Louisiana’s shrinking coastline is causing headaches for the oil industry in that state, as an eroding coast and rising sea waters are threatening oil infrastructure. The coastline is disappearing at a rate of approximately 20 square miles per year, which could mean that more than 610 miles of pipeline could be exposed over a period of 25 years. The loss of the coastline and the swamps and islands along the gulf also increase the risk of flooding further inland. So far, from 1932 to 2010, Louisiana has lost approximately 1,880 square miles of land due to the eroding coastline. And while that seems slow, that’s more than four times the size of Hong Kong, and roughly equivalent to the entire land mass within the state of Delaware. The state has plans to address the issue, but currently finds itself facing a $2 billion deficit, which means that energy companies […]