[Carfreeliving] New Orleans

[Jason Henderson]

* *

**Hello,
I have written a short essay about New Orleans and what is happening. It 
is a draft and comments are welcome. It was written hastily, and I hope 
it makes sense. It is pasted below and in an attachment.

-jh

* 50 cent gas tax for relief, 50 cents for rebuild*

What is happening in New Orleans is no surprise. New Orleans has talked 
about the "big one" ever since Camille and Betsy in the late 1960s. The 
storm surges, overtopped and breached levees, and complete submergence 
of large swaths of urbanized New Orleans have been predicted, modeled, 
and prophesied for decades. It was taught in grammar schools, high 
schools, and universities. Local television stations and the Times 
Picayune have run dozens of special reports. Just one year ago, millions 
fled via the elevated expressways out of the city in the wake of Ivan. 
And the city has also had several dry runs with moving thousands of 
people to the Superdome and then storing them there while waiting out 
the storm. The huge logistical nightmare was predicted, modeled, and 
prophesied, and to some degree, experienced before this day.

Hurricanes are normal, even a cat 4 over NOLA. Hurricanes hit the Gulf 
coast almost every year, somewhere – Texas, Alabama, Florida, and 
Louisiana. IF not a Hurricane, a weaker tropical storm. These storms are 
part of the reason the South is so wet, so fertile - a land of milk and 
honey.

But many, especially the political leadership, will pander to the 
weak-minded and fall back on claims that this was an act of God. The 
governor of Louisiana attempted to marry church and state in a prayer 
session while New Orleans drowned and burned. They use prayer as a 
front. Calling it an act of god, or natural, deflects responsibility 
away from the last several decades of willful negligence. Already the 
embedded media cuts to film footage of desperate victims praising Jesus 
when rescued, or lamenting about "god's will" while surveying their 
leveled homes.

But what is happening in New Orleans and across the Gulf Coast is not an 
act of god or a result of nature. What is happening in New Orleans, more 
than anything else, is the result of public policy. Let's start with the 
disaster of evacuation and the horrific images of tens of thousands of 
poor black people left stranded in the city after the call for evacuation.

Post storm aerials show a yard of about 50 yellow school buses submerged 
in the flood. Couldn't these buses have been used to evacuate at least 
some refugees? Public policy dictated no, not God, not nature. On 
Sunday, while panic set in but the skies were clear, the airlines not 
only cancelled flights, but extra planes were not sent in during this 
state of emergency. That is public policy, not god. Passenger rail? 
Forget it. Public policy says that this efficient and fast way to carry 
people for daily needs as well as evacuation is not necessary in America.

And where are the planes now? We have a huge airline fleet ferrying 
business class right now from meeting to meeting across the continent. 
Apparently some upper class yuppies trapped in the American Can 
redevelopment in Mid City were flown out Thursday night? Did they use 
credit cards? What about the Lower Ninth Ward?. What gives?

In the aftermath a variation of Mad Max and Hieronymous Bosche "Hell" 
have set in. Cries from attics. Bloated bodies floating - some with 
bullets in the back of the head. Rape, hysteria, insanity. Rooting 
corpses, a foul suffocating stench. For the smug white racists in 
Covington, or the white flighters from Metairie who now reside in Baton 
Rouge, New Orleans has indeed become Haiti. You know what I am talking 
about.

The response from the National Guard, our civilian, disaster relief 
militia, is not even paltry. All lines are busy at the moment, call back 
later. Logistics and relief services are tied up in Babylon, fighting 
for oil. That too, is public policy – not god. And that should have been 
predicted, modeled, and prophesied since we started to bomb Afghanistan. 
But by then the American public entered the hypnosis of the "war on 
tear" and forgot the purpose of the National Guard, forgot that the 
reason thousands of people joined the national guard was for disasters 
just like this. Those national guard people stuck over there in the 
desert must be feeling really shitty right now.

Like the bungling evacuation and apocalyptic aftermath, the true causes 
of this disaster were public policy. It is important to know these 
causes in order to have a sensible rebuild. Without knowing the causes, 
the trajectory of decision making is off course.

Public policy response to accelerated *coastal erosion* is a cause. For 
decades pipeline canals, shipping channels, and oil platform access 
canals were built willy-nilly across the coastal marsh. The oil industry 
was given carte blanche to decimate the coast. Salt water intruded. 
Marshes died, open water moved closer towards the city. The buffer for 
the storm surge disintegrated. This was public policy. It could have 
been different. And people knew it then, as now. But Americans wanted 
cheap gas.

Public policy towards the *Mississippi River* is a cause. The River's 
25-foot levees kept the river bounded in a swift and fast channel. Mud 
was not deposited in the wetlands to recharge them – as it had been for 
eons. Freshwater and silt was shot straight into the Gulf, instead of 
fanning over the delta. Discussion of breaching levees got nowhere. 
Capitalist interests got priority. Shipping, refining capacity, and real 
estate development blinded decision-makers. That was public policy. It 
was decided by political leaders that the course of the Mississippi 
(which shifts "naturally") must be maintained for commerce. Breaching it 
both above and below New Orleans to deposit silt, mud, and freshwater 
was considered communist.

