Mississippi River
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Fertilizer feeds humanity — and it’s destroying the Gulf of Mexico
How can we slow down a pollutant we depend on for survival?
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How to kill the Gulf's dead-zone zombie
The Gulf of Mexico's dead zone is the largest in the world, and it keeps coming back. But there are steps we could take to get rid of it.
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When the levees broke: the flood that made rock 'n' roll
An epic flood on the Mississippi River in 1927 spurred the northward migration that transformed Delta Blues into Chicago Blues.
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How industrial agriculture makes us vulnerable to climate change, Mississippi floods edition
An “ephemeral gulley” that carried soil and agrichemicals from an Iowa farm toward the Gulf of Mexico during a 2010 storm. Photo: Environmental Working GroupNancy Rabalais, marine scientist and executive director of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, is probably our foremost authority on the vast, oxygen-depleted “dead zone” that rears up annually in the Gulf […]
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Critical List: Reid, enviro groups talk air quality; DDT in Africa
Harry Reid met with Big Environment last night to strategize a defense of the Clean Air Act. Politico says a key point of debate was whether enviros should go after errant, but potentially vulnerable Dems on green issues during the next election cycle. Senators rejected a bill that would have sped up oil drilling, then […]
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Critical List: The Mississippi River, unleashed; ‘The Dirty Dozen’ list under attack
The mighty Mississippi just can't be held down. This weekend, the Army Corps of Engineers opened four gates to the Morganza Spillway, which hasn't been used since 1973. Corps officials told residents: "Prepare for the worst. It's coming." President Obama said Saturday the administration would begin auctioning oil and gas leases in the Alaska National […]
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Climate crisis fueling Mississippi River’s historic floods
The Mississippi River flooding part of downtown Memphis.Photo: Chris WielandThe Mississippi River is experiencing its second “500-year flood” since 1993. That’s no freak occurrence — scientists say it’s a result of human-made carbon pollution changing our climate. “All extreme weather events are now subject to human influence,” said Peter Gleick, a climate and water scientist […]
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Army Corps urged to honor Obama’s priority of restoring New Orleans area wetlands
Louisiana’s threatened wetlands provide a critical barrier to hurricanes and flooding.With the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaching, a coalition of 17 advocacy groups called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to promptly honor President Obama’s pledge “to restore nature’s barriers — the wetlands, marshes and barrier islands that can take the first blows and […]