Last week the most interesting news on the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico came via veteran environmental reporter Julia Whitty, who was interviewed at length on NPR show Here and Now.
In contrast to President Obama, who said on the Today show that there was a "resiliency" in the Gulf, and promised that "essentially we can preserve those estuaries and marshes so that three years from now they will come back," Whitty said from the site that she saw what looked "a doomed ecosystem."
It's pretty bleak, but she asks a couple of excellent questions, such as:
"Why should we compound the problem of oil with some other toxin [disperant]?"
[and, one idea from the fact that the marshes at the mouth of the river are not fully oiled]
"If they really want to talk about rebuilding the sand [barriers] at the mouth of the Mississippi River, than they should free up the mouth of the river. Right now it's essentially a canal that's coming out. Break down the walls of that canal and let the Mississippi, which is the thing that built that delta, take the silt from all the upper 48 states and carry it back out into the Gulf. That flushing action would be more useful to rebuilding a disappearing delta than anything else."
Interesting idea.
Kit Stolz 
Worst of times for the environment, Best of times for the environmental reporter. Enjoying your stuff. Party on 26th June, 5-9 for Lorrie. I know Betsy Randle is having a 60 bash too, but perhaps we can be the early shift? I did e-mail a invite….do I have your correct e-mail ? BTW I veered into your territory with my recent piece, ‘Bowls’ …Rainfall in Upper Ojai!
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