Dueling videos: the battle over the Malibu lagoon restoration project

 

When I was an MS student at CSUN in Los Angeles, I used to take undergrad classes on field trips to Malibu Lagoon to see and sample the marsh and lagoon habitats there. They are pathetically small and are just about all that remains of Southern California’s coastal wetlands. But there isn’t much else left in the sprawling urban area:

There is a plan to start a major restoration project in June that will increase flow through the lagoon, ideally flushing out nutrients and reducing pools of stagnant water. This project has been in the works for years and is supported by most NGOs and scientists. But now a bitter local controversy has erupted over the states plans to “fix” the lagoon. Get the whole story (as told by pro-restoration film-maker / scientist Randy Olsen) here.

First up, a heartfelt video from the local group opposing the restoration project.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJTMj03wFus[/youtube]

Next, representing the defense, a video produced by Randy Olson of shiftingbaselines.org outlining the science and why the lagoon needs some help.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fede_M_TBKI[/youtube]

 

What do you think?


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One response to “Dueling videos: the battle over the Malibu lagoon restoration project”

  1. Having never heard anything about this issue prior to these videos, it seems clear to me that the second video has considerably more weight. I am no expert on these matters, but am inclined to trust at least some of the various organisations supporting the restoration project. The first video had a single biologist warning of danger. The second had a range of experts discussing the issue with considerably more detail.

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