Facing Catastrophe

by Verchick, Robert R. M.

• ISBN13: 9780674064256
• ISBN10: 0674064259
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-04-02
• Publisher: Harvard Univ Pr

Summary

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 commands: 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.

Author Biography

Robert R. M. Verchick is Gauthier-St. Martin Professor of Environmental Law at Loyola University New Orleans.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Go Green
Natural Infrastructure	p. 11
Our Incredible Shrinking Infrastructure	p. 25
System Failures and Fairness Deficits	p. 43
Tending Our Gardens	p. 61
Be Fair
Backwater Blues	p. 105
Disaster Justice	p. 128
Winds of Change	p. 165
Keep Safe
Precaution and Social Welfare	p. 195
Mapping Katrina	p. 223
Planning Our Futures	p. 236
Conclusion	p. 251
Notes	p. 257
Index	p. 307
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.