Louisiana's wetlands are priceless. This team is calculating what they're worth to the climate.

Louisiana has more than three million acres of wetlands, vast expanses that teem with animals, trees, swamps, water and wildness. They're part of the state's culture, its lifestyle, its tourism industry and its sense of itself. Many residents and visitors see them as priceless. But one group is trying to show how much value they really have to our planet's future. The Water Institute, a Louisiana-based nonprofit research organization, is studying the wetlands' capacity to store "blue carbon," which is industry lingo for the carbon dioxide captured in coastal areas' vegetation and soil. More here.