Louisiana’s wetlands are a hot political topic right now, thanks to Governor Jeff Landry putting the breaks on the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. Debate over that decision has probably overshadowed other efforts to replenish our coast.
Episode 5 of “The Light Switch” dives headfirst into the conflict with Illuminator reporter Elise Plunk, our Report for American corps member who’s focused on all things water related. She’s taken an up-close look at ongoing wetlands rebuilding and spent a lot of time looking into the science behind coastal restoration. We’ll talk about her recent reporting (see story links below).
For our “Swamp Spotlight” segment, Elise interview Tulane University professor Ehab Meselhe, one of the foremost authorities on coastal restoration. He weighs in on the stalled Mid-Barataria diversion, the science behind the project and other wetlands work.
In our “News From the States” segment, we learn about why Rhode Island leaders felt the need to revise their rules on harvesting road kill. Yes, we think that feels like a “very Louisiana” thing, too.