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The Southeast Louisiana coastline is now the fastest disappearing land mass on Earth, and scientists predict that the an area roughly the size of Rhode Island will wash away from the shores by as soon as 2050. This week, Focus Earth, looks at how the state's residents are planning to protect themselves from this growing crisis.
About 15 percent of the Louisiana coastline has eroded away over the last century, and experts estimate that another 600,000 acres will vanish from the state’s shores in the next 50 years. Conservationists in the region are working to address this urgent ecological concern, juggling the need for levees and other disaster protection for the area's residents, the impact of natural storms and saltwater floods, the encroaching pressure of manmade threats to the wetlands, and the importance of preserving the coastline.
On Focus Earth, Bob Woodruff will travel to the state's capitol for a sit-down interview with Louisiana State Governor Bobby Jindal to talk about the obstacles in the region, the measures being taken, and how storms like Hurricane Katrina have changed, and are continuing to impact, the situation.
Checkout the Planet Green Schedule to see these stories and more on the August 30 episode of Focus Earth.
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