, but Americans tend not > to be rational when it comes to their wallets at gas stations.)
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> > Hoo-boy… It’s going to be a long night. >> My thoughts and prayers to all of those in that area. >> See ya, >> John > Too bad the Louisianna Guard isn’t home to help out. Unfortunately, > the citizens of the state of Louisiana are about to face the full > force of Katrina without the benefit of their National Guard troops > to protect them. > This is a direct consequence of President Bush’s bad decision to > invade Iraq. > Bush’s decision to fight terrorism by taking the battle "over there" > is about to hit home. > Write to your representative. May national democrats pick up your > line, kid. Because as everyone knows, nobody would die if a NG soldier > were there to hold their hand. Go ahead, try to sell that. As I said, > people ought to be kept aware of what goes on in the heads of those > who purport to be an alternative to the GOP, and what they think about > in times of disaster.
The scary thing is that President Bush sent the *entire* Louisiana National Guard to Iraq — Zoot said they’re gone, that must mean they’re all gone, right? Hard to imagine that every last soldier in any state’s National Guard would be activated and sent overseas at one time — short of something on the scale of World War II, I mean — but it must be true because Zoot says they’re not in Louisiana. Zoot, grow a brain. — Walter Luffman Medina, TN USA An equal opportunity annoyer
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> …looks real bad. Everybody say your prayers tonight. I know I >> will. >> Freep >It ain’t good. I don’t think alot of folks realize what this >storm’s power and position mean for N.O. >They just finished the pump system recently, but it could >be a while before they’ll do any good. I’ve spent lots of time >living and working there, and I hate to see go. It’ll still be >there, but it’s gonna look a bit different. > My guess is that pumping systems would have very little impact on > something of this scale. Water is an incredibly powerful force, and > combine it with a strong hurricane, and a city that’s below sea > level… > Not where I’d want to be right now.
Pete, any idea how many of the levee pumps are still operational? Any electric pumps are probably going to be out of operation for a few days at least — and that’s assuming they’re priority items for getting electricity restored in the city. Gas or diesel pumps may be able to run for a few days, but sooner or later they’re going to run out of fuel; with the New Orleans-area refineries out of operation, we’ll have to bring in fuel supplies from elsewhere. My heart goes out to the people in southern Louisiana, but meanwhile my own area is about to get hit with Katrina-related flooding. We usually think of hurricanes as coastal threats, but this one may end up causing problems as far north as Ohio; and with all the moisture Katie is carrying, we could be talking about pockets of serious flooding over a big portion of the eastern U.S. If this happens, relief and rebuilding efforts will be needed locally, meaning we’ll have less available to send to help New Orleans. (But we’ll send help anyway, at least here in the volunteer State.) — Walter Luffman Medina, TN USA An equal opportunity annoyer
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->>> > Hoo-boy… It’s going to be a long night. >>> My thoughts and prayers to all of those in that area. >>> See ya, >>> John >> Too bad the Louisianna Guard isn’t home to help out. Unfortunately, >> the citizens of the state of Louisiana are about to face the full >> force of Katrina without the benefit of their National Guard troops >> to protect them. >> This is a direct consequence of President Bush’s bad decision to >> invade Iraq. >> Bush’s decision to fight terrorism by taking the battle "over there" >> is about to hit home. > Write to your representative. May national democrats pick up your > line, kid. Because as everyone knows, nobody would die if a NG soldier > were there to hold their hand. Go ahead, try to sell that. As I said, > people ought to be kept aware of what goes on in the heads of those > who purport to be an alternative to the GOP, and what they think about > in times of disaster. > The scary thing is that President Bush sent the *entire* Louisiana > National Guard to Iraq — Zoot said they’re gone, that must mean > they’re all gone, right? Hard to imagine that every last soldier in > any state’s National Guard would be activated and sent overseas at one > time — short of something on the scale of World War II, I mean — but > it must be true because Zoot says they’re not in Louisiana. > Zoot, grow a brain. > — > Walter Luffman Medina, TN USA > An equal opportunity annoyer
Especially since, who do you think was screening people into the Superdome? You guessed it: The Louisiana National Guard. They must have awfully long arms to do that from Iraq, since Zoot says they’re *there*. Freep
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> This is a direct consequence of President Bush
As expected, the first dumbass to blame the hurricane and subsequent damage on President Bush is chronic complainer / serial plagarist zootwoman.
