NEWS THAN ANY OTHER NEWS ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD.
>>> HISTORIC FLOODS CAUSED MAJOR
DAMAGE IN THE MIDWEST.
THE WEATHER IMPACTED CITIES,
TOWNS AND FARMS ALONG THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER. WE TALKED TO FARMERS IMPACTED BY
THIS AND THE MAYOR OF
GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI.
GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI. >> THE SCIENTISTS AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN
MISSISSIPPI BELIEVE IN CLIMATE
CHANGE.
CHANGE. THEY BELIEVE IN SEA LEVEL RISE.
THEY’RE DOING RESEARCH ON THOSE
TOPICS THAT SAY, WE BELIEVE THAT
CLIMATE CHANGE IS IMPACTING.
MORE STORMS, MORE RAINFALL IN
CERTAIN AREAS.
CERTAIN AREAS. WILL IT CONTINUE?
IS THIS A CYCLE?
THAT’S SOMETHING WE WILL HAVE TO
WAIT AND WATCH.
>> NOT TO BE REDUNDANT, BUT HOW
IS THE RIPPLE AFFECT FROM
CLIMATE CHANGE?
CLIMATE CHANGE? WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THAT I
MENTIONED, HOW IS THAT AFFECTING
FOLKS ON THE FRONT LINES SUCH AS
YOURSELF?
YOURSELF? >> IT AFFECTS ALL OF US.
IT
IT IT AFFECTS US BECAUSE WE’RE IN
THE WATER.
THE WATER. IT AFFECTS THE FISHERMEN.
IT AFFECTS SHRIMPERS.
IT AFFECTS THE PERSON RUNNING A
HOTEL.
HOTEL. IT AFFECTS RESTAURANTS.
IT’S NOT JUST HERE ON THE COAST.
YOU CAN SEE IT HAPPENING UP THE
WATERSHED AS WELL.
ALL THAT WATER IS AFFECTED
BUSINESSES AND HOMES AND
FAMILIES AND FARMERS.
>> IS THERE ANY QUESTION IN YOUR
MIND AT ALL THAT WHAT WE’RE
SEEING HERE IS THE RESULT OF
CLIMATE CHANGE?
CLIMATE CHANGE? >> THERE’S NO QUESTION AT ALL.
WHEN YOU HAD THREE FLOODS FROM
2011, 2016 AND 2019 AND FROM 200
2000200
2000200 2005 $2 BILLION IN DAMAGE, IT’S
NO DOUBT THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS
VERY REAL.
VERY REAL. >> WE HEARD THE INTERVIEW WITH
FARMERS.
FARMERS. WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE NOT IN THE
REGION?
REGION? ARE RESIDENTS FARTHER AWAY
AFFECTED IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY?
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
CERTAINLY.
CERTAINLY. YOU HEARD FROM ONE OF THE PEOPLE
AFFECTED.
AFFECTED. SHE’S AN OYSTER FARMER.
I’M IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA.
YOU CAN SEE THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER.
RIVER. IT BEGINS WHEN YOU HAVE RECORD
LEVELS OF RAIN, RECORD LEVELS OF
FLOODING.
FLOODING. IT FLOWS SOUTH TOWARDS NEW
ORLEANS.
ORLEANS. TO PROTECT THESE CITIES, THEY
OPEN SPILLWAYS.
OPEN SPILLWAYS. THEY HAVE THE FRESH WATER WHICH
ISN’T FRESH.
ISN’T FRESH. IT’S FULL OF FERTILIZER, INSECT
INSECTICIDE
INSECTICIDE INSECTICIDES.
INSECTICIDES. IT SEEPS INTO THE GULF COAST.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE THAT, IT GOES
IN, ALL OF THOSE SEA LIFE THAT
RELIES ON SALTY WATER, THEY GET
THE FRESH WATER.
THEY GET SORES, LESIONS,
INFECTIONS.
INFECTIONS. THE WATER IS WARMER AND WE HAVE
ALGAE BLOOMS.
