LA Weekly

The Corps can build the levees higher and stronger, but New Orleans didn't always rely on engineering bravado to save it from Gulf storms. Until this century, the city counted on a three-tiered defense: barrier islands to break the waves, wetlands to absorb storm surges and inland cypress forests to slow the winds. All have been disappearing.

Time magazine has an excellent story on how wetlands and barrier islands should have protected the Gulf Coast (much like mangroves should have protected Thailand's beaches against last December's tsunami).

--------

Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)