The long-awaited “ebook of the dead tree edition” “A work of provocative and exhilarating populism . . . The pieces . . . recall Molly Ivins’s puckish cynicism.” —Publishers Weekly Dear Readers: I am delighted to announce that What Fresh Hell? is now available for...
NOLA, Gulf Coast
Presenting “What Fresh Hell? The Best of Levees Not War, 2005–2015”
The Long-Awaited “Dead Tree” Edition “Mark LaFlaur’s genuine love and concern for the future of Louisiana shines throughout this collection of blog posts and interviews.” —Ivor van Heerden, former deputy director, LSU Hurricane Center, and author of The Storm Dear...
Rising Tide: Still Standing, Unfatigued, and Enduring
Back now from New Orleans for the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and Rising Tide X—refreshed and still feeling that positive, creative energy and will to survive and rebuild that we felt at our first Rising Tide (the second annual) in 2007. We shall see...
Ten Years After, and Looking Ahead
A Time for Celebration, but Not for Complacency Has it really been ten years already? Indeed it has: a long ten years. And the work of rebuilding, the labors of love and determination, dedication, devotion, and sometimes of desperation—aided by countless volunteers...
Rising Tide X Is Aug. 29, Tenth Anniversary of Katrina
DeRay Mckesson, Social Justice Activist, Is Keynote Speaker We are registered and all kinds of psyched for the 10th annual Rising Tide conference—“the premier annual new media conference in the GulfSouth”—to be held on Sat., Aug. 29, at Xavier University in New...
In Defense of Brian Williams, New Orleans’ Loyal Friend
Now He Really Is Under Fire The veracity of the leading network news anchor, Brian Williams of NBC Nightly News, is in question—by his own fault—and now the sharks and wolves smell blood. A feeding frenzy ensues. [ cross-posted at Daily Kos ] Williams has...
Nathaniel Rich on the “National Crisis” of Louisiana’s Disappearing Coast
“I expected that a lawsuit taking on the entire oil and gas industry—perhaps the largest environmental lawsuit in the history of the planet—might receive major national coverage.” —Nathaniel Rich * In “Behind the Cover Story,” Rachel Nolan speaks with Nathaniel Rich,...
Highlights from “The Most Ambitious Environmental Lawsuit Ever” in The New York Times Magazine
“The idea of making the industry live up to its legal responsibility is not going to die.” —John M. Barry Yesterday, Sunday, Oct. 6, The New York Times Magazine published a cover story titled “Waterworld: The Most Ambitious Environmental Lawsuit Ever.” Aside from the...
Louisiana’s Vanishing Wetlands and “Most Ambitious” Enviro Lawsuit Featured in New York Times Magazine
This weekend you’ll want to go to your nearest newsstand and buy a copy of the Sunday New York Times and go straight to the Magazine for an article of major importance. The cover shows an oil industry “shortcut” canal sliced through Louisiana’s Barataria-Terrebonne...
BP Found Grossly Negligent in Deepwater Horizon Spill
Could Be Fined $18 Billion The fire you see here may be BP’s capital reserves going up in flame. A federal judge has ruled that BP was “reckless,” grossly negligent, and primarily to blame for the April 2010 blowout of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed 11...
Come to Rising Tide 9 in New Orleans on Sept. 13
The Tide Rises Again | Everyone’s Invited The ninth annual Rising Tide conference on the future of New Orleans will be held on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Xavier University in New Orleans. The keynote speaker will be educator and activist Dr. Andre Perry, formerly of New...
Remember August 29, 2005
If you don’t live in or around New Orleans you may have forgotten, but August 29 is the day Hurricane Katrina assaulted the Gulf Coast with Category 3 winds (up to 175 mph) and storm surges of 25 to 28 feet, killing 1,833 and costing some $108 billion in damages, the...
Questions for Coastal Conservation Conversation Panel: Tonight, Aug. 20
Experts to Discuss How to Pay for Massive Coastal Restoration Effort We are raising our hands because we have a few questions for the distinguished panelists at the Coastal Conservation Conversation tonight, Aug. 20, at Loyola University in New Orleans (6:00–8:00...
Join Louisiana’s Most Important Conversation: Aug. 20 at Loyola University
A Coastal Conservation Conversation The Lens, with sponsorship from the Mississippi River Delta Coalition, is hosting a panel discussion—a Coastal Conservation Conversation—on the financing of the $50 billion master plan for coastal restoration at Loyola University,...
Louisiana Anthology Interviews Levees Not War
Usually when Levees Not War is involved in an interview, we do the interrogating. But now, we’re happy to report, the tables have been turned: Levees Not War is the subject of an in-depth interview with the editors of the Louisiana Anthology, Bruce R. Magee and...
Happy Mardi Gras, Y’all
* We wish everyone, wherever you be, a happy Mardi Gras. Where we are this morning—not at the Zulu or Rex parades, sorry to say, but in New York where it’s 17 degrees—it’s too cold to quite grasp that today is Mardi Gras, but this is indeed the day. The cold rain in...
Elvin R. Heiberg III, General Who Took Blame for Hurricane Katrina Failures, Dies at 81
Former Head of Army Corps of Engineers Regretted Not Fighting for Storm-Surge Gates As Tropical Storm Karen approaches the Gulf Coast, and FEMA employees, furloughed by the latest GOP Government Shutdown, are called back to work without pay, The New York Times reports the death of Lt. Gen. Elvin R. Heiberg III, “who rose to the top […]
Ready for Burlesque Fest, New Orleans?
Time for the 5th Annual New Orleans Burlesque Festival, Sept. 19–21 Of course New Orleans is ready for another burlesque festival. A good warm-up for Halloween, perhaps. Or just a good warm-up for its own sake. If you’re ready—or might be ready, as we totally are—for Coco Lectric, Dinah Might, Honey Touche and the Touchettes, Cora Vette […]
Live-Blogging from Rising Tide 8 in New Orleans
Live-streaming of Rising Tide conference here. * Keynote Address: Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré on leadership and environmental justice New Orleans Advocate publisher John Georges introduces Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré, augmented by video footage from CNN. Standing ovation for Honoré. Honoré thanks audience for being an active community sharing respect for environment, the place where we […]
Honoré Speaks for La. Flood Protection Authority Lawsuit Against Big Oil
“Put our coast back like you found it” Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré, the keynote speaker for this coming weekend’s Rising Tide conference in New Orleans, has added a further distinction to his already impressive curriculum vitae: He adds his voice to a full-page advertisement published in the Times-Picayune, paid for by Levees.org and the […]