E11: Adapting to climate change - coastal protection in Louisiana

12-minute listen

 

Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, which cover approximately 11% of the state, are under threat. Natural and manmade factors have already claimed vast swathes of the coastline, and scientific models predict that even a moderate land loss scenario over the next 50 years could put an additional 2,250 square miles at risk.

 

The good news is that work is already underway to adapt and preserve Louisiana’s coast in the face of future environmental change. In the latest episode of This is U.S. Sustainability, we travel to the Center for River Studies in Baton Rouge to meet the organization spearheading the efforts. Join us as we speak with Greg Grandy, Deputy Executive Director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, and learn about some of the agency’s pioneering projects.