RECOMMENDED READING

Rising Sea Level To Submerge Louisiana Coastline By 2100

"A vast swath of the coastal lands around New Orleans will be underwater by the dawn of the next century because the rate of sediment deposit in the Mississippi delta can not keep up with rising sea levels, according to a study published today...For New Orleans, and other low-lying areas of Louisiana whose vulnerability was exposed by hurricane Katrina, the findings could bring some hard choices about how to defend the coast against the future sea level rises that will be produced by climate change."  [The Guardian]

Related: 

Even the mighty Mississippi's sediment won't be enough to save our vanishing coast  [Nola.com] 

The Legalities of Rainwater Harvesting

"Just as people use the sun to generate power for their homes, many homeowners capture rainfall for a variety of uses — from washing dishes to watering gardens during dry spells. But rainwater harvesting, as it is known, can be quite controversial — and in some Western states it is akin to theft. Opponents of the practice argue that if rain or snowfall is captured, less water will flow to streams and aquifers where it is needed for wells and springs...In Colorado, for example, it is illegal for residents to divert rainwater that falls upon land they own unless they have explicit permission to do so." [Green, Inc. - New York Times]

Urban Farming Movement 'Like a Revolution'

"HABESHA Gardens is one of many urban gardens sprouting up around the country. Fruits and vegetables are thriving in this community garden located in an economically depressed area of [Atlanta].  But the garden serves an even greater purpose. The harvest helps feed some of the neediest members of the neighborhood...It's a reawakening going on. It's almost like it's a renaissance," says Cashawn Myers, director of HABESHA Inc...Myers believes urban farming is a way for many African-Americans to reconnect with their past."  [CNN]

EPA Discloses Location of 44 Hazardous Coal Ash Sites

"The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday made public a list of 26 communities in 10 states where residents are potentially threatened by coal ash storage ponds similar to one that flooded a neighborhood in Tennessee last year...The agency said it will inspect each of the 44 coal ash sites located near communities to make certain they are structurally sound. The sites are being classified as potentially highly hazardous because they are near where people live and not because of any discovered defect."  [Associated Press]

OPINION

Betraying the Planet

Paul Krugman: "212 representatives voted no [to the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill]. A handful of these no votes came from representatives who considered the bill too weak, but most rejected the bill because they rejected the whole notion that we have to do something about greenhouse gases. And as I watched the deniers make their arguments, I couldn’t help thinking that I was watching a form of treason — treason against the planet."  [New York Times]