Beyond Katrina

The Dark Side of Green

I always strive to seek the deeper truth in any given controversy, those gems that lie beneath the personal agendas,  the story behind the story...what hangs  in the gap.  As an avid story monger I especially love the untold tale.  Admittedly then I found myself more than a little intrigued by the information gleaned in The Washington Times interview with ward-winning reporter John Berlau.

Berlau  who is the director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the Competitive Enterprise Institute has written a book Eco-Freaks: Environmentalism Is Hazardous to Your Health!   Berlau who asserts that shortsighted environmentalism actually endangers trees, wildlife, and people reveals  some "surprising conclusions" in the book. For example he claims, "DDT saves lives, trees cause pollution and environmentalists are partly to blame for the  Hurricane Katrina disaster!

On the fringe or a deeper wisdom at work?   I don't know the answer to that yet. But I do know the issue of the eco-system and the human effect  weighs heavy these days.  So I've decided to delve in - embark on a truth-seeking quest. I'll be reporting some of my findings here. In the interim,  you can read the Washington Times interview with Berlau here. 

Climate report bad news for La.

The last post focused on the global outlook in regard to  the latest report issued by  U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change---The Baton Rouge Advocate offers a local perspective on the projections issued by the panel here.

Judge Ok's Katrina Flood Suit Against the Corp of Engineers

Wow. This is significant. The Associated Press reports "residents of the three areas flooded worst by Hurricane Katrina can sue the Army Corps of Engineers over claims that a poorly designed navigation channel caused catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Katrina, a federal judge ruled Friday. ...[This] decision was one of the first significant rulings in a set of suits pending against the Corps and the flooding of New Orleans...I think they've always worried that they could get sued, but getting sued and actually facing liability, or potential liability, are two different things," said Mark Davis, director of the Institute of Water Resources Law and Policy at Tulane University. "The Corps and the federal government will have to take very seriously the responsibilities they have to the communities down here." Read more here.

 

    

PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNS OCS REVENUE SHARING BILL; Statement by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

"Today's signing of this bill gives Louisiana, for the first time in history, the promise of the long term revenue stream we need to restore our fragile coastal environment and to protect our vulnerable communities, as well as the nation's energy infrastructure. We have a plan and we will start work on it in 2007.

"Our state has lost more than 1,900 square miles of land in the last 80 years and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita converted more than 200 additional square miles of wetlands into open water. Our vulnerable Louisiana coastline - America's Wetland - protects thousands of miles of oil and gas pipelines that deliver offshore energy to the nation, produces a third of the nation's fisheries, is home to millions of migratory birds, and protects navigation routes for a fifth of the nation's waterborne commerce.

"The money shared with Louisiana under this bill will be well invested. The voters of Louisiana overwhelmingly adopted an amendment to the state's constitution to dedicate all of these revenues to coastal wetlands restoration and hurricane protection. These dedicated funds will be used to help finance our comprehensive coastal protection and restoration plan that will be finalized this spring. Our planning team has been in communities throughout south Louisiana during the past month, listening to citizen concerns and suggestions for the final draft to be presented to the legislature in early April.

"The final plan will dictate the amount of funding necessary in the short term, and since substantial funding will not start until 2017, the state is addressing the most responsible and expedient ways to leverage those future dollars so the real work can begin immediately. But be assured, each and every dollar will be spent wisely and with thorough public input.

"I am pleased President Bush made this bill the law of the land today. I commend our current Congressional delegation and all those who came before them for their hard work in moving this bill to passage. I also thank those here in the state who have advocated for the sharing of revenues for so long."

The first draft of the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Master Plan can be viewed at www.louisianacoastalplanning.org.

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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org 1-877-HELPLA1 (877-435-7521)

Tax break bill may open Gulf drillingl

WASHINGTON - An agreement on a tax package Thursday moved Congress closer to opening a vast area in the Gulf of Mexico, 125 miles south of Florida's panhandle, to oil and gas drilling...Environmentalists opposed the measure, calling it a gift to large oil companies. Drilling supporters - including a cross-section of the business community - argued it would provide access to badly needed energy resources, especially natural gas, and perhaps drive down prices. See Article Here...

