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But efforts to get more federal aid have been hampered becausepotential economic losses haven't been clearly quantified,according to King Milling, chairman of America's WetlandFoundation. That's why a new study by Entergy Corp. aiming toprovide some answers is an important development -- andpolicymakers need to heed its dire projections. The report, released this week, estimated that annual storm lossesin Orleans and Jefferson parishes could double by 2030 if nothingis done to save the coastal wetlands that shield the region fromstorm surge. The tally of losses is already severe. Entergy estimated that thetwo parishes face combined average losses of $878 million per yeardue to storm surge, subsidence and land use expansion anddevelopment. But losses could explode to $1.5 billion annually by2030 if the area faces the worst-case scenarios of sea-level riseand climate change. These are staggering numbers. Entergy came up with the local estimates as part of broader,coastal-restoration study that examined 800 ZIP codes in 77parishes and counties from Texas to Florida. The effort concludedthat total storm losses across the Gulf region would reach $350billion a year in 2030 if nothing is done to make the region morestorm resistant. Entergy's efforts to educate the public on theeffects of coastal erosion and climate change are laudable. These projections should add urgency to Louisiana's drive to getfunding for its $50 billion plan to restore the coast over the next50 years. To that end, it's vital that Congress approve the RestoreAct, which would dedicate 80 percent of the fines from the BP oilspill to the Gulf Coast. Louisiana has said it will use its shareof those fines for coastal restoration. But money is not the only obstacle. Coastal officials complainedthat federal agencies are not granting permits for majorrestoration efforts. The agencies want local governments to pay formitigation efforts, at a ratio of three times the damage caused bythe restoration projects. That essentially treats projects torepair wetlands with the same parameters as commercial developmentsthat take wetlands away. That needs reconsideration, since theexpress purpose of coastal restoration projects is to restorewetlands. To many Louisianians, funding coastal restoration and facilitatingthe progress of these projects is a no brainer. The Entergy reportshows the consequence of inaction, and that makes it a valuabletool. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Water Soluble Nitrogen Fertilizer Manufacturer , Humic Acid Organic Fertilizer, and more. For more , please visit Vegetable Organic Fertilizer today!
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