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September 21, 2005
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Things here in Louisiana are starting to come full circle. We came down here to investigate and document the effects of hurricane Katrina on the environment and on people's lives. As we take our last trips into the field, we do so with yet another hurricane bearing down upon the Gulf Coast. The new storm, hurricane Rita, looms heavily in the minds of the residents here in Louisiana, as it comes on the heels of hurricane Katrina. As we write, Rita has attained Category 4 status; the same as hurricane Katrina had when it hit land in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Outside we can see a procession of vehicles leaving New Orleans and other parishes, and we can feel the wind picking up. Although the storm is expected to make landfall in Texas, a considerable amount of rain is forecast for this area, and given the extremely weakened condition of the levee system, residents here are taking no chances.

We ourselves are preparing to leave the area sometime tomorrow. Mark and Christian are out in Plaquemines Parish again, to further document the environmental hazards in the area as a result of hurricane Katrina, and the presence of dangerous oil and chemical facilities in the path of such storms. Stephanie and Mike are preparing the RV and other gear for the long trip back home.

The effects of hurricane Katrina and the presence of Hurricane Rita in the Gulf illustrate how our dependence on oil has finally come full circle. The U.S., and other industrialized nations, is so dependent on oil that we will drill virtually anywhere in the world to get it. We then burn it in our cars, our homes, our work, and in the process we release CO2 into the atmosphere and heat the planet. As a result, we see more storms with greater intensity that, ironically, affect areas in the U.S. where there is a lot of drilling and production of oil. This leads to even further damage to the environment as we have seen in the aftermath of Katrina. It is clear that the U.S. needs an energy policy that promotes renewable and clean sources of energy. The U.S. also needs to phase-out the use of highly toxic industrial chemicals for which there are already cleaner and safer alternatives.