As natural gas expands in Gulf, residents fear rising damage

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ and MARTHA IRVINE
Associated Press

LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana (AP) — There are neighborhoods in Southwest Louisiana that have endured seven federally declared disasters in just two years. Those storms are increasingly amped up by climate change, which is fueled by growing emissions. Those emissions come from burning coal, oil and natural gas, and from leaks and deliberate releases of natural gas. Yet these same storm-prone neighborhoods are near a buildout of new plants that supercool natural gas for export. The region provides a contrast between the need to phase out fossil fuels to address climate change and the world’s growing demand for natural gas.