We’ve all heard the alarming statistic: Louisiana loses a football field of coastline every 30 minutes. And we know a lot of money and resources is being put towards the problem. But, is it too late to really change the trajectory we’re on? And what does that mean for where Louisiana’s citizens will live in the years to come?

Sea

Dr. Craig McLain is Executive Director of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, or LUMCON, a research institute based on the coast that promotes, facilitates and conducts research in marine and coastal sciences relevant to the sustainability of coastal and marine environments in the Gulf of Mexico. That includes areas dealing not only with coastal loss and restoration, but the impact humans have on coastal and marine systems, and the intersection between the physical, chemical and biological environments.

Craig has been at the helm of LUMCON since 2016, and is a nationally recognized marine, ecological and evolutionary biologist with more than 60 published articles  to his name and a top-rated ocean-themed blog and social network, Deep Ocean News, which has been featured in local and national media outlets. 

Land

Camille Manning Broome is President and CEO of the Center for Planning Excellence, a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2006 to coordinate urban, rural, and regional planning efforts in Louisiana and promote a smart growth approach to development, which means advocating for things like walkable communities, bike lanes, mass transit and access to fresh food. Under Camille’s leadership, CPEX has shifted its focus toward issues related to climate change, and what that means for Louisiana’s vulnerable sinking coastline and vulnerable population. Camille has been at CPEX for more than a decade. She became president and CEO in 2018 and has strengthened the organization’s focus on the intersection of climate change, equity and health.

Photos from this show by Jill Lafleur are at our website. And check out more lunchtime  conversation about conservation.