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Jul 4, 2021, 8 tweets

πŸš¨πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Louisiana is on the front line of climate change, with flooding and hurricanes uprooting communities. Can Joe Biden hope to fix it?

🧡 A thread...

telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/07/0…

πŸ“ How serious is the challenge ahead?

πŸ‘‰ To the east, in the Mississippi Delta, sea levels are rising. Since 1932, some 1,883 square miles of land have been submerged.

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ If this was Delaware or Rhode Island, America would have one fewer state

🐊 With higher temperatures, eggs are hatching faster. Despite a harvesting programme, there are now two million wild alligators in the state, up from 100,000 half a century ago.

🏘️ Hundreds of thousands of people have become climate refugees in their own state

🌊 To the west, Lake Charles has been hit by two hurricanes, a deep freeze and its third wettest day on record in the last year.

πŸŒͺ️ Nearly seven per cent of residents moved out of the area in 2020 - more than any other place in the US.

πŸ“ Read more: telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/07/0…

πŸ“Œ So, what started this problem?

πŸŒ‰ While critics point to a lack of investment in resilient infrastructure, state officials say they are facing an uphill battle against nature

πŸŒ‰ One of primary concerns is the rusting, crumbling Calcasieu River Bridge, which opened in 1952.

⏳ It was built to be used for 50 years and carry 37,000 vehicles a day.

πŸš› Nearly 70 years on, 80,000 vehicles travel across it every day from Florida to California

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ So, what is the solution?

πŸ’° The framework for a $1.2 trillion deal has been outlined, much less than the $2 trillion wanted, but Mr Biden has proclaimed: "We have a deal."

πŸ—³οΈ It will still need 60 votes in the Senate to pass.

πŸ‘‡ Here's what the money will go on:

🚨 So, can Joe Biden fix Louisiana? Time will tell.

πŸ“ Read @JamieoJohnson's full dispatch below:
telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/07/0…

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