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->>> …looks real bad. Everybody say your prayers tonight. I know I >>> will. >>> Freep >>It ain’t good. I don’t think alot of folks realize what this >>storm’s power and position mean for N.O. >>They just finished the pump system recently, but it could >>be a while before they’ll do any good. I’ve spent lots of time >>living and working there, and I hate to see go. It’ll still be >>there, but it’s gonna look a bit different. > My guess is that pumping systems would have very little impact on > something of this scale. Water is an incredibly powerful force, and > combine it with a strong hurricane, and a city that’s below sea > level… > Not where I’d want to be right now. >Pete, any idea how many of the levee pumps are still operational? Any >electric pumps are probably going to be out of operation for a few days >at least — and that’s assuming they’re priority items for getting >electricity restored in the city. Gas or diesel pumps may be able to >run for a few days, but sooner or later they’re going to run out of >fuel; with the New Orleans-area refineries out of operation, we’ll have >to bring in fuel supplies from elsewhere.
They were lucky enough not to take a direct hit. It looks like a rather huge amount of people weren’t able to get out of the city before the storm hit. I couldn’t tell you how many pumps are operational. When I said that pumping systems would have very little impact, what was on my mind was in a worst case scenario, which fortunately, they’re not facing. But people were saying things like the whole city might end up under 25 feet of the water. And I was thinking… pumps? >My heart goes out to the people in southern Louisiana, but meanwhile my >own area is about to get hit with Katrina-related flooding. We usually >think of hurricanes as coastal threats, but this one may end up causing >problems as far north as Ohio; and with all the moisture Katie is >carrying, we could be talking about pockets of serious flooding over a >big portion of the eastern U.S. If this happens, relief and rebuilding >efforts will be needed locally, meaning we’ll have less available to >send to help New Orleans. (But we’ll send help anyway, at least here >in the volunteer State.)
Hopefully you’ll be spared the flooding where you are. I’m fortunate enough to live in a town way up North that’s built on a hill carved out by the glaciers. Illinois, not *that* far north. And the WPA built all sorts of drainage canals through the downtown during the depression era, so this town hasn’t flooded in a long time. We have a couple canals, and a river going through our flood plains, and our water all empties into the Mississippi eventually. Pete — I saved your mechanical man from certain damnation. For his frail, electronic eyes had gazed upon the impenetrable! He was an unwilling beholder to the impossible! –Dr. Orpheus
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from your favorite liberal newsman to hate http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript135_full.html MOYERS: Welcome to NOW. Sometimes the devil really is in the details. Consider the annual report just out from the E.P.A. on trends in air pollution. For the first time in six years, it leaves out any discussion of global warming. The White House simply doesn’t want anyone to take climate change seriously, or to connect the dots between our addiction to fossil fuels and a hotter planet. This summer, however, we may have seen a glimpse of what’s in store. Nearly half the U.S. was affected by drought during the hottest, driest season since the 1930s. And Europe had the opposite extreme: the worst floods in more than a century. Down in Louisiana’s bayou country, the water also rises. A few weeks ago, we showed you how the coastline there is disappearing into the Gulf because of human activity. We return to New Orleans tonight because if this keeps up, the streetcar named Desire could be swept away by the muddy waters of the Delta. NPR’s Daniel Zwerlding and NOW’S William Brangham have our report. DANIEL ZWERDLING: When travelers rate their favorite cities around the world, they put New Orleans near the top of the list… Cajun culture… The Mississippi…The French Quarter. But a scientist named Joe Suhayda sees a more troubling vision of this city. click on link above to read entire script.
