Policy Paved the Way

This is not a good time to discuss climate change. It’s a great time to discuss it. It was no secret that Houston was facing stronger and more frequent storms. But, like many regions, overbuilding and a lack of government oversight meant that the area’s defenses diminished as the threat grew. Houston paved over its drain. Denying climate change is a political decision. Increasing flood risks by overbuilding is a political decision. Everything is political. Just a few months ago, the Texas Tribune and ProPublica teamed up to report on why Houston was in so much danger of exactly what we’re seeing occur. Boomtown, Flood Town: “As millions have flocked to the metropolitan area in recent decades, local officials have largely snubbed stricter building regulations, allowing developers to pave over crucial acres of prairie land that once absorbed huge amounts of rainwater. That has led to an excess of floodwater during storms that chokes the city’s vast bayou network, drainage systems and two huge federally owned reservoirs, endangering many nearby homes.”

+ Poynter: These journalists forecasted catastrophe in Houston. Now, they’re reporting on its aftermath.

+ “Although preventing damage is widely considered to be cheaper than mopping up after the fact, congressional accounting creates incentives to spend money exactly the opposite way.” Politico Magazine: Why America Still Hasn’t Learned the Lessons of Katrina.

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