CNN Opinion: When will we ever learn the lessons of hurricanes?
Posted by
Robbi on 8/31/2011, 1:05 pm
CNN Opinion piece as Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast:
"Editor's note: Orrin Pilkey is the James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Earth Science at Duke University. His latest co-authored books are "Global Climate Change: A Primer" (Duke) and "The World's Beaches" (University of California Press).
...Unfortunately some people will die. State emergency officials on the North Carolina Outer Banks efficiently evacuate tourists, but local, year round people often stay. The refrain is that "we've been through this before."......
Recognizing the futility (and stupidity) of rebuilding in very dangerous places, the states of North Carolina and South Carolina both instituted policies of not allowing buildings in beach communities to be replaced if destroyed by storms. Property owners went to court, important people were offended, politicians got into the mix and the approach did not work in either state......
After Hurricane Irene the time may come to take a deep breath and in this era of tight budgets, ask why are we bailing these people out once again? Those who study global change argue that more intense storms are on the way along with a rising sea level. No better time than now to come to our senses........."
http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/08/26/hurricane.coastal.building/index.html?hpt=op_r1 |
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CNN Opinion: When will we ever learn the lessons of hurricanes? - Robbi, 8/31/2011, 1:05 pm Post A Reply
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