Is Hurricane Katrina a blessing in disquise?

Conservationist and weather scientists have been concerned about the Gulf Coast and it's environmental susceptibility for the past 70 years.  Back in the 1970's they were predicting a huge storm and a huge impact from it because of the lack of conservation and preservation practices in the Gulf Coast states.

In the wake of Hurrican Katrina, their warnings take on new impetus, their work is more urgent than ever.  Maybe now the government will listen to what they are saying and make some of the right choices for a change.  The Army Corp of Engineers thinks it's a good idea to make some high cement walled arteries through the Mississippi water delta course, which will prevent the flood waters from spreading out.  All they see is the easier shipping of goods in boats.  Never mind about all the environmental impacts it creates.  It is one of the most devastating moves they could make on the delta region.  Their projects have a domino effect that reaches all the way up the Mississippi River.

Before Katrina hit, there were signs of trouble in the coastal wetlands.  Relatively few people concerned themselves with those problems.  Katrina has created a beacon of reason and hopefully will shine a light in all of us everywhere.  What we do does matter!  Wherever we are, whoever we are, however we do it.  Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.  We cannot afford to shrug off our own effort as being "too small to make a difference".  We know better now.  It is faulty thinking to let our own effort slide because we believe enough of the 'do-gooders' are going to do it. It has become a moral issue.  Every one who exists today has the potential of impacting the environment, not only in their immediate vicinity, but world wide.  Our world is shrinking environmentally.  We cannot ignore our problems anymore.  We cannot afford to have blinders on.  The time for doing nothing is over.

What can you do?

• Don't buy wood chips or lawn furniture made from the coastal wetland Cypress trees.
• Join a conservation club.
• Lobby your Congressmen and the White House for greater conservation and preservation moves.
• Help with restoration projects.  Google 'restoration' for ideas.
• Plant a sustainable environment in your own backyard.
• Remove all or most of any lawn grass you may have in your yard.  This will greatly impact the amount of water you use to maintain it and conserve it for wildlife or human consumption.
• Plant more trees.  Plant lots of trees.  Use the water you would have used for a lawn to keep them alive.  They clean the air of excess carbon.  We need lots of trees.
• Mulch with compost you make yourself.  Compost will help retain moisture, build the soil, improve plant life, and you don't have to cut down a tree to make it.
• Prevent or correct any erosion you see on your property.
• Be aware of what plants and animals are considered invasive in your area and avoid them.
• Vote for 'no motorized vehicles allowed' in the public parks systems whenever possible.
• Don't build a new home, buy one that already exists.
• Have your pets spayed or neutered.
• Grow as much of your own food as possible.
• Re-use, reduce and recycle as much as possible.
• Educate yourself and your family and friends about what choices are really green (and therefore good for the economy).  For instance:  If you already own a coffee thermos, buying one that is supposed to be 'green' in order to preserve materials just does not compute in the logic books.  Buying a new one creates the need to manufacture more goods.  Maybe your old thermos isn't 'green' (unless it's a Stanley), but it's done, over.  Don't replace it with a new one until you need a new one, and then choose a 'green' one.  And look to be sure it really is 'green' in the environmental sense.  Nothing is 'green' if it came from China or Vietnam.
• Examine all your choices and patterns of behavior to see if you can make some changes that will help the environment.  Like riding the bus to work, even if it does take a little longer to get there.  The payoff is worth it.
• Last but not least: Keep a worm factory working to make vermicompost.  It will help save the world.