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Loyola professor says new airport terminal could be doomed because of climate change

'I wrote the piece as a thought experiment to generate conversation,' he says

KENNER- Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Michael. Just two of the most damaging hurricanes within the past two hurricane seasons to bypass the New Orleans area.

Loyola Professor Christopher Schaberg says we've been lucky, but worries about our luck running out.

"A reader on Twitter said, 'Yes, I think about this every time I fly into New Orleans. How long am I going to be able to appreciate this brand new airport?" ​​​​​​

Schaberg is the author of "The End of Airports," but it's his article recently published in The Atlantic that's raising eyebrows.

Headlined "A World Class Airport for the End of the World," Schaberg discusses the future facility and why it could be doomed from the start if the State doesn't adequately prepare for climate change.

"I looked a little bit into the story and looking at when this airport opened in 1947 and a year later, it was closed down by the Fort Lauderdale Hurricane of that next year. And I found myself thinking, wow. We're going to have this brand new beautiful airport. And we also know next year there could be the next Isaac, Gordon, Katrina. We don't know and that's just an interesting dilemma to think about," Schaberg said.

The airport was expected to open next February, but the project has been pushed back to May because of a faulty sewer line. The project, which will cost almost $1 billion will provide nearly 8,000 spaces to park and food options like Chick-Fil-A and Shake Shack. ​​Schaberg says from an ecological perspective, the site is already doomed.

"There's this conundrum that all sorts of builders face here, which is that the soil shifts around. And we find ways to work around it. But it's this constant problem. And so when you're dealing with this problem on this scale, the risks increase," Schaberg said. " I really wrote this piece as a thought experiment. To generate conversation. This is a topic we don't know how to talk about. We're not good at talking about it. So, I hope the pieces would generate conversation about this as we look to the future."

Schaberg says he has nothing against building the new airport. He says he wants everyone to just begin thinking about climate change moving forward.

"I mean you could argue about, could that billions of dollars, could it be spent on the pumps or other infrastructure, or city projects. We can debate about that. But I don't think it's out of hand a bad decision.

Eyewitness News reached out to the airport, but they did not comment.

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