Posted on 02/02/2006 10:08:40 AM PST by ncountylee
In the chaos that followed the worst natural disaster in American history, a forensic investigation has been taking place to find out what went wrong and why.
The BBC's Horizon programme has spoken to the scientists who are now confronting the real possibility that New Orleans may be the first of many cities worldwide to face extinction.
Modern day New Orleans was a city that defied the odds. Built on a mosquito infested swamp squashed between two vast bodies of water in what is essentially a bowl, its very existence seemed proof of the triumph of engineering over nature.
But on the 29 August 2005 New Orleans took a direct hit from Hurricane Katrina and overnight was turned into a Venice from hell.
The delicate flood system in New Orleans, that so many relied on to protect them was actually, year on year, adding to the risk of a catastrophe in the city.
Coastal Geologist Shea Penland from the University of New Orleans knows every inlet, every cove and every stretch of marsh that surrounds New Orleans.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
ok lets be clear. The natural course of events is that the Coastline would not erode but in fact expand. There is no natural reason for it to erode. For instance if man had never set foot there in that area that the Coast would not be losing ground. Infact in many areas it would have expanded. Now going from that premisie it seems there fore since MOther Nature cant be controlled we can reverse the problems that man createed by its interference in the whole scheme of thing at least in part. Now your question about the Miss River is indeed quite good. IN fact as I pointed above we are one smart terrorist atttack at the right time to make alot of this discussion about River Diversion projects quite academic. I would consider if other projects would not work to allow ,under man's supervision of course, the River to return to a course that it more wnats to take. IN fact perhaps what we should do and maybe try to do it why we have some control. Of course its expensive
A legitimate opinion, then. I might disagree, but won't flame when it is put that way. New Orleans goes longer beteen flood than the San Francisco bay area goes between major earthquakes. The big difference is that corruption is much more blatant in New Orleans.
Also for all this talk about Nature taking its course a few thoughts. The natural way of events is that the the Mississippi river should be overflowing its banks and changing course all over the place. This doesnt just occur in our happy State but in great areas of the country. The benifits being that new sediment replenishes once rich farmland. All those in MIssouri Arkansas Tenn etc that are for this please say yea.
The Dem machine is dead in New Orleans never to return. For all this talk about how the Dems want to bring everyone back I thinks it false. There not coming back in huge numbers. Blanco and the Landrius know this there Dems but not stupid.
Those "cute" voodo stores did not exist 30 years ago. They have nothing to do with the real New Orleans. They are faux "culture" for gullible tourists ... operated by opporutnists who will go with the flow and the tourists ... and offer up whatever they think will sell ... wherever they think it will sell ... always to gullible tourists who are waiting to be fleeced. LOL
I know this whole voodoo thing is so funney. I mean the voodoo store in the quarter is a riot. I went to alegit voodoo store/ museum(at least it looked legit) on Rampart. Besides those two i can think of any more. I saw recently some article that said 20 percent of NOLA practiced voodoo for goodness sake. I would put that at prob .002 percent.
The BBC show "Horizon" is rebranded as "Nova" and shown on PBS. This episode will show up sooner or later.
As I told you last night on another thread - I want good things for Louisiana but demanding that we play nice with your state or Republicans won't be elected is a bit over the top. I was not impressed with Vitter or Jindal as Republicans immmediately after the hurricane anyway.
I'll believe that when all of the Landrieus are gone and Orleans Parish has a republican DA.
Whoa, I missed that one - and that one's more important than that the city's sinking... Thanks.
I live in Florida - and know folks who will come help throw FEMA to the gators...
Ok, 100 Billion and more is needed. It makes me want to dance.....
You're saying your part of the world is sane? Had to happen somewhere...
"PAVE OUR LAKE"
And this is a problem because....
Because we need a major port at the base of the Mississippi to provide a transfer point between ocean-going and river-going traffic, or all those red states in the middle of the Union starve economically.
Perhaps so, but you don't have to have a City of New Orleans in order to have a Port of New Orleans....
If the Government were to have given $200,000 to each of those devastated by the hurricane to let them spend when, how, and where they wanted, do you really believe the residents of New Orleans would stay there and spend their money to rebuild Chocolateville??? Talk about "risking extinction" that would really do it. The free market would rule once again.
Wishful thinking. At least on my part.
No, that would be Mississippi that is doing that.
Just wondering if CNN blamed the tornadoes on W's environmental policies. It probably took five minutes.
TAKE CARE BIG EASY!!!
You can sure say that again.
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