And the hurricanes just kept coming…In finishing my first full month on the job as GRN’s coastal organizer for Florida and Alabama, here came another one as Hurricane Nate churned toward the northern Gulf Coast. Fortunately, Nate was only a Category 1 storm when it came ashore on the Mississippi coast, but it still managed […]
Of hurricanes, sewage, and fixing our existing communities first Read More »
Santa Rosa Island is a gem along Florida’s Panhandle coast, with 52 miles of white sand beaches stretching from Destin to Pensacola and buffering the mainland from storms while providing habitat for a great diversity of life. Despite its value to both nature and people, a bill working its way through Congress would reduce protections
Santa Rosa Island Faces Conservation Challenges Read More »
Residents in East Biloxi continue to face unbearable living conditions due to a fiasco of a road project that has left over fifty miles of city streets torn up awaiting repair. East Biloxi residents have dealt with this situation for over three years and the project is expected to take years more to complete. What
East Biloxi Road Construction Taints Bayous Read More »
In my very first days as GRN’s new coastal organizer for Florida and Alabama, I was greeted by the dramatic lead up to and, ultimately, tragedy of Hurricane Irma. The storm brings a crash course in post-storm environmental issues for me, and challenges us all on issues of environment, infrastructure, climate change, environmental justice, and
GRN’s New Florida Staff Greeted by a Reminder from Irma Read More »
“If a little rain can flood us, what will a hurricane do?” – Public Comment, City Council MeetingPublic confidence in New Orleans’ ability to manage stormwater has eroded in the wake of the latest Gulf Deluge. From Houston to Acadiana, from Livingston to St. Petersburg, bad governance worsens natural risks of flood water damaging residents’
Can New Orleans Come Together in the Wake of a Deluge? Read More »
The August 5th flooding was rough on many New Orleanians – with floodwaters swamping homes, cars and businesses. Our thoughts go out to those who are still dealing with the aftermath. And more flooding could be on the way – stay safe.This week, the City Council met to try to figure out what happened and
New Orleans flooding – what now? Read More »
This article is excerpted from the Summer 2017 issue of Gulf Currents, GRN’s bi-annual printed newsletter. At a recent national gathering of environmental and conservation activists, it became very clear that my colleagues from the East, Mid-West, and West were extremely stressed and disheartened by the efforts of Congress and the White House to neutralize
The perspective of a southern environmental advocate Read More »
Last August’s flood broke the hearts and homes of many in the Baton Rouge area. But some of the water was once stored in our local rivers and wetlands. Reckless development has pushed that water onto homes that haven’t flooded before.Most homes flooded in the city of Central. And in the past year, Central has
Flood Thy Neighbor Read More »
Name: Troy AlfonsoHometown: Wood Lake, LouisianaParish: St. Bernard Louisiana loses a football field worth of its coastal wetlands every hour. Few know this as well as the fishermen whose work depends on the Gulf’s waters and the residents who inhabit the frontlines. They live with the knowledge that sea level rise, coastal erosion, and intensified
Name: Anitra WoodsGRN Partner Organization: Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organizing (BISCO)Hometown: Thibodaux, LouisianaParish: Lafourche At the rate of a football field per hour, Louisiana’s coast is rapidly vanishing. Residents in our coastal parishes stand firm on the frontlines. They live with the knowledge that sea level rise, coastal erosion, and intensified storms threaten their homes
“Something has to be done for our future.” – Comments from the Coast Read More »