HDNet's 'Dan Rather Reports' - Is the Disappearing Louisiana Coastline Our Nation's Biggest Environmental Challenge?

DALLAS, April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Tuesday night's "Dan Rather Reports" will present an unsettling picture of the rapidly disappearing Louisiana coastline – it is being gobbled up by the Gulf of Mexico at the average rate of 25 square miles per year - and if nothing is done to reverse this process, some scientists have predicted that by the year 2100, New Orleans will be underwater and most of what we know of Southern Louisiana will be gone.

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080324/HDNETLOGO)

The reason for this drastic erosion is a system of levees, built to protect Louisiana and the other states along the Mississippi River.  These levees, built by the Army Corps of Engineers after the historic Great Flood of 1927, have worked to control flooding, but they have also channeled the river, along with its life-giving sediment, right past the rich wetlands and into the Gulf of Mexico.

"We look at this like the biggest environmental challenge that our nation is facing today," said Garret Graves, a Louisiana native who worked on Capitol Hill on environmental issues.  He has been hired by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to manage the recovery of the state's wetlands.

According to Graves, in about the last 80 years the state has lost about 2,300 square miles of coastal lands and wetlands to the Gulf of Mexico.

But, he says that there is a solution and it may be easier than you think.

Graves and his team have asked the Army Corps of Engineers to use more of the material that they currently dredge from the bottom of the Mississippi to keep shipping lanes open, and mechanically put it into the wetlands, mimicking Mother Nature's own process.

"If they did it today we could be building twelve to sixteen square miles of land per year," Graves tells Rather.

So, why is such an easy answer so hard to implement?

The Army Corps of Engineers says that its hands are tied by Congress, which has ordered it to dispose of the dredged sediment in the cheapest way possible – which is to flush it deep into the Gulf of Mexico.  

Is the salvation the Louisiana's coastline mired in more governmental muck than it needs to rebuild itself?  Find out the answers this Tuesday.

"Dan Rather Reports – Mud Flap" airs Tuesday, April 20 at 8:00 p.m. ET and will re-air at 11:00 p.m. ET to accommodate West Coast Prime Time.

About HDNet

HDNet (www.hd.net) is the independent network with unique and provocative content that appeals to men of all ages and is delivered in true high definition.

HDNet is the exclusive, high definition home for popular, original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," and the Emmy Award winning "Dan Rather Reports," featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather.  Only HDNet goes beyond the headlines to deliver real news that is redefining the way we look at our world.  HDNet News is provocative, sometimes controversial and always relevant  - telling the important stories of our time in-depth, with attitude and with independence.

HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring five regular season games from the Premiere Season of the United Football League.  HDNet also features the best of Mixed Martial Arts with its Friday night series, "HDNet Fights" (www.hdnetfights.com).  "HDNet Fights" works with leading MMA promoters including DREAM, Sengoku, King of the Cage, XFC, M-1, K-1, K-1 Max, MFC, Adrenaline and more.  HDNet produces more live Mixed Martial Arts events than any other network and HDNet's "Inside MMA" is the hottest Mixed Martial Arts program on television, giving MMA fans their weekly fix for everything MMA.

HDNet also delivers the world's largest and most diverse concert line-up through the HDNet Concert Series.  The HDNet Concert Series features leading artists and bands including Coldplay, Gwen Stefani, John Mayer and more.  HDNet also features revealing lifestyle programming featuring "Art Mann Presents," "New York Confessions," "Deadline" and "Get Out!"  HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries as part of the InFocus series.  "NASA on HDNet" presents all live shuttle launches through 2010.  

Only HDNet Movies (www.hdnetmovies.com) delivers exclusive Sneak Previews of new movies before they hit theaters.  The HDNet Movies Sneak Preview series features top Hollywood stars in critically acclaimed performances including Gwyneth Paltrow, Joaquin Phoenix, Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Tom Hanks, Vera Farmiga, Parker Posey, Brian Cox, Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow, Eric Bana, John Malkovich, Emily Blunt, Robin Williams, Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger.

In addition to being the exclusive home of Sneak Previews, HDNet Movies viewers enjoy the best films from the classics of the 1950s-1970s, to favorite films from the 1980s and 1990s, to recently released theatrical films.

HDNet Movies offers subscribers a premium movie viewing experience in true HD, and more original movies shot entirely in HD than any other network.

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom and Verizon FiOS. 

The HDNet networks can be followed via Facebook at facebook.com/HDNet, facebook.com/HDNetFights and facebook.com/HDNetMovies and via Twitter at twitter.com/hdnet, twitter.com/hdnetfights and twitter.com/hdnetmovies.

SOURCE HDNet

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED