Facing Catastrophe
Environmental Action for a Post-Katrina World
In his new book, Facing Catastrophe: Environmental Action for a Post-Katrina World, former CPR Member Scholar Robert R.M. Verchick argues for a new perspective on disaster law that is based on the principles of environmental protection. His prescription b
oils 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.
Verchick researched and wrote Facing Catastrophe while a member of CPR. He took a leave from the organization in 2009 to join the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Read op-eds by Rob Verchick on disaster preparedness and planning: "In Making Disaster Plans, We Have to Imagine the Worst Case," in the April 28, 2011 New Orleans Times-Picayune, and "Recovery in Japan: Will it be Heavy-handed or Hands-off?," in the April 13, 2011 Christian Science Monitor.
- Read an online chat between author Rob Verchick blogger Andrew Revkin on The New York Times' Dot Earth blog.
- Buy the book on Amazon.com.
- Buy the book from the publisher, Harvard University Press.
- Read Verchick’s and his then-CPR colleagues’ work on Hurricane Katrina.
- Read a review of Facing Catastrophe on the World Policy Blog.
