And will the Media report this fact?
Times Picayune reports a new yearlong study which reviewed "elevation data captured by LIDAR, a precise light imaging detection technology" found half of New Orleans is NOT below sea level....
"Contrary to popular perceptions, half of New Orleans is at or above sea level," according to the study by Tulane and Xavier universities' Center for Bioenvironmental Research.
SNIP
"Innumerable media reports following Hurricane Katrina described the topography of New Orleans as unconditionally below sea level," the study notes. "This oversimplification is inaccurate by half, and its frequent repetition does a great disservice to the city."
It's good to see this reported in the newspaper and it would be nice if the national media picked it up (I'm not holding my breath)...but, once again, a story like this also points to the power of the blogosphere, specifically S. D. Fair of the Third Battle of New Orleans just over a year ago:
Part I
http://thethirdbattleofneworleans.blogspot.com/2006/03/if-you-tell-lie-big-enough-and-keep_19.html
Part II
http://thethirdbattleofneworleans.blogspot.com/2006/04/if-you-tell-lie-big-enough-and-keep.html
And, I'm not that big a fan of John F. Kennedy (won't go into details here), but there's a quote of his about lies and myths...ok, found it...I think it applies here:
"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie deliberate, contrived and dishonest but the myth persistent, persuasive and unrealistic."
Posted by: Michael | April 21, 2007 at 12:27