Coastal Economics 101

As coastal Louisiana deteriorates the rest of the country will experience many expenses as well.

Coastal Louisiana is vitally important to the nation’s energy supply. 1/3 of the nation’s coal, 27% of the oil supply and 30% of the natural gas comes through our wetlands. Wetland loss creates oil and gas shortages, which lead to drastic price increases.

Oil pipelines and refineries will become exposed to gulf storms, inevitably causing a permanent and significant increase in gas prices across the country.

The Port of New Orleans is strategically important for our Country’s economic interests. It is the largest port in the country in tonnage, and ½ of our nation’s grain comes through our port. Wetlands provide protection to this infrastructure and losing them will prevent our nation’s farmers from getting their products to market.

Louisiana is also the largest producer of seafood in the Continental United States. Even Maryland gets most of its crabs from Southern Louisiana certain months of the year! There will be a significant decrease in the seafood supply across the country when Louisiana’s wetlands are lost.

There will also be untold economic and social costs associated with relocating the 2 million people who will be displaced.

It is estimated that every $1 billion that is invested in restoration will result in $4 billion in savings for the nation’s taxpayers.

The technology exists, we can fix this…. It’s not rocket science.

We have the science to fix this. Sediment pipelines and controlled river diversions can rebuild land. The Atchafalya River is the fastest growing delta in the lower 48 states because it is allowed to flood its banks. This process needs to be replicated in several places along Louisiana’s coast. Everything that has been lost cannot be rebuilt, and the ecology of certain areas will be changed. This is why it is up to our leaders to draw a line in the marsh and decide what this state needs to look like.