Where Were Heading

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The Control of Nature in New Orleans The Past,
Present, and Future of the Mississippi
Delta Catherine Riihimaki and Rheanna Bensel
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No one could have predicted this event Numerous
government officials post-Katrina
 It's only a matter of time before South
Louisiana takes a direct hit from a major
hurricane. Billions have been spent to protect
us, but we grow more vulnerable every day.
Times-Picayune, June 23-27, 2002 Five-Part
Series on flooding hazards in N.O.
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LSU, Center for the Study of Public Health
Impacts of Hurricanes
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The Army Corps of Engineers says the system will
protect the city and suburbs from a Category 3
hurricane that pushes in enough seawater to raise
Lake Pontchartrain 11.5 feet above sea level --
high over the head of anyone standing on the
other side of a levee. --Times-Picayune, 2002
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US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District
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Breached Industrial Canal levee, with water
flowing OUT of a residential area August 30, 2005
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• Humans have dramatically changed the distribution
  of sediment in the Mississippi River system.
• Sediment compacts under its weight exacerbated
  by dewatering of sediment (present rate of
  compaction is 10x natural rate)
• In New OrleansLevees prevent new deposition of
  sediment nothing to counteract subsidence

change in elevation new sediment - subsidence
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• Humans have dramatically changed the distribution
  of sediment in the Mississippi River system.
• Sediment compacts under its weight exacerbated
  by dewatering of sediment (present rate of
  compaction is 10x natural rate)
• In New OrleansLevees prevent new deposition of
  sediment nothing to counteract subsidence
• Sediment load of Mississippi drops off
  continental shelf coastal erosion is therefore
  faster

change in coastline new sediment - wave erosion
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Fundamental observation (thanks to Arshiya
Bose) Natural disasters are primarily disastrous
because of how humans interact with nature
We ought to take a second look at it. But you
know we build Los Angeles and San Francisco on
top of earthquake fissures and they rebuild too.
Stubbornness. -- Dennis Hastert
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Fundamental question How do we deal with dynamic
natural systems with a static economy?
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