The Times Picayune has the second part of its series up on the vanishing Louisiana coastline. This part examines the components involved in the failure to stop wetland loss…

The tale of that failure, experts say, is a tragedy in
four chapters:

— a belated commitment of the state’s full energy
to the effort

— warring economic interests that have used political
power to block coast-saving projects that threatened their
bottom lines

— federal administrations that have never given more
than lip service to the cause

— and a Byzantine, years-long federal approval process
that all but guarantees a project is outdated before it can
be completed.

This is another must read. It will affect all of us.

Also check out the article on the gas and oil industry’s role in wetland loss.