Facing Catastrophe: Environmental Action for a Post-Katrina World

by Rob Verchick

As Hurricane Katrina vividly revealed, disaster policy in the United States is broken and needs reform. What can we learn from past disasters―storms, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and wildfires―about preparing for and responding to future catastrophes? How can these lessons be applied in a future threatened by climate change? In this bold contribution to environmental law, Robert Verchick argues for a new perspective on disaster law that is based on the principles of environmental protection. His prescription boils down to three simple Go Green, Be Fair, and Keep Safe. “Going green” means minimizing exposure to hazards by preserving natural buffers and integrating those buffers into artificial systems like levees or seawalls. “Being fair” means looking after public health, safety, and the environment without increasing personal and social vulnerabilities. “Keeping safe” means a more cautionary approach when confronting disaster risks. Verchick argues that government must assume a stronger regulatory role in managing natural infrastructure, distributional fairness, and public risk. He proposes changes to the federal statutes governing environmental impact assessments, wetlands development, air emissions, and flood control, among others. Making a strong case for more transparent governmental decision-making, Verchick offers a new vision of disaster law for the next generation.

336 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2010

About the author

I'm a climate law scholar who designed climate-resilience policies in the Obama administration. I teach at Loyola University New Orleans, where I hold an endowed chair, and also at Tulane. Through my work at the Center for Progressive Reform, I work with other scholars to help communities become more resilient and just. I host the podcast "Connect the Dots" too. It's super cool.

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the ongoing crisis caused by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Robert R.M. Verchick’s new book, “Facing Catastrophe - Environmental Action in the Post-Katrina World” has much to offer. Through a well laid out discussion of dozens of studies of the many varied catastrophes which have occurred through out the world - from the devastating Asian Tsunami to the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and of course, the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Verchick’s excellent book helps to clarify why damage is frequently so extreme, and why so many lives are often lost.

With the world seemingly coming apart at the seams in recent years, with volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and even the human caused Gulf Oil Spill, to name just a few, “Facing Catastrophe..” is a great read! Verchick’s non-fiction book is an extremely well written analysis of the dozens of ‘whys’, the societal failures which occurred and exacerbated the devastation, and the laying out of clear and concise possible solutions to help minimize the devastation unleashed.

I learned much reading Robert R.M. Verchick’s non-fiction book “Facing Catastrophe”. Though I have long suspected that removing both fossil fuels and ores from the earth’s underground had to eventually effect the earth’s stability, Verchick’s fantastic book lays out the evidence. For example, early on in “Facing Catastrophe”, Verchick notes that injecting fluid into deep wells for waste disposal has caused earthquakes in both Canada and the United States, including a 5.5 earthquake near Denver.

From discussions of shoreline protection, and the growing lack thereof, as well as governmental policies created to deal with possible polluters and their sometimes negative effects, amongst the many other issues discussed, Robert R.M. Verchick’s “Facing Catastrophe - Environmental Action in the Post-Katrina World” is a MUST READ for anyone living on planet earth today!!

I received this book for free to review from the author and the GoodReads website. I am a member of Goodreads, Librarything, BookDivas and the Penguin book club. DBettenson