The more subtle problem of widespread *subsidence* is also about public 
policy. Subsidence normally took centuries, it was a "naturally" slow 
process. The river floods mentioned above were an essential part of 
slowing and mitigating subsidence - "naturally." The river deposited new 
mud and silt on top of previous layers. Over the last few decades, 
subsidence happened rapidly and in short time-spans. Not only do the 
levees on the river block deposition of new silt and mud, the weight of 
buildings and pavement accelerate sinking, and the removal of water, 
oil, gas from ground causes even more sinking. In 60 years, the already 
low floodplain around New Orleans sunk by 2 feet.

The subsidence is especially problematic in the *backswamps*, those 
areas of greater New Orleans away from the river and its "natural" 
levees. Historically, development in Louisiana, whether in New Orleans, 
along the Mississippi River, or along the bayous, was on the higher, 
drier grounds immediately along the rivers. These natural levees were 
built by the rivers and bayous over centuries of flooding and 
deposition. After an afternoon thunderstorm or huge hurricane, these 
natural levees would drain into the backswamps. In New Orleans these 
backswamps also stored the surges that came from Lake Pontchartrain. 
These backswamps are now paved over with low-density, automobile 
oriented sprawl. New Orleans East, the New Orleans Lakefront, and 
Metairie are largely filled backswamps. They continue to act as storage 
areas for the surges and floods, but it is largely auto-centric sprawl 
that is now submerged, not cypress swamps and marshlands. The levees 
built to protect this backswamp sprawl now hold the water in, allowing 
it to fester and stagnate, full of the toxic residue of sprawl – motor 
oil, gasoline, lawn fertilizer, and so on. Sprawl has been a national 
public policy for at least six decades. This is the face of sprawl in 
New Orleans today.

Enough has been said about *global warming* by the less cowardly sectors 
of the media, most notably the New York Times. We know that global 
warming is happening, the debate is how much, how fast. We know sea 
level is rising faster than under "natural" circumstances. We know that 
the Atlantic is warming, thus spawning more storms like Katrina. We know 
that rising sea levels mean that the already imperiled coastal wetlands, 
deprived by public policies onshore, are in even more trouble. Global 
warming makes the coast of Louisiana even more vulnerable. But the 
leadership in both the US and the State of Louisiana refuse to confront 
global warming. Kyoto was weak, but no one considered signing. Across 
the nation, motorists balk at high gas prices, get "confused" by the 
conflicting date fed to them by oil interests, and go about their daily 
lives of massive carbon emissions. 25% of the world's emissions, 4% of 
the population. But from the Bay Area to Charlotte the ethos is, "yeah, 
but I have to get to work, yeah but I have to carry my big dogs to the 
park, yeah, but I can't carry groceries home without an SUV."

For global warming New Orleans was the sacrificial lamb in this storm, 
while greedy motorists hoard gas in Atlanta.

>From coastal erosion and pipeline canals to filling in backswamps with 
sprawl, these were public policy decisions and there should be hell to 
pay. Anyone who says that this is "no time for blame" probably has 
something to hide, or is beginning to understand their complicit role in 
this disaster and seeking cover.

But that is not the worst of it. The worst of it is yet to come. The 
worst of it will be the way it is handled afterwards, especially the 
denial and failure to recognize cause and effect. The leadership will 
pray. The leadership will talk about natural disasters and acts of god. 
The leadership, from Washington DC to Baton Rouge and to Poydras Street, 
is interested in money, rich people, oil, extreme property rights, 
hyper-consumption, and getting their frat boy or sorority friends in the 
loop. The American public, largely in the dark about the true causes of 
this disaster, and largely complicit in this horror, will proceed to 
allow this pathetic leadership to misdiagnose and misallocate the 
rebuild, setting the path for the next disaster.

*Rebuild?*

Here is what should be done, but will not be done until true progressive 
reform occurs.

*Removal of sprawl around **New Orleans**:* Much of Greater New Orleans 
should not be rebuilt. I am not talking about the French Quarter or 
Victorian sections and the development along the natural levees. What 
should not be rebuilt is the sprawl surrounding New Orleans. Get the 
sprawl out of the backswamps. Retreat the levees. Empty all areas north 
of I-10 and along the Lakefront and recreate a marshland buffer zone all 
along the southshore. This includes Metairie and Kenner. Even parts not 
currently flooded should be axed and replaced by wetlands. Empty New 
Orleans East & most of St Bernard (except the natural levees) and 
recreate marshland buffers there too. The removal of this sprawl 
wasteland will take decades, should be done in a methodical and 
coordinated manner, and with ecological restoration as first priority. 
Remove the levees along Lake Pontchartrain and rebuild levees below 
I-610 (remove I-610). Restablish cypress swamps in the "bowl" of New 
Orleans.