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Well I’d have to say that Bushoviks don’t have the enovirnoment or local security issues on the front burner. http://gov.louisiana.gov/New_Stories_detail.asp?id=52 Author:By LAURA McKNIGHT and KATINA A. GAUDET Staff Writers Houma Courier EDITORIAL: Coastal Advocates Dismayed by Bush’s Opposition Tell the president what you think Gov. Kathleen Blanco released a copy of a letter to President Bush on Wednesday in which she encourages him to visit Louisiana to see the state’s coastal-erosion problems firsthand. In it, she touches on concerns that the deteriorating Louisiana coast threatens critical oil-industry infrastructure, including transportation routes and pipelines. Although budget constraints are said to be the reason for the Bush administration’s opposition, Blanco said, "please consider the far greater costs of not addressing the catastrophic coastal land loss occurring in Louisiana, land loss that puts our nation’s energy security and economic future at risk. . I urge you to schedule the visit before the Energy Bill is completed. I know that once you see what is unfolding, firsthand, the urgency my state and our nation faces will be clear." Blanco also encouraged Louisiana residents to send correspondence to 456-1111 or write The President, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C., 20500. "Repair the marshland or rebuild New Orleans." That headline ran atop a column last week in Denver’s Rocky Mountain News. It provided the newspaper’s readers with information about how to get involved in the effort to save Louisiana’s coast. Louisiana’s state and congressional leaders point to such work as proof that word is getting out that the coast is integral to national security and commerce and is especially important in protecting the area from Gulf storms. Still, state leaders are uncertain whether they are reaching the one place they must: the White House. "We’ve already jumped through these hoops," Sidney Coffee, executive assistant to Gov. Kathleen Blanco in the Office of Coastal Activities, said. "I think it’s time for this administration and this Congress to recognize what we’re up against here and that there is some federal responsibility that needs to be taken." In the past week, the state has been dealt two blows to its near-term plan to address coastal land loss. Last week, in response to the U.S. House’s approval of the 2005 Water Resources Development Act, the Bush administration recommended that Louisiana pay half the cost of its $17 billion plan to rebuild the coast. The Louisiana Coastal Area study, as it’s called, is in the House’s WRDA legislation. Similar legislation has not yet been approved by the full Senate but has passed a Senate committee. The administration cites the comprehensive Everglades restoration program and its 50 percent cost-share agreement, but Louisiana’s leaders criticized the comparison. On Monday, the administration again opposed a plan for revenue sharing with Louisiana and other coastal oil-and-gas-producing states. The opposition came in a letter from U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman to House and Senate members chosen to reconcile the two branches’ versions of the federal energy bill. "The administration recognizes that coastal Louisiana is an environmental resource of national significance and has worked closely with the state of Louisiana to produce a near-term coastal wetlands restoration plan to guide how the next phase of restoration projects in Louisiana will be identified, prioritized and sequenced," the policy statement says. It says, however, that the House bill does not require a sufficient cost-share by the state. HALF AND HALF "The cost-share paid by the general taxpayer for the Everglades restoration effort is 50 percent, and this should likewise be the maximum federal contribution for the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway and coastal Louisiana restoration efforts," the statement says. It would cost more than $10 billion to implement the House’s WRDA bill, make changes to existing projects and programs and pay for the increased federal cost-share on certain projects, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That would "create expectations for future appropriations that cannot be met given competing spending priorities within the overall need for spending restraint, including deficit reduction," the administration’s policy statement says. According to Louisiana’s leaders, the near-term coastal-restoration program, already scaled down from its more-comprehensive effort at the administration’s request, cannot afford to be further trimmed. ‘IT’S ABSURD’ "It’s absurd," U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, said. "This is America’s Wetland. We were happy to get the WRDA bill passed, and that’s good news, but from what I understand of what the administration has said, this is not, and we’ll continue our effort to try to get the federal government to ante up and take care of the coastline like it should." U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., also disagrees with the 50-50 cost share. "The good news," Vitter added, "is that the House and Senate also disagree with it." Louisiana’s delegation has so far been successful in keeping