Additional Views and Responses to the Challenges of State Climate Change

Submitted to the Piney Woods Journal as the last of a three-part series on climate change 

I’ve provided an overview of climate change issues and suggested possible responses to these challenges by several key sectors in our state economy in the last two PWJ issues.  The oil and gas industry, as well as forestry and agriculture, in Louisiana were profiled.

These sectors of our state economy are hardly the only ones that face serious climate threats and could offer many opportunities for green innovations and jobs.  There seem at least two other important industries in our state worth examining.   I’ll briefly mention these two industries and finally share some recent perspectives of state leaders concerning climate change issues.      

Building Construction

Estimates of the energy generated by the building sector worldwide reach over 30 percent of all energy generated, so efficiencies in heating/cooling and other energy needs can make a big difference. The construction industry in Louisiana is a significant economic powerhouse with employment levels at approximately 140,000 for mid-2019, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Architecture and engineering needs are essential components in the completion of state commercial buildings and residential housing.  Many in these fields internationally are developing and implementing efforts to make buildings and our infrastructure more ecologically sustainable, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  Climate changes are also influencing the development of alternative structure designs, construction materials, and building approaches that better protect these structures from extreme weather conditions.

Many recent and larger commercial buildings have forms of a centralized, computer-based monitoring and control system for more efficient energy usage.   Older buildings can be retrofitted to incorporate some of these energy savings benefits.  Project Drawdown describes “net zero buildings” that make much increased use of LEDs (light emitting diodes) to replace incandescent and florescent lighting, as well as have smart windows, smart thermostats, efficient heat pumps, improved insulation and building materials, and advanced automated control systems.

These newer approaches tend to have increased initial costs, but also usually have long-term and ecological advantages and paybacks.  Building and construction contracts are often reviewed and approved by government officials who analyze quality, cost, and other factors.  As climate change and greenhouse emission priorities become greater, we can definitely expect mandates or more demanding requirements for architectural, engineering, and construction designs and methods.

Seafood and Seaweed

Susan Buchanan described in a February 2019 article in the Louisiana Weekly how climate change was hurting Louisiana’s oyster and shrimping operations. Both oyster and shrimp output put Louisiana at or near the top among the states. Rising water levels, continuing coastal erosion, and increasing concerns for the purity, temperature, and salinity levels of water are threats for our seafood industry. 

There seems potential in the next decade for Louisiana and states along the Gulf of Mexico to begin to develop seaweed farming operations. Types of seaweed can grow rapidly to provide plant-based proteins for livestock and human consumption, and seaweed could become more of a biofuel source and replacement for fossil fuels. Seaweed farming is still very limited in the USA, largely to a number of firms operating along the Atlantic coast. Seaweed is one component of “restorative ocean/gulf farming” that seeks to improve the quality of offshore waters through more integrated aquaculture systems combining production of seaweed, fish, shrimp and shellfish. 

Aquatic polycultures or multiple crops for ocean farming could help diversify risk for some of those investing and working in the seafood industry, if some of the current questions being investigated are answered.  Auburn University researchers are currently studying the development of sustainable seaweed aquaculture on Alabama’s Gulf coast. Among issues pursued in this research are more appropriate seaweed varietals for gulf cultivation, market acceptance of these varietals by consumers, and potential of seaweed aquaculture there both as a standalone farm or in an integrated system with oysters. Louisiana would appear to have more raw potential than a state like Alabama for such combined seafood and seaweed farming.

Leadership Perspectives

Millions of children internationally have been protesting and striking their schools in recent months to try to bring about increased government and business responsiveness to climate change threats.  Louisiana has much more impact than almost any other state on greenhouse gas releases.  According to a U.S. Energy Information Administration report this year, Louisiana is in the top five states overall and also per capita in energy-related CO2 emission levels for the most recent period of reported data.  Taking also into account methane and other greenhouse gas emissions and other contributing sectors of our state’s economy, Louisiana must accept very high-profile impacts and responsibilities.

Yet we are just beginning to see awareness and some discussion of climate change and its threats by state leaders.  Sue Lincoln in an August 2019 feature in The Bayou Brief described remarks made by Mike Strain, our incumbent state Agriculture Commissioner.  Commissioner Strain has at least openly acknowledged the challenge of climate change and some of the impacts that it is having on Louisiana. His comments so far, though, seem directed more at new crop opportunities due to warmer temperatures.  He has also emphasized various regulatory and other obstacles in easily converting to alternative crops and practices that have been suggested as more climate friendly.

CBS Miami reported earlier this year that Dr. Julia Nesheiwat had been appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to be Florida’s first Chief Resilience Officer.  Her job is to coordinate the state’s responses to climate change and to work with various state agencies, local communities and other key stakeholders.

In Louisiana, there has been recognition of certain urgent needs linked to climate change.  For example, we have had funding of $300 million over three years for coastal erosion projects.  These funds come from offshore oil and gas drilling income.  Governor Edwards has also committed to spending many millions of dollars from last year’s state surplus on coastal restoration work.  He views the threat to the several million people who live and work along our coast as having “a sense of urgency that we just cannot escape.” Still, his public comments concerning other broader aspects of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions have only recently shown a few signs of shifting concern.

Julie Dermansky of the DeSmogBlog in December 2018 interviewed former General Russell Honore, founder of the GreenARMY, a coalition of Louisiana environmental groups.  General Honore lamented the lack of response yet by Louisiana politicians to warnings found in the latest National Climate Assessment.  For General Honore and those committed to more environmentally-conscious state business and government policies, inaction and delays on climate challenges continue to be deeply troubling.  The tide of public concern on these issues is definitely growing, though.  Many of those in higher government and business positions will have to accelerate their green learning and actual commitments to catch up with increasing global and national responses.