Short Wave SCOOP: There's A Dirt Shortage
May 12, 2021
Lauren Sommer, NPR climate correspondent and expert on climate change impacts, discusses the surprising value of dirt in coastal protection. She highlights the increasing demand for mud and dirt to combat rising sea levels. Sommer reveals the irony of a federal agency disposing of usable dirt rather than reusing it for restoration projects. The importance of marshes in flood management is also emphasized, along with the ecological role of sediment that is often overlooked in urban planning.
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Dirt Broker
- Lauren Sommer interviewed Pat Mapelli, a land use manager for Granite Rock.
- He helps connect projects needing dirt with those wanting to get rid of it, like construction sites.
Dirt vs. Mud
- Dirt is soil from land, ideal for levees, while mud (or sediment) is dirt and water, crucial for marshes.
- Coastal cities need both to combat rising sea levels.
Marshes as Protection
- Marshes act like natural levees, absorbing waves and reducing flood risk.
- They require continuous mud replenishment, unlike static levees.