Re: Katrina (was Hello Everyone)

[Guest guest]

I copied this from a discussion I was haivng with my family, thought you might

like to read

it. I read the geographic article, and summarized it somewhat below, with a

little

additional commentary.

Nat'l Geographic October 2004 -- http://205.188.130.53/ngm/0410/feature5/

Subject: Re: Understanding Hurricane Katrina!!

Hi, everybody!

The thing is, 10 years ago, this storm would not have had this kind of

consequence. 25

miles of wetland absorbs one foot of storm surge. They are currently losing

about 25

miles a year, and this has been going on for a long time.

And then there is the Atchafalaya. I first learned about it in a geology class.

It was a lesson

in stream capture, where 2 water courses become one through erosion, and the one

that

has the highest gradient gets the water. The corp keeps the Miss open, but as

soon as

they stop the upkeep on it, within just a few years, the dikes and dams keeping

them apart

will breach and the old Atch will get the lion's share of the water. It is

inevitable, it will

happen eventually, geologically speaking. The earth is patient.

Boy do things get complicated. So, the Mississippi needs water for shipping and

freshwater downstream. But for the ACOE, the Grand Old Lady would be stagnant

downstream of the junction.

And we need the oil, but taking it causes regional subsidence in many areas,

which

submerges the wetlands. They are still there, but they are underwater, and with

the main

river channel dumping the sediment into the deep water, how can they get

rebuilt? Or

maybe they subsided too much for rebuilding.

So we did continue current policies, without raising the dikes, and this is

where it got us-

arguably the worst disaster in our history. Right up there with the Great Fire (

of San

Francisco, 1904, due to earthquake).

Another couple of feet on the dikes, and it would have saved the city. So why

didn't the

state figure that out and do something about it instead of crying for somebody

else to do

something? Or maybe the Army corp won't let them.

Anyway, there were multiple failures of multiple systems. If we built the space

program

like this, it would never have got off the ground.

Holland has this problem figured out, and offered to help us, but our gov

refused their

portable emergency water evac systems to help pump out the city.

I wish there was a bright side to this, I always like to look on the bright

side.

K. Clayton

> Laurie, I've got literally dozens of family members missing, too. It's not

looking to good

for some of them. I feel ya.

>

> Believe me - I understand the situation in ways nobody but a local would

grasp, as I'm

sure you do. You aren't crazy. Toxic gumbo is exactly what we're looking at

here. Can't

really discuss much right now, though. Must continue the search and

arrangements. There

will be time for that later.

>

> Note: Folks, those media whores in New Orleans aren't telling you half the

story. Those

who have them, pull out Ritchie's books and get the real dope on what happens

when

wetlands and estuarial waters are polluted. That's what we're looking at here.

Try to

exponentiate to the millionth power. Discount the soundbite " experts " like you

never did

before. Discount these quickie preliminary scientific reports. They're nearly

worthless. And

we still won't get very close knowing to the truth of it all, because this

" event " isn't even

close to being over yet.

>

> There aren't even words for all this.

>

>

> Serena

> www.freeboards.net/index.php?mforum=sickgovernmentb

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

>

>