- AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Kyle Niemi
- Even before the effects of global warming started to kick in, the vast majority of America’s coastlines were reeling from threats including habitat destruction, sewage outflows and industrial pollution. Pictured: Flooded area of northwest New Orleans and Metairie, Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Courtesy of: EarthTalk®
E — The Environmental Magazine
Dear EarthTalk: Coastal areas here in the U.S. have taken a real beating in recent years due to natural disasters that many would argue are due to changing climate. What’s being done to safeguard these communities for when, say, the next Katrina hits? — Helen Kelman, Troy, NY
Coastal regions in the U.S. are more popular—and more heavily populated—than ever. But even before the effects of global warming started to kick in, reports the non-profit World Resources Institute, more than half of the coastal ecosystems of the world—including the vast majority of America’s coastlines—were reeling from threats including habitat destruction, sewage outflows, industrial pollution and the impacts of non-native species introductions.
This article appears in Jun 23-29, 2011.