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Environment

Air pollution messes up pregnant women’s metabolism, spurs preterm births

Tiny air pollutants appear to cause molecular changes in expectant mothers' blood that can impact fetal development and cause stress in the mother, which could be behind early labor and health problems for babies.
by Brian Bienkowski, The New Lede June 11, 2025 Updated June 11, 2025

Louisiana can’t afford a mirage

“We must stick with real plans for our future,” the writer contends about the recent halt to the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. “Every delay means more land lost, more families unprotected, more risk from rising seas and stronger storms. We don’t have that kind of time.”
by Simone Maloz June 10, 2025 Updated May 13, 2026

Nothing is ever black and white on a plantation

The recent fire at Nottoway Plantation, which reduced the “big house” to ashes, serves as a stark reminder of the complexities we navigate to uncover the truth of our history. 
by Jo Banner June 3, 2025 Updated June 3, 2025

Tracking the sediment carried by the muddy Mississippi

New research shows that typically, less than 10% of land-building alluvium reaches the Bird’s Foot Delta region, the southernmost reach of the river, where it meets the Gulf.
by Delaney Dryfoos May 27, 2025 Updated May 27, 2025

Legislature must demand that Mid-Barataria Diversion proceed, as planned

At stake is decades of scientific consensus, years of bipartisan commitment and the credibility of Louisiana’s entire coastal program.
by David Muth May 14, 2025 Updated May 14, 2025

Through a new Mississippi River channel, Mother Nature shows the land-building power of sediment diversions

As the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion flounders amid politics, some scientists say that doubts about its effectiveness can be addressed by Neptune Pass, which branched off the Mississippi on its own and is creating the largest new delta in North America.
by Delaney Dryfoos May 13, 2025 Updated May 13, 2026

LNG terminals threaten to push Calcasieu River pollution ‘beyond repair’

The shrimp stopped coming up the Calcasieu River after Venture Global built its Liquified Natural Gas terminal. The river’s ongoing pollution, on top of decades of hazardous waste dumping, earned the Calcasieu the #9 slot on American Rivers’ 2025 list of most endangered rivers.
by Delaney Dryfoos April 28, 2025 Updated May 6, 2025

Levee board members have no sway over Army Corps design

The Army Corps controls the design and operational procedures of flood reduction, so it doesn’t matter whether the governor selects the levee board members or if a panel picks candidates – or even if we choose the first nine people coming out of church on Sunday.
by Stephen Estopinal April 24, 2025 Updated April 27, 2025

In Louisiana’s Cancer Alley, a legacy of resistance lives on.

In the River Parishes, at the site of the largest slave revolt in history, a new generation is fighting for a cleaner future.
by Ned Randolph April 22, 2025 Updated April 27, 2025

Mississippi River named the most endangered of 2025 by non-profit American Rivers

With budget losses to both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers, mitigation grant programs to address riverine flooding could be impacted substantially. According to FEMA, every federal dollar spent on flood mitigation yields $7 in benefits. 
by Madeline Heim, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Delaney Dryfoos, The Lens April 16, 2025 Updated April 27, 2025

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The Lens fights to reveal and report on issues that impact the community and the region. Staunchly defending the public's right to know and deeply committed to sharing our knowledge with the community at large. We center human impact in all our work.
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