> For what it's worth, New Orleans is a historic city with a rich culture.
Nobody wants to lose New Orleans. It's a great city. But the problem is accurately summed up by the OP: "How much can places where millions of people live be fortified? At what cost? And who pays for it?"
The only good news is that the Port of South Louisiana is the biggest and arguably most important port in the Western Hemisphere (and that's without even taking into account the Port of New Orleans or the Port of Baton Rouge, both in the top 10). There is enormous nationwide economic and geopolitical incentive to protect the city. The bad news is that New Orleans would be sinking even without rising sea levels.
Not sure where you’re getting your port numbers from, but you must be referring to something non-standard. Neither of those are top 10 and definitely not even remotely as important as the west coast ports or NJ. See [1].
Looking at it again the source that I was citing is from 2004, which predates Katrina. Looks like it still hasn't bounced back in terms of tonnage passing through the port. But in terms of importance New Orleans isn't diminished; a deepwater port at the mouth of what is by far the country's most significant watershed is always going to be a strategic lynchpin. The entire midwest would be diminished without New Orleans.
Nobody wants to lose New Orleans. It's a great city. But the problem is accurately summed up by the OP: "How much can places where millions of people live be fortified? At what cost? And who pays for it?"
The only good news is that the Port of South Louisiana is the biggest and arguably most important port in the Western Hemisphere (and that's without even taking into account the Port of New Orleans or the Port of Baton Rouge, both in the top 10). There is enormous nationwide economic and geopolitical incentive to protect the city. The bad news is that New Orleans would be sinking even without rising sea levels.