GOVERNOR BLANCO PRAISES CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION ON PASSAGE OF OCS

BATON ROUGE - December 9, 2006 - "This is an historic day for Louisiana For the first time, the Federal government will share a portion of the royalties from Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas production with our state, its number one partner.

"I congratulate our Congressional delegation for their tireless work and commend Senator Landrieu, the bill's author, for keeping the pressure on Congress since she began leading this issue in Washington years ago. Our House and Senate Members each played key roles in getting this measure passed and, on behalf of the citizens of Louisiana, I thank you.

"This bill is the critical first step we've been waiting for as we go forward with our long-term coastal protection and restoration efforts. This dedicated revenue stream will provide the foundation of financial support we need to ultimately complete what will be the largest public works project in our nation's history.

"The voters of Louisiana overwhelmingly approved a Constitutional Amendment that ensures these funds will be used for the sole purpose of protecting and restoring our coastal communities and wetlands and the state is hard at work developing a comprehensive coastal restoration plan to protect our citizens and our unique coastal environment. However, we must be ready to start as quickly as possible and as Governor, I will do everything I can to make sure Louisiana moves quickly with the work needed to protect and restore our coast.

"I will work to clear any legal obstacles in leveraging new OCS revenues through a variety of long term financing mechanisms. Making these dollars go as far as they can in the near term can ensure that we put projects and programs to work as soon as possible.

"Again, I congratulate our Congressional delegation on this landmark legislation that gives us confidence that we can protect our communities and restore the unique coastal landscape that defines Louisiana and gives so much to the rest of America."

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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org 1-877-HELPLA1 (877-435-7521)

The LRA Progress Report - December 8, 2006

Governor Blanco Proposes Plan to Give $100 Million in Grants to Small Businesses

Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) and the Louisiana Department of Economic Development (LED) announced Thursday a proposal that would give $100 million in grants to small businesses severely affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Governor Blanco recommended that $100 million of the economic development disaster recovery programs be reallocated to provide much-needed grants to small businesses. This amount is in addition to the $38 million already allocated for no-interest loans. The additional funds would provide financial relief to sustain and restart small businesses in the most severely impacted areas, primarily in Orleans, St. Bernard, Plaquemines and Cameron Parishes.

This will require an action plan amendment for approval by the LRA Board of Directors, the full legislature and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The LRA, LED and partners at Office of Community Development and the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority are working to expedite this process.

The Action Plan amendment will be available for public comment beginning Friday, Dec. 8. The LRA Board will vote on the recommended changes on Thursday, Dec. 14. The Action Plan amendment will then go to the full legislature for a vote and will subsequently be sent to HUD for final approval.

For more information on the proposed plan and to view the eligibility requirements for the program, please click here.

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to Hold Public Meetings Next Week

Next week, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority will hold several public meetings across south Louisiana to give residents an opportunity to voice their opinions about the state's preliminary coastal restoration plan.

In December 2005, the Louisiana State legislature established the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) as the single state entity to focus development and implementation efforts for comprehensive coastal protection.

Over the past year, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has developed a comprehensive master plan for coastal protection integrating the two goals of hurricane protection and coastal restoration.

Monday, December 11, 2006
Houma
Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center
346 Civic Center Boulevard
Open House: 2 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Public Meeting: 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006
New Orleans
Lindy C. Boggs Conference Center
2045 Lakeshore Drive
Open House: 12 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Public Meeting: 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Lake Charles
Lake Charles Civic Center
900 Lakeshore Drive
Open House: 3 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Public Meeting: 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, December 14, 2006
Covington
Greater Covington Center
317 North Jefferson Avenue
Open House: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Public Meeting: 7 p.m.

Friday, December 15, 2006
Abbeville
AA Comeaux Youth, Inc.
300 AA Comeaux Memorial Dr., Ste. 200
Open House: 2 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Public Meeting: 6:30 p.m.

