#MASTODONTE NEW ORLEANS INSTALL#

Within 24 hours, I was in contact.” Green infrastructure refers to stormwater management systems that mimic nature by soaking up and storing stormwater, such as rain gardens, permeable pavement, and green roofs. “I didn’t even really know what that was, but I emailed them anyway. Research from Media Matters for America found that as of 2018, only 1 in 5 climate news articles even mentioned solutions.ĭuring Condor’s research, she stumbled upon one of the leading solutions for property ﬂooding- green infrastructure. A study from Pew Research found that 4 in 5 people are now willing to make changes to how they live in order to reduce the effects of global climate change.Ĭitizens in some of the world’s most vulnerable cities, such as New Orleans, want to be part of the solution, but many don’t know where to start. “I’m always trying to stay informed on sustainable living, to preserve my parents and grandparents’ home.”Ĭondor’s aim for personal action against the environmental crisis is becoming increasingly more prevalent nationwide. She routinely researches ﬂooding and standing water solutions, to assist herself where policymakers won’t. Since the catastrophe of these hurricanes, Condor has made it her mission to sustain her family’s intergenerational home. I’ve been on this list for years, and I ain’t seen a dime. “They (the City) put you on this list to get money back after a ﬂood. Even now, after routine ﬂooding, the need for monetary compensation often goes unmet.

It was a time of peril, and the city’s response was deemed inadequate at the individual level. The Lower Ninth Ward was classiﬁed as a low-risk ﬂood zone the year that Hurricane Katrina hit, leaving many residents without ﬂood insurance. Nowhere else had 26 feet of water,” says Condor.” The costliest storm to ever hit the United States, Hurricane Katrina completely uprooted the historically Black community. “We had 26 feet of water in this area alone. The devastation of the Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina was nothing short of catastrophic. But one local resident tapped into her optimism and became part of the solution. With rising sea levels, increased storm surges, and a disappearing coast, the outlook seems dire. Photos over lunch at Commander’s Palace by Jill Lafleur.Time is running out to address climate change, and New Orleans is no exception.

#MASTODONTE NEW ORLEANS INSTALL#

They design and install French drains, ponds, rain gardens, water features, rain barrels, and water retention systems. Mastodontoe won two awards at Propeller’s 2019 Pitch NOLA competition. They won in the Water Challenge division – for businesses involving water management – and they also won the Audience Favorite award. Jon Renthrope is CEO and Brewmaster at Cajun Fire Brewing. Cajun Fire Brewing is one of 6,500 craft beer breweries in the US. Of those 6,500 breweries, only seven, or 0.1%, have African American ownership. Cajun Fire Brewing is one of that very small number.Īrien Hall is co-founder and co-owner of Mastodonte – a stormwater management company and a construction company. On this edition of Out to Lunch, Andrea introduces two winners of the 2019 Propeller business pitch competition, Pitch NOLA. These areas, they say, have both “significant inequities, and proven market opportunities for local entrepreneurs to implement solutions.”Īndrea Chen is Executive Director of Propeller. That’s why, in 2009, an incubator and business accelerator calling itself Propeller started up here in New Orleans. Propeller is designed to help small businesses and non-profits in the areas of community economic development, food, water, health, and education. And, despite the best of intentions, the outcome of that competition is not always without bias, or solely merit-based. They may even introduce you to investors. But, like being admitted to a good college, getting accepted into an incubator can be competitive. If you’re starting out in business, or you’re at an early stage of development, an incubator will help you with your business plan, your strategy for growth, and other guidance.

Mastodonte new orleans