Holding Back the Sea: The Struggle for America's Natural Legacy on the Gulf Coast

This book is an admirable discussion of the destruction of Louisiana's wetlands, the effects up to the year 2001, and the probable disastrous consequences for the future, including those that have now resulted from Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath of Katrina there will be many efforts to assign blame, both by the media and by politicians. This book serves as necessary background for understanding what really happened, and how it came to pass. My own view, partly formed from this book, but also from various other knowledge of Southern Louisiana and changes over the years in that area, is that no one person or group should be blamed for the results of Katrina. Those were foreseeable and were foreseen, and remedial measures to reduce the impact of a major hurricane striking Louisiana's coastal areas and the city of New Orleans were well understood, as were their costs. So how did the catastrophe predicted in this book occur, despite widespread knowledge? Remedial measures could not have prevented very serious losses from such a hurricane, but the losses could have been greatly reduced; however, the remedial measures to achieve that would have been extremely expensive, and no group, whether of citizens, of advocates, of corporations, of legislators, of bureaucrats, or of federal or state officials, felt that expnditure of all that money, which would also have had some adverse effects, was important enough to take priority over numerous other major expenditures for the welfare of the poulation, the economy, and the environment. After the catastrophe, of course, comes the finger-pointing. But if my view is correct, the extent of this catastrophe is mostly due to the fact that hardly anyone anywhere was willing to fight for the extremely expensive remedial measures that would have limited it. This book is a somber reminder that although in most respects our private and public institutional structures in the USA work extremely well, in some cases such as this one they do not put priority on mitigating enormous risks. Read this book and weep! (And ask yourself which other equally well-known risks of catastrophe we are taking no steps to mitigate.)

This book is not simply another environmental thesis. It is a word-portrait of the land sinking and the sea rising and the people who live in between. And unlike many national preserves the Louisiana Coast is rich with industry and the people who live and work in this fragile ecosysytem of the land between the Mississippi River and Texas are acutely aware that it is a very delicate balance between man's use and abuse of this precious national treasure. The people who have given America Cajun food, Cajun music, Mardi Gras and New Orleans Jazz are responsible fot the catching and distribution of 25% of the seafood consumed in the 48 states. The vanishing wetlands are criss-crossed with 20,000 miles of oil and natural gas pipelines through which flow 20% of our nation's oil, 25% of our nation's natural gas. Additionally,30% of our nation's imported oil is transferred from tankers to pipelines in South Louisiana and then on to consumers in dozens of states. 80% of this nation's offshore production flows from the Gulf of Mexico through a maze of pipelines. During the last quarter of a century, ending in 2001, Louisiana had lost 30% of its coastline. With 2002 Hurricane Lili and Tropical Storm Isadore have greatly escalated the crisis. According to state officials insured property loss due from these two storms exceeded one billion dollars. Accessing the land loss is a huge task and researchers are working hard to put a number on the acres lost. Hallowell has spent much of the last two decades trekking around the swamps amd marshes and getting to know the people and their love of this land. He spent countless hours in government meetings and even accompanied people from Louisiana to Washington D.C. where they lobbied for the funds to rescue the Louisiana Coast. Hallowell has a good sense of history and the way people and their cultures have altered their land,. What sets Hallowell a part from many people who call themselves "environmentalists" is his recognition of the need for man and nature to coexist. He writes:"Many people have yet to equate a healthy anvironment with a healthy business, a lesson Louisiana's are beginning to understand. In fact, it is the primary lesson that the country can learn from Louisiana. Ultimately, there is little room for separation between business and environment, between environment and people who operate best hand in hand."

This book is extraordinary in scope and documents a crisis in Louisiana that threatens the mainland. Hallowell has done his homework and captures the human drama as individuals, the oil industry, landowners, sugar cane farmers, shrimpers, oyterman, fishermen and several government organizations stuggle to put their differences aside and finally start working together to achieve the same goal. Hallowell explains the delicate balance between man's desire to use and sometimes abuse these fragile ecosystems and his certain knowledge that abuse is leading to permanent loss. He has portrayed not only the environmental situation but also the people who have given America Cajun food, Cajun music, Mardi Gras and New Orleans Jazz. These people are involved in the production of 20% of this nations seafood and 20% of this nation's oil. Mr. Hallowell has spent years researching the people who live in this area where land meetsthe sea and published an excellent People of the Bayou in 1979. It seems to me he has spent the last two decades doing the research that has allowed him to write this beautiful, poetic and timely book.

Mr. Hallowell's book hits on a subject long overdue for national attention. The crisis on the Louisiana coast is a national travesty and Mr. Hallowell hits the nail on the head despite a few minor errors such as the governor's height. The author presents the situation not just in terms of the impending environmental disaster, but the economic and social devastation that awaits just around the corner unless Louisiana gets significant help from the entire country to carry out solutions.

Hallowell as clearly written this book out of love and passion for a potential loss of one of America's premier natural places. The Louisana wetlands provide one of the great breeding grounds for wildlife above and below the waterline. It's slowly eroding away. Hallowell identifies this danger and explores the potential tragedy with an incisive intellectural curiosity and great analytical skill. Hallowell is empathetic but never criticizes directly. He allows you to draw your own conclusions based on a marvelous array of evidence. A masterful work. He knows how to write. It's an interesting read.