NOLA - 2 years later

[DaemonSeid]

here is a slide show of some of the progress (or lack thereof) post Katrina

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20364536/?gt1=10252

[Kevin]

I really don't see the wisdom of repopulating a city which is below sea level. Perhaps it's best that these areas are not rebuilt? Another flood and billions more dollars down the drain is a certainty. I can think of no good reason to be doing all of this.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by Kevin

I really don't see the wisdom of repopulating a city which is below sea level. Perhaps it's best that these areas are not rebuilt? Another flood and billions more dollars down the drain is a certainty. I can think of no good reason to be doing all of this.

Really, the geology of NOLA is a wetland. Of course when it was "founded" in 1600's people at that time did not care about that. Also, the Creola Indians occupied and hunted on the land albeit as nomads in a 200-300 mile seasonal radius.

NOLA was a huge port city with tall ships that would gain entry into the Mississippi. NOLA was the gateway to the mid-western North, such as Iowa and Ohio.

It really wasn't until the war of 1812 that changed a lot of that.

So the only reason folks rebuild there is because of history... The reason there are floods are because the natural hurricane breakers were destroyed overtime by man. There were little atolls off the coast that provided enough protect to downgrade a hurricane with the freshwater run off that this naturally cold (it takes hot water to fuel a hurricane).

These atolls were "shaved" off by many industries near NOLA overtime. But most noticeably the off-shore drilling that has yet to pay Louisiana state taxes because the oil companies consider their property in "international waters" although these rigs are only offshore by 10-20 miles. No Federal or State taxes go back to the States or people to maintain the ecology of the area.

Same thing as the "Dustbowl Era" in the early 20th, but this time it is on water. I think there is a Science or Nature article(s) that discuss why Katrina destroy NOLA the way it did.

[aopirose]

Thank you, AKA Monet. I would just add that for many in the area, it is more than history. It is home. Also, New Orleans is still a major port and gateway to middle America.

[Kevin]

I don't think your dust bowl comparison really holds water. I live in what some might call the epicenter of the dust bowl. Such a thing will doubtful ever happen again. The Army Core of Engineers has constructed an absolutely massive reservoir system in the dust bowl states. Take last summer -- we had barely any rain at all. A few of our more remote reservoirs got dangerously low, but the key reservoirs were fine.

I do think areas such as Western Kansas and Texas are in some pretty significant danger though. They're pulling *a lot* more water out of the aquifer than is replenishable. I don't think they're headed for a dust bowl though, but perhaps a cessation of agricultural activities is in the cards.

[AKA_Monet]

^^^I am not sure exactly, but it was a full ecological breakdown during the dustbowl. There were more things that happened scientifically than losing major aquifers and lack of rainfall. I think it was use of fertilizer that was in the run off which killed off a significant portion of certain animals and insects vital to keeping the "structure" of the soil. Continuous use of these items without replenishment or crop rotations, eventually cause crop growth failure essentially making the soil turn into sand. That is why ADM and Monsanto and Dupont make some of their products.

The dustbowl was a human ecological disaster.

The damage seen in Hurricane Katrina, a natural disaster, was due to a lack of ecological and infrastructural maintenance.