So I promised that I would try to write more, and unfortunately I got busy and didn't. Well here I am posting again!
Anyways. So a week ago, exactly, I was driving to Baton Rouge after spending the day in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes. IT WAS AWESOME. In a, "I'm finally in Louisiana, learning about all these problems from people who are being effected by them" way.
Some background as to how this was happening. My friend who is part of an environmental group with me told me about this environmental leadership training camp (basically grassroots organizing) and she was going to the one in Louisiana. So the camp was called SPROG and it was put on by Sierra Student Coalition. There were 39 other greenies, and it was so nice to be around people who care as much as I do. Not that I don't have friends that care, its just nice to know that we aren't the only ones. And I now have connections in other areas of the country!
That aside. The 16th was an optional volunteer trip that I went on. We were toured around by a staff member from a community group called BISCO. The first stop was to show the difference between a federal levee and a levee in need of repair. The difference was amazing. The federal levee actually wasn't even funded by the federal government like it was supposed to be. The community raised $30 million dollars through taxes and some state funding to build a 7 mile stretch. But, the federal government was supposed to build more once they did that. And they haven't. The levees help build up land again. Something that is much needed since Louisiana loses 1 football field of land every 38 min. From across the water we could see a BP staging area which we visited later. Next we went to see this community that looks like a ghost town since many people have been abandoning it due to land loss. It was sad. I felt like I was back in the Egyptian slums. Trash everywhere and rickety old houses. While there our guide stopped to talk to another local who was talking about shrimp fishing. They aren't catching too much, but they are getting by. I also couldn't believe this because in the past 30 min I saw the effects of land loss, a bp staging area and heard from a local fisherman. So the next stop was the staging area. We saw the shipping containers filled with waste, and as we were learning about what's going on there, a truck pulls in ready for its next load. The waste is either being recycled, having minerals extracted or being thrown in landfills. From there we drove to LUMCON (Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium - a research station. On our drive down we passed a bp claims/community center, shrimp boats with oil booms and just plain ol' shrimp boats. At LUMCON we got to go up to the observation tower from which we could see the Gulf of Mexico (and some oil rigs in the distance), some shrimpers, another bp staging area, and more signs of the land loss. We then went back to Thibodeaux and helped BISCO with a community event. We were almost caught in the tropical storm so we hung out at our day's guide's house and ate pizza. Then the day was over and we had to drive back to Baton Rouge.
It's weird to think this was all just a week ago because it is so fresh in my mind.
I'm writing an article about the land loss/Louisiana in general.
I miss my fellow Sproggers...
Especially the guy who could ballroom dance and is a photographer. ;)
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