Coastal Litigation in the Context of Science Literacy Chris McLindon New Orleans Geological Society February 6, 7 Science Literacy The value of community participation in scientific research is widely recognized and supported by evidence. Community involvement can bring new questions to light, provide data that would otherwise be unavailable, encourage the integration of qualitative and observational data with experimental data, increase the robustness and public relevance of data collection strategies, garner political and community support for conclusions, produce new instruments and technologies, and build community awareness and knowledge.
Challenges to Science Literacy The wetlands of south Louisiana were built up in a continuous and progressive increase in land area by the deposition of sediment by the Mississippi River over the last 6, years. Until the middle part of the th century these wetlands provided a protective buffer to most residents of coastal Louisiana from storm surge generated by hurricanes. Thelossofhundredsofthousandsofacresofwetlandsoverthepastfew decades is an unprecedented even in the history of the coast. Wetlands loss has primarily been caused by coastal erosion caused by saltwater intrusion carried into the wetlands by oil and gas canals. Because wetlands loss was primarily caused by the action of humans, it can also be reversed by the actions of humans. Challenges to Science Literacy Board of Commissioners of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority E, et al. v. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, LLC, et al., No. 69, Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, Louisiana Coastal lands have for centuries provided a crucial buffer zone between south Louisiana's communities and the violent wave action and storm surge that tropical storms and hurricanes transmit from the Gulf of Mexico. Coastal lands are a natural protective buffer, without which the levees that protect the cities and towns of south Louisiana are left exposed to unabated destructive forces. This natural protective buffer took 6, years to form. Yet, as described below, it has been brought to the brink of destruction over the course of a single human lifetime. Hundreds of thousands of acres of the coastal lands that once protected south Louisiana are now gone as a result of oil and gas industry activities
Challenges to Science Literacy The Coastal Litigation Model Science Literacy Thousand Years Before Present 6 The Frazier Model
The Frazier Model, years before present, years before present Pine Islands Stonehenge Pyramids of Giza, years before present, years before present 8 7 7 9 6 6 Linear B Writing Greek Culture The Frazier Model, years before present years before present Roman Empire Desoto Finds the Mississippi 9 6
The Delta Cycle St. Bernard Delta Bayou Jasmine Archeological Site Twinned bag ca. 8 BC, years before present 8 7 9 6
Historical Land Loss Subsided in, years = mm/yr Rogers, B.E. et.al., 9 The Delta Cycle 6
Old Paris Road Fort Proctor & Shell Beach CORS Fort CORS Shell Beach 7
Fort Proctor & Shell Beach CORS Fort Proctor Elevation of the Fort is 9. inches higher than today Elevation of Sea Level is.7 inches lower than today 8
Fort Proctor Fort Proctor 9
Fort Proctor Fort Proctor
Fort Proctor Fort Proctor
Fort Proctor Plaquemines Period years ago Fort Proctor 86 Islenos Settlement 78 s
The Delta Cycle Barataria Bay
Barataria Bay A Empire Fault A Empire Fault Empire Fault
9 Empire Fault Bastian Bay Fault 97
978 98 6
99 997 7
8
from 9 to 998.7 inches/yr. 7 mm/yr 9
Lake Hermitage Surface Fault Trace
Lake Hermitage Surface Fault Trace Lake Hermitage Lake Hermitage Marsh Creation Projectt Surface Fault Trace Geotechnical analysis grossly underestimated the response to emplaced fill Rudy Simoneux, CPRA Engineer, 6 State of the Coast Conference
Hot Spots of Land Loss Hot Spots of Land Loss Land Loss in Southeast Louisiana
Subsurface Geology Empire Fault West Delta Fault The Geological Model
NOGS Research Effort NOGS Research Effort Geophysical Pursuit Lake Pontchartrain -D UNO Schlumberger Lake Borgne -D UNO Schlumberger Grand Lake Merge -D UT Austin Seitel Lapeyrouse -D Tulane Castex Energy Bully Camp -D ULL Schlumberger Lake Hermitage -D UNO Chevron Terrebonne Bay -D LSU