[extropy-chat] re: news in perspective

[Acy James Stapp]

Don't forget that the disappearing wetlands serve as a natural
buffer against hurricanes by soaking up storm surge. According to
http://hurricane.lsu.edu/_in_the_news/phillyinquirer100804.htm
four miles of marsh can absorb a foot of storm surge. Katrina
had an estimated 20ft surge. 

===================================================
Mike Lorrey wrote:

The Army Corps of Engineers isn't much better. Since it built the
original levee system, it has been bogged down by environmentalist
imposed wetlands protection mandates that have been abused by many land
owners. This:
http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/Trans/hpw104-13.000/hpw104-13_4.HTM
reflects congressional testimony from 1995 on how the "404 System" is
abused by property owners who don't want development and want to
interfere in their neighbors. The Corps has become the de facto
property police, judge, and jury for the entire delta area and has many
millions a year wasted on these frivolous legal actions that wind up
costing property owners lots of legal costs as well.

It also turns out that environmentalists have been blocking levee
modernization as well as Corps construction of a Hurricane Barrier that
would have prevented this disaster. Specifically, SOWL, Save Our
Wetlands, sued
(http://saveourwetlands.org/edenislehistory.htm#lemieux2) to prevent
the construction of the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane
Barrier Project. So you can put the blame for this on the loony left,
once again.