Secure and sustainable infrastructure program for ports
June 13 – 18, 2024
Program Participants
VIVEK MISHRA
KIRAN GOWDA K S
POOJA BHATT
AZIS KASIM DJOU
ROSARIO GERMANO
HARSHA SANDAMAL WEERASURIYA
Coastal communities worldwide are experiencing climate change and Louisiana is facing land loss and more frequent extreme weather with greater frequency. The negative effects are felt across the natural and built environments and they disproportionately affect under-resourced communities. Louisiana's history is deeply intertwined with its relationship with water, as well as industry, with devastating effects. In addition, the region has experienced the consequences of natural disasters, notably Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The catastrophic failure of levees highlighted the escalating climate risks. The city's recovery and rebuilding efforts have been closely intertwined with environmental and conservation initiatives, underscoring the necessity of resilient and sustainable management and mitigation strategies.
Louisiana is a fascinating case study, as it hosts regulatory bodies and agencies committed to advancing renewable energy policies and practices, while at the same time being built on the interests of the oil and gas companies. The state's legal framework fosters an environment conducive to the growth of renewable energy industries, providing a platform for innovation and investment. For better or for worse, Louisiana is supporting oil and gas interests while pursuing hydrogen, solar, wind, alternative fuels, electric vehicle battery and CO2 emissions-reduction projects. The state is reinforcing its critical role in the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain as well, including hosting the largest LNG export terminal in the U.S.
A Studio in the Woods
13401 Patterson Rd, New Orleans, LA 70131
https://www.astudiointhewoods.org/
A Studio in the Woods: A Studio in the Woods began as the homestead and studios of Lucianne and Joe Carmichael in 1969. The founders’ strong intention was for this endangered bottomland hardwood forest to provide education and inspiration for artists and students of all ages and be preserved in perpetuity. In order to ensure this the Carmichaels donated their homestead, studios and property to Tulane University in December 2004. Tulane continues their legacy by using this space to foster creative responses to the challenges of contemporary times by providing retreat to artists, scholars, and the public in their protected forest on the Mississippi River by envisioning a world where the essential and transformative powers of art and the natural environment are central to a thriving future for all. This unique program is housed within the Tulane ByWater Institute, a research department dedicated to advancing applied, interdisciplinary research and community engagement initiatives around coastal resilience and the urban environment.
David Baker sharing ecological history on Studio in the Woods Tour.
David Baker: Environmental Curator for A Studio in the Woods, David Baker studied botany under Dr. Bill Platt at LSU and went on to study the impacts of Hurricane Andrew on Everglades National Park and LSU’s Ben Hur Woods, a bottomland hardwood forest. While working in the everglades, Baker learned the trade of prescribed burning. Following his time at LSU he worked at the Louisiana Nature Conservancy as the Louisiana State Land Steward, managing and burning 16 nature preserves in Louisiana. In 2004 Baker began removing Chinese Privet at A Studio in the Woods and has worked there ever since as the program's Environmental Curator. While working at A Studio in the Woods Baker has installed thirty-two ten-meter by ten-meter plots for the long term study of changes in the ecosystem during the restoration process.
Volunteers will assist with Ecologist David Baker’s weeding, pruning, planting trees, organizing the general landscape, and learning how to identify and properly remove a range of invasive species common in our area. Drinks and lunch will be provided as part of the volunteer service, though a formal lunch break will follow at the hotel so that everyone will have a chance to change their clothes or rest before the next event.
New Orleans Jazz Museum
400 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116
New Orleans Jazz Museum: Occupying the building of the former New Orleans Mint, which operated in New Orleans as a branch mint of the United States Mint from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909, the New Orleans Jazz Museum’s exhibits include instruments used by some of New Orleans' notable jazz musicians, photographs, and posters. The site is also a performance venue for jazz concerts, in partnership with the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park and the private Music at the Mint organization. The New Orleans Mint has been designated a National Historic Landmark, and it is the oldest extant structure to have served as a U.S. Mint. The Louisiana Historical Center is located on the third floor of the building, which houses collections of colonial-era manuscripts and maps, and primary and secondary source materials in a wide range of media, particularly newspapers. The New Orleans Mint has been designated a National Historic Landmark, and it is the oldest extant structure to have served as a U.S. Mint.
You have been invited to a special musical event at the Jazz Museum. This musical performance will feature Carmella Rapazzo. Raised in upstate New York, Carmela Rappazzo had an early love and appreciation of the Great American Songbooks. She has performed and recorded with many great jazz musicians and served on the board of Women In Film and as a volunteer at The Musicians Assistance Program in Los Angeles and has appeared in several feature films and television shows. She has played across the U.S., London, and Toronto, and released seven recordings including three mostly original composition recordings, two of which were recorded here in New Orleans where she now resides and performs. Described as "A storyteller of picturesque tales," Carmela continues to write and perform.
Historic New Orleans Collection
520 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Historic New Orleans Collection - A visit has been arranged for the group, to enjoy an exploration of the Historic New Orleans Collection, the premiere history and cultural museum of New Orleans. The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region of the United States. It is located in New Orleans' French Quarter, and its wealth of historic knowledge allows for an examination of the culture of New Orleans through the perspective lens of history, and showcasing the ways in which New Orleans has navigated issues such as geographic expansion, infrastructure growth, public health crises, and more.
Port of New Orleans, Harbor Police Department & InfraGard
The Port of New Orleans: Located at the mouth of the Mississippi River, the Port of New Orleans is America’s gateway to the global market. New Orleans has been a center for international trade since 1718 when it was founded by the French. Today, the Port of New Orleans is at the center of the world’s busiest port complex, Louisiana’s Lower Mississippi River. The Port of New Orleans is the only deep-water port in the United States served by six class one railroads, giving port users direct and economical rail service to or from anywhere in the country. Recently, the Port of New Orleans invested in new state-of-the-art facilities: improved breakbulk and container terminals feature new multipurpose cranes, expanded marshalling yards and a new roadway for truck traffic. A meeting at the Port will highlight these infrastructure innovations.
The Harbor Police Department: The Harbor Police Department is charged with ensuring security and safety for the welfare of life, liberty, and property. Because the Port of New Orleans is the second busiest in America, criminal activity such as cargo theft, stow-aways, drug smuggling, and security issues abound. The Harbor Police Department works closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the United States Coast Guard and local law enforcement agencies. Representatives from Harbor Police Department will address the physical security of the campus, as well as their interagency collaborations.
InfraGard: InfraGard is a local nonprofit alliance on infrastructure security serving as a public- private partnership among U.S. businesses, individuals involved in the protection and resilience of U.S. critical infrastructures, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Infragard works with the Louisiana Maritime Security Community (LOMSEC), a public private partnership between InfraGard Louisiana and the Louisiana Maritime Security Community, for the express purpose of bilateral sharing of real-time, actionable threat intelligence and domain awareness, along with collaborative periodic training and exercises in order to deter threats to the Louisiana Maritime Sector. InfraGard President Millet will highlight their ongoing efforts to promote the sharing of information and intelligence in relation to maritime security.
Port of South Louisiana
155 W 10th St, Reserve, LA 70084
The Port of South Louisiana: The Port of South Louisiana is the country’s largest tonnage port district and is the premier sea gateway for U.S. import and export traffic. Governed by a board of seven Commissioners, The Port of South Louisiana, which stretches 54 miles along the Mississippi River, is the largest tonnage port district in the Western Hemisphere and ranks fourth in the world. The Port serves primarily as landlord to eight facilities leased to operating companies such as Peavey, Occidental, Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill. This meeting with staff from the Port will highlight interactions with port tenants and the operations of port infrastructure.