the cost share at 65 percent federal and 35 percent state and local, he said. "I remain very focused on these coastal provisions," he said. So, too, does Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, spokesman Adam Sharp said. In its report on the coastal plan to Congress in January, the corps states that the 65-35 cost share is "consistent with existing law and corps policy" and is recommended by corps officers. Like state officials, Sharp said the Everglades cost share is the exception to the corps’ practice, not the rule. If the 65-35 split were the exception, Louisiana would deserve it, he said. "The president’s sharp assertion is completely overlooking the fact that Louisiana’s coastal area is a working wetlands," Sharp said. "The national impact of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands is significant. Continuing erosion would hurt the national economy and national security." Coffee agreed, saying that it would be "extremely difficult" for the state to pay half the cost. ‘APPLES TO ORANGES’ "I hate to even compare our situation and the Everglades. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. The Everglades doesn’t produce to the nation what our coast does by any stretch of the imagination, and the purpose of Everglades restoration is entirely different than ours," Coffee said. This week, in response to Bodman’s letter opposing the plan, Blanco called upon state residents to speak up, calling the Bush administration’s opposition "incomprehensible." "That this administration could actively oppose compensating the states that continue to produce so much of the nation’s energy is not just short-sighted, it’s irresponsible," said Blanco in a statement released this week. "I urge every citizen of Louisiana to write or call President Bush and tell him about the importance to the nation of our state’s coast." Blanco extended a formal invitation to the president and Bodman to visit coastal Louisiana and see "the critical infrastructure being put at greater and greater risk as these wetlands continue to vanish." U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-La., on Tuesday sent a similar offer to congressional negotiators working on the compromise energy bill, which also contains money for Louisiana’s coastal efforts. COME FLY WITH ME "I invite you all to fly over the effected areas with me in order to see the submerged foundations of houses that used to be on solid ground, the water lapping at roads that used to be protected, and the graves that now rest under water," Jindal wrote. The Senate portion of the bill would force the government to annually distribute $250 million from 2007 to 2010 among Louisiana and five other coastal energy-producing states. The money would come from federal taxes on oil produced in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana’s coast. Louisiana would receive the biggest portion. The House version calls for Louisiana to receive $300 million over the next five years, rising to $1 billion a year in revenues starting in 2016. The conference committee will decide which version gets used in the Energy Bill, though Jindal said members have the latitude to decide on any amount they see fit. The committee hopes to give Bush a bill by the end of next week. http://www.jasonproject.org/jason_news/bayoublues.htm Bayou Blues: Working to Save the U.S. From The Worst Potential Oil, Gas and Fishing Crisis While Thousands Gather in New Orleans for Mardi Gras Scientists and Students Working to Save Louisiana Wetlands Marrero, LA — An impending crisis that could have a detrimental impact on the oil and gas infrastructure and fishing industry in the United States is leading scientists to investigate how to stop rapid deterioration and to start restoring marsh land in Louisiana’s southern coastal wetlands – which are losing a piece of land the size of a football field every 35 minutes. All of this is part of an international broadcast expedition wrapping up conclusions and coming to an end in the Louisiana bayou with the JASON Foundation for Education. "The loss of Louisiana’s wetlands is the single most catastrophic environmental disaster ever to hit the continental U.S.," said Mark Schexnayder, a marine biologist with the Louisiana State University Agricultural Extension and Research Center-Sea Grant Program. "The consequences of loosing the wetlands are far reaching and affect everyone. Of course there are biological and ecological effects, but the biggest cost of losing the wetlands will be on oil and gas prices, causing them to rise everywhere. The oil production rigs and natural gas pipelines in Louisiana depend on the wetlands to protect their structures from storms and hurricanes. Without the wetlands, they are
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> …looks real bad. Everybody say your prayers tonight. I know I will. > Freep
Kyoto not looking so bad now…..
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> > Hoo-boy… It’s going to be a long night. > My thoughts and prayers to all of those in that area. > See ya, > John > Too bad the Louisianna Guard isn’t home to help out. Unfortunately, the > citizens of the state of Louisiana are about to face the full force of > Katrina without the benefit of their National Guard troops to protect > them.
