This morning’s Raleigh News and Observer offered an opinion piece co-authored by Prof. Rob Young of Western Carolina University and Prof. Orin Pilkey of Duke University. Longtime CJ online readers and Shaftesbury luncheon attendees will  recall that Professor Young  visited the John Locke Foundation’s offices back in 2008, to deliver a talk to our Shaftesbury Society luncheon. Young is Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at WCU, and co-author of an op-ed in today’s Raleigh News and Observer. Pilkey is James B. Duke Professor Emeritus from Duke’s Division of Earth and Ocean Science.

This morning’s op-ed is a refutation of the the wisdom and science behind SB 110, “which would allow the construction of groins along the North Carolina shore.” The authors argue that scientific evidence does not support the claims of  coastal engineers  — who sell terminal groin designs— that the benefits to a few property owners do not cause down-island harm to others.
The prognosis for possible harms, including the continued need for substantial beach renourishment despite the presence of these coastal structures, is the same now as it was when Prof. Young spoke to us in 2008. The follow-up interview from that visit can be found here. corrected