A preliminary draft of the master plan is now available for public review and comment at http://www.louisianacoastalplanning.org/prelim_draft.html.

For additional information about the master plan, contact the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority at (225) 376-7707 or visit www.louisianacoastalplanning.org.

SBA Administrator to Hold Roundtable Discussion

The newly appointed SBA Administrator, Steve Preston, will hold a round table meeting to discuss disaster recovery loans at 6 p.m. Monday, December 11 at the Harrah's Casino at 228 Poydras in New Orleans.

The public is invited to attend to voice their concerns with the Disaster Home Loan Program. Loans, collateral, documentation, loan processing time and other issues will be discussed.

To attend the discussion, please contact Virginia Brumfield at (504) 589-2756 or Patricia Williams at (504) 589-2037.

UNOP Five-City Community Congress Attracts 2,250 Participants

Last weekend, the Unified New Orleans Plan, with support from Americaspeaks, brought together 2,250 displaced New Orleanians spread over five cities, to discuss various scenarios for how their communities should recover and rebuild.

In the unprecedented event, participants in New Orleans, Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Dallas and Houston were linked using interactive TV. After hearing the various recovery strategies, citizens used keypads to express their preferred recovery plans. The results were tabulated immediately and simulcast to the entire Community Congress.

In addition to the five major cities, New Orleans residents living in 16 other cities around the country congregated at libraries to view and submit their ideas over the Internet.

The information from this meeting will be used as part of the final UNOP recovery scheduled to be completed by the second week of January. The final recovery plan will be presented to the New Orleans City P lanning Commission, City Council and Mayor C. Ray Nagin for approval. Once approved, the plan will be given to the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans Reopens on Canal Street

The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, the city's premier luxury hotel, reopened this Monday following severe building damage incurred from Hurricane Katrina. Drew Brees, Deuce McAllister, Joe Horn, Scott Fujita and Mickey Loomis of the NFL New Orleans Saints checked in as the first guests of the newly renovated hotel.

Known as the "Crown Jewel of the Crescent City," the 527-room luxury hotel underwent a $100 million renovation over the last 15 months. The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans is the only hotel in the state of Louisiana to be named an AAA Five Diamond property.

The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans is located at 921 Canal Street.

Upcoming Events

Monday, December 11, 2006
Event: LRA Environmental Task Force Meeting
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
Galvez Building, Oliver Pollack Conference Room, 1st floor

Thursday, December 14, 2006
Event: LRA Board of Directors meeting
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Baton Rouge Community College, Louisiana Boardroom

Please note that the LRA Economic & Workforce Development Task Force meeting for Tuesday, December 12, has been cancelled.

For a complete events calendar, click here. All meetings are open to the public. Meeting times and locations are subject to change. 

Latest Katrina Related Headlines

One-Third of Orleans, Jeff Residents Polled May Leave in 2 Years

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Even among the best-off post-Katrina returnees to New Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parishe - those living in houses or apartments, rather than trailers - about one-third say they may leave the area within the next two years, a small poll indicates.

JUDGE REFUSES TO KILL LAWSUIT AGAINST INSURERS 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal judge refused to throw out a lawsuit for damages from Hurricane Katrina's floods, saying the language excluding water damage from some policies is ambiguous.The 85-page ruling by U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. covered several cases that had been consolidated because they were similar. He immediately sent the decision to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for review.

State finishes draft plan to protect coast

The public gets its first chance to comment on the state's draft plan to restore coastal wetlands and protect coastal communities from hurricanes on Wednesday at the University of New Orleans. The plan, written by a team from the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Transportation and Development, represents the state's first post-Katrina attempt to choose from among an array of proposals for larger levees, surge-blocking gates and large diversions of fresh water and sediment. Once finalized, the plan will be presented to the Army Corps of Engineers for inclusion in the corps' own recommendations to Congress on how the state's coastline should be restored and communities protected.

