December 12, 2005
12/12 - LOUISIANA: Where (once again) are the ocean conservation groups in the Katrina recovery planning???
I'm sorry to be "a voice of negativity" (as one major ocean conservationist recently called me) in all this, but I'm about to stick my neck out on the intelligent design-evolution controversy with a documentary feature film so I have little respect for those who are afraid to go near conflict. But more importantly, WHY aren't all the ocean conservation groups, with their multi-million dollar budgets, playing a major role in the debate over how to recover from Hurricane Katrina?
In today's NY Times is a big article about the debate over whether to rebuild in the wetlands or hand them back to nature. But you won't find a single mention of any conservation group in the article. There ought to be a very loud voice coming from ocean conservation groups supporting the latter option (restoring wetlands)-- they ought to be down there educating the public and government agencies about the need for healthy wetlands. They have so much resources for public education. I just don't understand why they don't engage in this and play a leadership role.
Sorry. I just don't get it. Is it a lack of flexibility and spontaneity -- i.e. a natural disaster doesn't fit into the ten year plan? And its no good to talk about all that the groups may be doing "behind the scenes" -- the fact is they are playing no role in communicating this issue to the public. They should be.
Making wetlands into wet lands in Louisiana