…uh, last i heard, the Louisiana NG hasn’t been issued those new "hurricane defuser rockets" yet, so about all they can do is help pick up the trash afterward. take care, paul az – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> This is a direct consequence of President Bush’s bad decision to invade > Iraq. > Bush’s decision to fight terrorism by taking the battle "over there" is > about to hit home. > How much Katrina impacts the oil supply from the Gulf. If prices at > the pump spike significantly, this could further erode Bush’s support. > (Yeah, I know that Bush isn’t responsible for hurricanes, regardless of > how much Robertson may think God listens to him, but Americans tend not > to be rational when it comes to their wallets at gas stations.)
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> Well I’d have to say that Bushoviks don’t have the enovirnoment or > local security issues on the front burner.
a conservative offers a prayer for the well being of victims of disaster, and rather than join in with that prayer, you twist the thread into a political "bash bush" hit piece. you should be ashamed of your self! just because you are a liberal doesn’t mean that you have to be open minded til your brains fall out! Jeez, have a little compassion for those just hit by a natural disaster, and don’t try to turn every act of conservative compassion into a political diatribe against some guy you didn’t vote for, and are therefore mad at! grow up! paul az – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> http://gov.louisiana.gov/New_Stories_detail.asp?id=52 > Author:By LAURA McKNIGHT and KATINA A. GAUDET Staff Writers Houma > Courier > EDITORIAL: Coastal Advocates Dismayed by Bush’s Opposition > Tell the president what you think > Gov. Kathleen Blanco released a copy of a letter to President Bush on > Wednesday in which she encourages him to visit Louisiana to see the > state’s coastal-erosion problems firsthand. > In it, she touches on concerns that the deteriorating Louisiana coast > threatens critical oil-industry infrastructure, including > transportation routes and pipelines. Although budget constraints are > said to be the reason for the Bush administration’s opposition, Blanco > said, "please consider the far greater costs of not addressing the > catastrophic coastal land loss occurring in Louisiana, land loss that > puts our nation’s energy security and economic future at risk. . I urge > you to schedule the visit before the Energy Bill is completed. I know > that once you see what is unfolding, firsthand, the urgency my state > and our nation faces will be clear." > Blanco also encouraged Louisiana residents to send correspondence to > 456-1111 or write The President, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania > Ave., Washington, D.C., 20500. > "Repair the marshland or rebuild New Orleans." > That headline ran atop a column last week in Denver’s Rocky Mountain > News. It provided the newspaper’s readers with information about how to > get involved in the effort to save Louisiana’s coast. > Louisiana’s state and congressional leaders point to such work as proof > that word is getting out that the coast is integral to national > security and commerce and is especially important in protecting the > area from Gulf storms. > Still, state leaders are uncertain whether they are reaching the one > place they must: the White House. > "We’ve already jumped through these hoops," Sidney Coffee, executive > assistant to Gov. Kathleen Blanco in the Office of Coastal Activities, > said. "I think it’s time for this administration and this Congress to > recognize what we’re up against here and that there is some federal > responsibility that needs to be taken." > In the past week, the state has been dealt two blows to its near-term > plan to address coastal land loss. > Last week, in response to the U.S. House’s approval of the 2005 Water > Resources Development Act, the Bush administration recommended that > Louisiana pay half the cost of its $17 billion plan to rebuild the > coast. > The Louisiana Coastal Area study, as it’s called, is in the House’s > WRDA legislation. Similar legislation has not yet been approved by the > full Senate but has passed a Senate committee. > The administration cites the comprehensive Everglades restoration > program and its 50 percent cost-share agreement, but Louisiana’s > leaders criticized the comparison. > On Monday, the administration again opposed a plan for revenue sharing > with Louisiana and other coastal oil-and-gas-producing states. The > opposition came in a letter from U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman > to House and Senate members chosen to reconcile the two branches’ > versions of the federal energy bill. > "The administration recognizes that coastal Louisiana is an > environmental resource of national significance and has worked closely > with the state of Louisiana to produce a near-term coastal wetlands > restoration plan to guide how the next phase of restoration projects in > Louisiana will be identified, prioritized and sequenced," the policy > statement says. > It says, however, that the House bill does not require a sufficient > cost-share by the state. > HALF AND HALF > "The cost-share paid by the general taxpayer for the Everglades > restoration effort is 50 percent, and this should likewise be the > maximum federal contribution for the Upper Mississippi River and > Illinois Waterway and coastal Louisiana restoration efforts," the > statement says. > It would cost more than $10 billion to implement the House’s WRDA bill, > make changes to existing projects and programs and pay for the > increased federal cost-share on certain projects, according to the > Congressional Budget Office. > That would "create expectations for future appropriations that cannot > be met given competing spending priorities within the overall need for > spending restraint, including deficit reduction," the administration’s > policy statement says. > According to Louisiana’s leaders, the near-term coastal-restoration > program, already scaled down from its more-comprehensive effort at the > administration’s request, cannot afford to be further trimmed. > ‘IT’S ABSURD’ > "It’s absurd," U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, said. "This > is America’s Wetland. We were happy to get the WRDA bill passed, and > that’s good news, but from what I understand of what the administration > has said, this is not, and we’ll continue our effort to try to get the > federal government to ante up and take care of the coastline like it > should." > U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., also disagrees with the 50-50 cost > share. > "The good news," Vitter added, "is that the House and Senate also > disagree with it." > Louisiana’s delegation has so far been successful in keeping the cost > share at 65 percent federal and 35 percent state and local, he said. > "I remain very focused on these coastal provisions," he said. > So, too, does Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, spokesman Adam Sharp > said. > In its report on the coastal plan to Congress in January, the corps > states that the 65-35 cost share is "consistent with existing law and > corps policy" and is recommended by corps officers. > Like state officials, Sharp said the Everglades cost share is the > exception to the corps’ practice, not the rule. If the 65-35 split were > the exception, Louisiana would deserve it, he said. > "The president’s sharp assertion is completely overlooking the fact > that Louisiana’s coastal area is a working wetlands," Sharp said. "The > national impact of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands is significant. > Continuing erosion would hurt the national economy and national > security." > Coffee agreed, saying that it would be "extremely difficult" for the > state to pay half the cost. > ‘APPLES TO ORANGES’ > "I hate to even compare our situation and the Everglades. It’s like > comparing apples to oranges. The Everglades doesn’t produce to the > nation what our coast does by any stretch of the imagination, and the > purpose of Everglades restoration is entirely different than ours," > Coffee said. > This week, in response to Bodman’s letter opposing the plan, Blanco > called upon state residents to speak up, calling the Bush > administration’s opposition "incomprehensible." > "That this administration could actively oppose compensating the states > that continue to produce so much of the nation’s energy is not just > short-sighted, it’s irresponsible," said Blanco in a statement released > this week. "I urge every citizen of Louisiana to write or call > President Bush and tell him about the importance to the nation of our > state’s coast." > Blanco extended a formal invitation to the president and Bodman to > visit coastal Louisiana and see "the critical infrastructure being put > at greater and greater risk as these wetlands continue to vanish." > U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-La., on Tuesday sent a similar offer to > congressional negotiators working on the compromise energy bill, which > also contains money for Louisiana’s coastal efforts. > COME FLY WITH ME > "I invite you all to fly over the effected areas with me in order to > see the submerged foundations of houses that used to be on solid > ground, the water lapping at roads that used to be protected, and the > graves that now rest under water," Jindal wrote. > The Senate portion of the bill would force the government to annually > distribute $250 million from 2007 to 2010 among Louisiana and five > other coastal energy-producing states. The money would come from > federal taxes on oil produced in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico > off Louisiana’s coast. Louisiana would receive the biggest portion. > The House version calls for Louisiana to receive $300 million over the > next five years, rising to $1 billion a year in revenues starting in > 2016. > The conference committee will decide which version gets used in the > Energy Bill, though Jindal said members have the latitude to decide on > any amount they see fit. The committee hopes to give Bush a bill by the > end of next week. > http://www.jasonproject.org/jason_news/bayoublues.htm > Bayou Blues: Working to Save the U.S. From The Worst Potential Oil, Gas > and Fishing Crisis > While Thousands Gather in New Orleans for Mardi Gras Scientists and > Students Working to Save Louisiana Wetlands > Marrero, LA — An impending crisis that could have a detrimental impact > on the oil and gas infrastructure and fishing industry in the United > States is leading scientists to investigate how
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