Acadiana is our home so when close to 2,000 square miles of land disappear a natural disaster becomes a national crisis. Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act a Federal protection plan would be able to work directly with those charged with cleaning and restoring the coast because of the oil spill. So I am going to say it, and maybe you thought the same. Why is that every time a disaster effects our coast either man made or natural the entire Nation and even the world notice after the fact? Lets take part of that delayed reaction as a compliment and an example of how important Louisiana is to the world, and not just economically. The other excuse ,”out of site…out of mind”. We are stuck between two extremes, the collapse and preservation. The middle, lies a natural wonder that supports almost one-fourth of the domestic oil and gas production, and the largest seafood harvest in the lower 48 states. The Natural Gas resources have only just begun to be researched and geologist say the supply is one of the largest in the world. Wetlands protect the shipping and fuel production corridors in the U.S. from hurricanes and open gulf conditions one of those ports receives over a million barrels of oil every day, that’s more than 13% of our foreign oil supply.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita really showed America how dependent they were to Louisiana. I know first hand the panic Southeastern States were under when even a mention of gas not being available. Prices were over $6 a gallon at the pump and the lines were down the road. This was said to have cost Americans $1 BILLION dollars a day. That crisis lasted only days as gas become undeliverable to major cities immediately following the storms. More than likely most people you ask that live outside this area don’t even remember those days, I will give some credit, maybe they would recall if mentioned. We are the ones that stay to repair….work….succeed….live….learn….play….love….and die here. The resources are present and available and the technology to harvest improves everyday. To just stop drilling would be to choke us. I am going to put myself out there and say this. Yes, we need to make improvements and learn more about drilling a mile below the Gulf surface. Today the worlds deep water remains an unknown and unexplored part of the world that we know very little about. But we must move ahead and learn from the tragedy. Action + Progress = Success to us all. Don Briggs, L.O.G.A. President, said it best…”think about this after Katrina and Rita there were several rigs that were damaged some destroyed the amount of spilled oil was minimal”, he reminds me that he does not want to speculate on what happened but said “this was a devastating failure and we lost 11 people”. Those men gave it all.
The value we have here in Acadiana also lives in the estuaries, the unique mixture of salt and fresh water are the nursery for shrimp, crabs, and several fish species. The dockside harvest value averages $310 million, and the recreational boating and fishing is a billion dollar industry. We came here and they laughed…we settled here and they said it could not be done. We found success here and now they want to take it away. My experience tells me it’s in the best interest now for oil companies to be safe, responsible and profitable. Not careless. The businesses in Acadiana that are strong and working are the ones that operate honestly and safely. It just does not fly any other way here.
A cultural heritage made famous with Mardi Gras is rooted much deeper than just parties and parades. It is a heritage of family and friends, hunting and fishing, cooking and community. Yes also we must give thanks to the prosperity that comes from living near the rich marshes, estuaries and fossil fuel mines below. I have always been proud of the independence Louisiana has when faced with a disaster…..we take care of our own. Would you say $14 billion was high price to protect the coast, but think about if nothing was done the cost is estimated to be $100 billion. Our nation can not afford to lose this critical infrastructure for energy production, commercial shipping, oil and gas distribution, and seafood harvests. Yes we can have it all…a pristine and vital coast that produces, protects and brings us all glory.
C.W.P.P.R.A
* Attend public meetings
* Subscribe to Water Marks
* Study coastal wetland loss and restoration issues
* Volunteer
More information: www.LaCoast.gov (337) 266 8623
Beautifully written/stated. Our coastal area(s) are so vital to everyone in this nation, I wish that more people would pay attention to what is going on and “get involved” in helping to preserve it! I have.
Corey
27 Jun 10 at 9:26 am