Solutions?

The formulaic part 3 of the T-P's Last Chance series predictably focuses on potential dressings for the open wound through which Louisiana is hemorrhaging land into the sea. The various proposals read like an engineers wet dream (get it?) of public works involving dredging soil for man-made barrier islands, pumping massive amounts of sediment into dying estuaries, and several ambitious plans to divert Mississippi River water into Terrebone and Lower Plaquemines Parrishes in order to feed the nutrient starved land there. A graphic representation of the potential of freshwater diversion for restoring wetlands is evident in these pictures of the new land built up by the Atchafalaya River Delta over a 20 year period. (PDF) Recently, my apartment building hosted a short experiment in freshwater diversion called the Babbling Brook Project.

The staggering size of the problem is driven home by the way in which the article implies that all of these undertakings must be embarked upon simultaneously in order to have a shot at success. Given the numerous obstacles to progress outlined in part 2 such as the disparate individual interests of landholders and fishermen, the ineffectual leadership of Louisiana pols, and the dishonest obstructionism of the shipping and oil and gas industries, how likely is it that these projects will be implemented in time to save Louisiana?

Given that no issue is more crucial to the recovery of the Gulf Coast and possibly the future of the Nation, what can we do to ensure that this Last Chance doesn't wash away as well?