Coastal Desk

New Orleans Students Lead Demonstration At City Hall For Action On Climate Change

By Betsy Shepard • 15 hours ago

Roughly 150 students from New Orleans gathered in front of City Hall Friday to participate in a nationwide demonstration to raise awareness for climate change.

“We should be in the classroom learning and preparing for our semester exams right now, but we skipped school to teach our representatives about the importance and urgency of our climate crisis,” says Layla Harmon, a 16-year-old junior at Benjamin Franklin High School.

Study: Children's Health Will Be Affected By Climate Change Throughout Lives

By Travis Lux • Nov 26, 2019

Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, 2019

Climate change will affect today’s children at every stage of their life. That’s one of the takeaways from a new study from the Lancet Countdown, a project of the medical journal The Lancet.

To talk more about the study, and what it means for the Gulf Coast, reporter Travis Lux spoke with Dr. Jeremy Hess. Hess is a professor of emergency medicine, environmental health, and global health at the University of Washington, and is one of the authors of the report.

Bill Advances In Senate That Would Increase Louisiana’s Oil And Gas Royalties, Restoration Money

By Travis Lux • Nov 20, 2019

A bill that could increase the amount of royalty money Louisiana gets from offshore oil and gas drilling advanced in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.

The bill, called the Conservation of America’s Shoreline Terrain and Aquatic Life Act, or COASTAL Act, is sponsored by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La). It would reduce how much oil and gas money goes to the federal government, and increase the amount that goes to states along the Gulf of Mexico -- Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Advocates Launch Green New Deal Platform For Gulf South

By Travis Lux • Nov 14, 2019

A network of advocacy organizations across the Gulf South has published regional Green New Deal policy platform that aims to build on the national policy of the same name.

The Green New Deal is a resolution in Congress that outlines several ways the country can address climate change. It emphasizes clean energy jobs, environmental justice, and transitioning away from fossil fuels. It’s a non-binding resolution -- so it would not change any laws, if passed.

For the last six months, advocacy organizations from Texas to Florida have been working on a regional version, called Gulf South for a Green New Deal.

Midwestern Farm Runoff Creates Headache For Louisiana Shrimpers

By Travis Lux & Travis Lux | New Orleans Public Radio • Nov 11, 2019

It’s only midmorning, but shrimper Thomas Olander is already calling it quits for the day in a small bayou in St. Mary Parish, on the central Louisiana coast.

There aren’t enough shrimp out there — especially the highly sought-after jumbo shrimp that fetch the highest prices at the market.

“It's just not worth it,” Olander said, of his morning burning fuel, supplies and time.

Missouri Farmers Try To Reduce Runoff, But Cleaning Gulf Dead Zone May Take Decades

By Eli Chen • Nov 11, 2019

When corn and soybean farmer Kenny Reichard stopped plowing some of his fields in northern Missouri in 1982, other farmers told him that it was a terrible decision that would lower his yields.

“I’ve been told many times that no-till doesn’t work,” said Reichard, 62, who farms north of Brunswick in Chariton County.

More than three decades later, state programs and agriculture initiatives are trying to encourage farmers to adopt no-till and other practices that reduce fertilizer runoff that contributes to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. While many farmers think such methods are expensive, they’re critical to cleaning up the Mississippi River basin.

What Do You Want To Know About Living With Climate Change?

By Travis Lux & Tegan Wendland • Oct 31, 2019

Have you ever read a story about climate change, and by the end of the article thought, ”Great, now what?” Or maybe, “What do I do with that information? I have questions!”

The Coastal Desk of WWNO and WRKF wants to answer your questions about living with climate change for an upcoming project.

Study: Sediment Diversions Could Inject Billions Into Local Economy

By Travis Lux • Oct 16, 2019

The state’s proposed sediment diversions could inject billions of dollars into the regional economy, according to a new study sponsored by an environmental group.

If built, the sediment diversions would funnel sediment-laden Mississippi River water into coastal wetlands to rebuild land. Both are currently in the design phase and have not yet received the necessary permits to start construction.

Hurricane Barry Caused Biggest Gulf Oil Drop In More Than A Decade

By Travis Lux • Oct 9, 2019

U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Crude oil production in the Gulf of Mexico saw its biggest drop in more than a decade due to the production shutdown ahead of Hurricane Barry earlier this summer, but most consumers likely didn't notice a difference at the gas pump.

As Hurricane Barry approached the Louisiana coast in July, companies evacuated workers and temporarily shut down many of their oil and gas platforms in the Gulf.

For Alligator Hunters In Louisiana, It's Not About The Money

By Tegan Wendland • Oct 9, 2019

Louisiana alligators were once on the brink of extinction. Today, there are more than ever on the coast. Hunting alligator is a way of life for thousands of Louisianans. But it’s becoming less profitable, as foreign imports flood the market and drive down prices. Fewer hunters are heading out to the swamps each fall.

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