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After Harvey, Questions About Who Takes The Lead On Rebuilding

Gaston Kirby, left, is helped by friend Juan Minutella after gathering the last of his belongings from his flooded home in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Monday, Sept. 4, 2017 in Houston. (David J. Phillip/AP)
Gaston Kirby, left, is helped by friend Juan Minutella after gathering the last of his belongings from his flooded home in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Monday, Sept. 4, 2017 in Houston. (David J. Phillip/AP)

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, calls for a green ‘New Deal’ to brace the nation for natural disasters ahead.

Hurricane Harvey’s barely moved out and massive Irma is moving in from the Atlantic. In the West, wildfires are raging all over the place – 80 at last count, including the biggest ever in LA. Many hearts were warmed by scenes of Houstonians rescuing one another with motor boats and monster trucks. But now it’s bigger questions on deck. Like how many federal billions will it take for recovery. And do we need a “green New Deal” to survive this century. This hour, On Point: is it time for a green New Deal? –Tom Ashbrook.

Guests

Dianna Hunt, Metro Editor for the Houston Chronicle. ( @DiannaHunt

Rebecca Elliott, Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics. Author of the forthcoming book, “Underwater: Floods and the Governance of Climate Change Risk in the United States.” ( @RebsFE)

William McKenzie, Editorial Director for the George W. Bush Institute at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Former editorial columnist for The Dallas Morning News. ( @Bill_McKenzie)

From Tom’s reading List

The New York Times: In Hurricane Harvey’s Wake, We Need a Green ‘New Deal’ — “We should plan recovery and rebuilding projects that address local poverty and exclusion, rather than line the pockets of developers. We should commit expenditures to the kinds of projects that mitigate climate change, like clean energy and public transportation. And we should strengthen our safety nets so that when the next storm’s victims are picking up the pieces, they are not also worried about job insecurity, rising health care costs and precarious retirements.”

CBS News: Health Official Spreads The Word About Health Risks After Harvey — “Dr. Umair Shah is making the rounds in the flooded areas of Houston. As the Harris County Public Health director, he’s warning residents about the risks they face while cleaning up their homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller. ‘The enemy of this is mold and mold loves moisture,’ Shah said.”

The New York Times: In Texas, Distrust of Washington Collides With Need for Federal Aid — “Now, though, it is Texas Republicans who will be crucial in securing, and helping to coordinate, what is likely to be one of the most ambitious and costly federal disaster-relief packages in American history, one that will almost certainly run to tens of billions of dollars. There are few doubts that a Republican-dominated Congress will end up delivering aid to a battered state and key base of Republican power. But along with an outpouring of support, the process is raising eyebrows and drawing charges of hypocrisy.”

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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