Lingering drought conditions have kept the Mississippi River at abnormally low levels and significantly weakened its flow, allowing salt water to creep in.

Officials in Louisiana are in a race against time as salt water from the Gulf of Mexico threatens drinking water supplies in New Orleans and its surrounding areas because of unusually low levels in the drought-addled Mississippi River.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed an emergency declaration Friday in response to concerns that salt water encroaching upriver could affect the availability of safe drinking water in the coming weeks.

The situation highlights the dangers of saltwater intrusion for communities in the southeastern part of Louisiana and adds to broader concerns about climate change and the availability of safe drinking water in drought-prone parts of the country.

  • zepheriths@lemmy.world
    71·
    9 months ago

    John Bel Edwards, Has put a great amount of care. 2 issues though: 1, the state Senate and 2, other states. Louisiana is " the asshole of the US" in a very literal sense. As a result we have to deal with the pollution from over 100 million people in 19 states directly. Policy under Edwards has been rather pro protection of the bayou. That’s all Louisiana can do. Louisiana doesn’t emit a lot of emissions, and Louisianas main export isn’t even oil any more, its soybeans. Blaming Louisiana for climate change is like blaming the kid being bullied for the bullies.

    • fireweed@lemmy.world
      5·
      9 months ago

      Does Louisiana still vote GOP in House, Senate, and presidential elections? Then they’re still one of the climate (and LGBTQ and racial and class and…) bullies.

      • zepheriths@lemmy.world
        15·
        9 months ago

        ??? We aren’t talking about that? Your moral grand standing is not productive. We are discussing climate change, nothing else.

          • zepheriths@lemmy.world
            1·
            9 months ago

            Joke on you Louisiana has no economy to take action on in the first place. Also I already covered that earlier. I’m not repeating.

            • fireweed@lemmy.world
              2·
              9 months ago

              I’m not talking about action at the state level, I’m talking about the federal level. The United States is the largest economy in the world, but we constantly struggle to make headway on climate goals primarily because the Republicans in Congress (and back when Trump was president, the White House) constantly undermine those efforts. To be clear, Democrats are no climate champions, but they are at least trying to do something, vs the Republicans who actively try to worsen the climate crisis simply because they think it will piss off liberals. Thus every time Louisiana sends a Republican senator (currently 2 of 2) or representative (currently 5 of 6) or electorate (2020 election: 8 of 8) to Washington DC, they’re making the climate crisis worse by helping to paralyze the United States government.

              You can be both a victim and a bully: it’s called voting against your own interests and it’s something red states are notorious for doing.

    • Chocrates@lemmy.world
      1·
      9 months ago

      I’m not blaming us… We are going to be hit by the effects more than a lot of states so we better start trying to mitigate stuff. Also just learned we are about to be drinking saltwater because of a drought north of us 😭

      Edit: LOL, I learned about that here! Sorry I’m tired.