*Rebuild of "old" **New Orleans*: A sustainable New Orleans rebuilt 
could densify and manage half a million people including tourists. 
Permanent population might be lower. Rebuild and densify New Orleans 
along the natural levee including downtown, French Quarter, Marigny, 
Bywater, Uptown, and Riverbend. Most of these are still intact. Gretna, 
Algiers, and West Bank areas along the natural levee get rebuilt too. 
Mid City is debatable. Either empty or minimally rebuild with adequate 
drainage and more open space. The population of greater New Orleans 
(including both east and west bank) would be under 500,000. The Greater 
New Orleans economy would center on tourism, arts, university, seafood 
processing, light manufacturing in waterborne craft/ Shipbuilding, and a 
port (smaller than 2005). Construction and craftwork will be very 
important in the decade after this storm. The city should create a 
systematic bike network, bus lanes, and expand streetcar. Reduce parking 
city-wide. Access to the city should be primarily by rail. Flood control 
should be upgraded or rebuilt. Levees should be rebuilt closer to the 
cities natural levee, and massive ecological restorations should be 
undertaken in all of the former sprawl surrounding the city. A civil 
conservation corps should be established.

*Baton Rouge**: *Electric passenger and freight rail from New Orleans to 
Baton Rouge should be constructed. Baton Rouge would be the primary 
entry to New Orleans. Rail would utilize natural gas for electricity 
generation until another source can be found.

Build rail station in downtown Baton Rouge along present rail lines 
along the Mississippi. Create high density housing and retail-services 
downtown.

The city of Baton Rouge would experience major densification. Baton 
Rouge should be reconfigured into a compact city of 1.2 million. Main 
arterials and highways should be lined with 3-4 story apartment 
buildings, with ground floor retail, services. No parking would be 
provided. The space would be used for housing, services, and green 
space, and drainage – not car storage. Implement Bus Rapid Transit, 
priority bus lanes, bike lanes, wide sidewalks, and eventually electric 
trams in dense areas radiating from downtown. Areas of densification 
would include: Florida Boulevard, I -10 corridor, Airline Highway, I-12 
corridor, Scenic Highway corridor, Essen, BlueBonnet, Siegen, College.

The physical footprint of Baton Rouge should not be expanded. Rather, 
the city should absorb new population by developing all surface parking 
and low density sprawl. The Baton Rouge economy would function as a 
regional commercial, government, service hub. Information, government, 
refining, petrochemicals, food processing, freight distribution, and a 
minor port would make up the economy. Construction will dominate the 
economy for many years.

*Mississippi River**: *a greater portion of the Mississippi River should 
be diverted into the Atchafalaya. About 60- 70% of the total flow at Old 
River (in Point Coupee Parish) should flow down the Atchafalaya. The 
remaining 30-40% continues down the present Mississippi. The flow down 
the Mississippi should be preserved but significantly reduced. * 
*Strategically breach levees of the Mississippi north and South of New 
Orleans to allow sedimentation, aid in replenishment of wetlands. Use 
New Orleans as a port until a new port is built on the Atchafalaya. 
Maintain smaller-scale port in New Orelans as river levels are lower at 
New Orleans. Build new port on Atchafalaya at a suitable site to be 
determined. Do not build one single mega-port. Build multiple smaller 
ports. Connect ports by rail, with modern intermodal facilities. 
Minimize truck access.

*North** **Shore**: *Build passenger rail from Baton Rouge to Florida, 
Parallel to I-12. Focus compact development in Slidell, Covington, 
Hammond. Distribute 200,000 along corridor as bead on a string along 
railway line. Economy – services, farming, food processing, light 
manufacturing. Wind farms. Solar collector farms.

*Funding:*

This disaster was largely caused by public policy. These public policies 
were centered on the accommodation, expansion, and unquestioned 
dominance of unfettered automobility. It is only fair and logical to tax 
automobility and its supporting land uses – sprawl. The funding would be 
implemented incrementally.

First, a 50 cent gas tax should be implemented nationwide for direct and 
immediate aid and disaster relief/ clean-up. It should remain in place 
until every person is accounted for, fed, sheltered.


Second, an additional 50 cent gas tax should be implemented nationwide 
to finance the rebuild fund.

The US consumes 10 million barrels of oil a day. Each barrel is 42 
gallons. A $1.00 tax per gallon (at the site of processing) would bring 
in 420 million dollars per day. All of that money should go to this 
disaster every day until the rebuild is complete.


-- 
Jason Henderson
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography
San Francisco State University 
Room 279, HSS Building
1600 Holloway Ave 
San Francisco, CA 94123
jhenders at sfsu.edu 
http://bss.sfsu.edu/jhenders/


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