After Katrina

We found this cartoon which no doubt reflects the frustration of many over the last week. “Government from the top down is also taking heat; with extensive post mortem to follow.

For years the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has been viewed by many as profligate spoilers of the environment. As if twisted by the hurricane, the same advocates are now wailing that the beleaguered “Corps has been unfairly short changed, and that they need massive funding to build levees to control flooding and to protect...catch this ...Humans...snail darters and their ilk be damned (literally).

Putting politics and tragedy aside, New Orleans has always meant a lot more to American Agriculture than just a “play hard destination. Unfortunately it looks like our international gateway is going to be struggling for some time. To get a sense of what to expect in the near term, one needs to read between the lines of a NOLA Port Authority Press Release issued by a skeleton staff on Sunday. While the river may now be opened to limited one way traffic, our guess is that it is going to be a good while before fertilizer or grain starts moving again in volume. Sunday’s Washington Post takes a good look at the potential macroeconomic impact on agriculture in an article entitled Trouble Travels Upstream with a related graphic. Finally, if you want to see if your favorite gin mill is still standing, NOAA has posted some exceptional aerial shots taken just after the storm.