Landrieu raps environmentalists for misinformation

WASHINGTON — Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, said oil and gas rigs drilling in the Gulf of Mexico are environmentally safe and naysayers who exaggerate the environmental impact are hurting Louisiana’s future.

More than 100 Algiers residents fight evictions

BATON ROUGE — Residents under threat of eviction from the Woodlands apartments in Algiers are demonstrating at 1 p.m. today at Louisiana Health and Rehabilitation in Baton Rouge.

EDIT: N.O. needs economic developers

NEW ORLEANS — Fifteen months after Hurricane Katrina, the corporate exodus from New Orleans continues unabated.  Floodwaters are gone from the streets but one CEO after another said corporate plans to be a part of a New Orleans recovery circled the drain along with it.Just last week, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold pulled off a $26-billion merger to become the largest copper trader on Earth — then promptly moved its headquarters to Phoenix.

MAN CALLS FEMA FOR HELP: SAYS HE'S LAUGHED AT

Lastest Headlines (11/25/06)

Tennis-ball sized Apple Snails invade Louisiana waterways...

Officials claim "Road Home" program is working

Landrieu to FEMA: Honor deal...

Katrina spending target of audit

Grants may have IRS come calling

EDIT: Blanco Compared to a Kid in a Candy Store... 

 

Weather Is Not Climate

From an article at ABC News

Nov. 16, 2006 — "Choosing shorts or long underwear on a particular day is about weather; the ratio of shorts to long underwear in the drawer is about climate."

— Charles Wohlforth, "The Whale and the Supercomputer"

You probably noticed there were fewer Atlantic hurricanes this year. Melting Arctic sea ice came extremely close to but didn't break the record minimum of summer 2005. And today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, announced two months of cooler-than-average temperatures across the United States. So what happened to global warming?

I've really been asking myself the same question. If global warming is indeed the culprit in increased hurricane activity and intensity, how do you explain this year's almost non-existent hurricane season? In a nutshell the scientists featured in the article  attribute the lackluster hurricane season to natural fluctuations in weather patterns and advise that we should look, instead at long term trends. Okay, I can agree with that - and I like the distinctions that are made between weather and climate. However, I'm still not buying in.

Let me preface that by saying I am deeply concerned for our eco-system. There is no doubt that we humans are doing things that aren't good for our planet (read the newspaper on any given day) - we're interfering where we shouldn't (as in engineering a levee system that inhibits the Mississippi River's natural processes) - and we're getting in nature's way (as in large scale development along our coastlines right smack in the storm surge zones). I also can't refute the data that says the planet is getting warmer.

And while I'm not saying global warming isn't impacting hurricane activity, I'm also not able to conclude that it is. The truth be known I am not convinced yet that there even is an increase in hurricane intensity and activity  - I mean what's the basis of comparison? The thing is, we only have a snapshot of less than 150 years of recorded hurricane history, no saffir simpson scale to rank a hurricane's intensity prior to 1969, and until just recently no technology for forecasting, predicting, and analyzing their impact.

The ABC article reports, "Despite the natural fluctuations, a growing body of scientific research argues that human-induced global warming is having an increasing effect on the intensity of hurricanes. Scientists said it is difficult to predict just how future hurricane seasons will stack up, but according to a 2005 study by scientists at Georgia Tech University and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes — packing winds up to 155 miles an hour — has doubled in the past 35 years".

35 Years???? C'mon, this is zip, nada, a miniscule snapshot in time compared to how long hurricanes have been in existence. Want to talk long term trends? For me thirty five years isn't enough to establish a trend - and I'm not sure 150 years of recorded hurricane history is the ticket either, given the lack of data upon which to base the analysis.

Now I'm no expert - My opinions are based in part on empircal evidence, having lived in a hurricane zone for the better part of 50 years (oops I'm revealing my age)  and as a person whose experienced first hand the winds & the devastation of hurricanes Audrey, Hilda, Betsy, Andrew, Camille, Katrina and Rita. 'Nuff said for now.