ALGAE BLOOMS. ALL THOSE FOLKS, WHEN THEY HAD
THE INFLUX OF THE SO-CALLED
FRESH WATER, THEY LOST 90% OF
THEIR OYSTERS.
THEIR OYSTERS. PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEIR LIVELIHOOD
OFF THE WATER -- I SPOKE TO A
RIVER BOAT CAPTAIN WHO IS A
THIRD GENERATION.
THIRD GENERATION. HE TELLS HIS SONS, DON’T GET IN
THE BUSINESS.
THE BUSINESS. PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO ENJOY THE
WATER BECAUSE THEY HAVE LESIONS
AND ALGAE BLOOMS.
IT’S ROUGH.
IT’S ROUGH. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE
MISSISSIPPI, YOU HAVE TO THINK
ABOUT THE LENGTH AND THE ENTIRE
RIVER SHED COULD HAVERRIDOR.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE AN ENORMOUS
STANDARD FOR THOSE CREATURES
TRYING TO SURVIVE IN THE SEA.
WHAT ARE THOSE COMMUNITIES AND
THOSE PEOPLE DOING TO TRY TO
FIGHT THESE EXTREME WEATHER
EVENTS?
EVENTS? IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY BIG BATTLE
TO FIGHT.
TO FIGHT. WE KNOW THESE START WITH LITTLE
THINGS.
THINGS. >> YOU WOULD IMAGINE THERE WOULD
BE MORE OF A BATTLE THAN WE ARE
SEEING.
SEEING. WE ARE HERE IN MISSISSIPPI.
MANY FOLKS AREN’T ACKNOWLEDGING
CLIMATE CHANGE IS A THING.
WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO THE
BACKWOOD AREA, THE DELTA,
THERE’S A DEBATE OVER ADDING
THESE MASSIVE PUMPS THAT MIGHT
GET SOME OF THE WATER OUT OF THE
FARMLAND.
FARMLAND. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN YOU ONLY
ALLEVIATE 25% OF THE FLOODING.
THE BIG ISSUE IS PEOPLE ARE
LIVING IN PLACES WHERE WE
PROBABLY SHOULDN’T BE LIVING.
BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE DELTA AND
THIS IS THE RIVER SHED AREA,
IT’S LUSH, REALLY FERTILE LAND.
RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO.
PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO PUT
PRESSURE ON POLITICIANS, NOT
ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE CLIMATE CHANGE
IS A THING, BUT ULTIMATELY DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AS OF RIGHT NOW, THERE’S NOT
MUCH FOLKS CAN DO WHEN YOU HAVE
THESE ONCE IN A LIFETIME FLOODS
HAPPENING AS THE MAYOR OF
GREENVILLE SAID EVERY FEW YEARS.
>> I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT
LEAVES PEOPLE FEELING DEFEATED.
IF WE’RE NOT ADDRESSING THE
PROBLEM, IF PEOPLE AREN’T TAKING
STEPS TO CORRECT IT, ARE PEOPLE
JUST -- YOU REFERENCED ONE MAN
WHO SAID TO HIS SON, DON’T
BOTHER GETTING INTO THE
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. DO PEOPLE THERE FEEL LIKE THEY
DON’T HAVE MUCH HOPE FOR A
FUTURE?
FUTURE? >> IF NOTHING CHANGES, FOLKS SAY
THE WORST IS YET TO COME.
PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO LISTEN.
IT’S AFFECTING POCKETBOOKS.
WHEN THEY DON’T TRUST EATING THE
SEAFOOD, YOU HAVE DOLPHINS
FLOATING AROUND, NO ONE WANTS TO
BRING THEIR CHILD TO THE RIVER
AND SEE THAT.
PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO LISTEN.
IF WE DON’T DO SOMETHING SOON TO
ADDRESS THIS, IT’S ONLY GETTING
WORSE.
WORSE. AS OUR ENVIRONMENT GETS WARMER
AND THE CLIMATE GETS HOTTER,
MORE RAIN, MORTARE TORRENTIAL
DOWNPOURS.
DOWNPOURS. >> THANKS.