Coastal Town Survival

Coastal Town Survival

March 1st, 2018

Oliver Houck, a Tulane professor, called Louisiana’s land loss “the largest ecological catastrophe in North America since the Dust Bowl” in a recent New York Times article. For too long a mixture of government regulation, engineering, and climate change have accelerated the sinking coastline of Louisiana.

This article illustrates how the coastal town of Jean Lafitte, outside the New Orleans-area levees, has coped with the increased flooding that threatens their town. Many Louisiana towns, like Jean Lafitte, are facing increased struggles due to climate change. New Harmony students will get to connect with communities to understand the environmental, economic, and political challenges they face. Then they can apply what they are learning to be part of the solution.