Shell Takes Big Lead in Wetland Campaign: Louisiana Lowlands Threat Level Red

摘要

There are dire predictions being tossed around that the vast array of surface wellheads and pipelines in the Louisiana marshlands - as well as many now-populated communities - may one day be covered by waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Time will tell. Meanwhile, as these fragile wetlands wash out to sea at an alarming rate, color the threat level red. The Bayou State contains 40 percent of America's wetlands, yet it represents more than 80 percent of all coastal wetlands loss in the continental United States. In fact, they're disappearing at a rate of 35 square miles each year. More than one million acres have vanished since the turn of the century, and another 1,000 square miles are projected to be gone by 2050 if no preventive measures are taken. The loss has been deemed catastrophic by a bevy of noted scientists, including AAPG member Chip Groat, director of the U.S. Geological Survey and former state geologist for Louisiana. The continued disappearance of these wetlands would be bad news not only for Louisiana but for the nation itself.