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Catastrophe in the Making : The Engineering of Katrina and the Disasters of Tomorrow.

Freudenburg, William R.

Catastrophe in the Making : The Engineering of Katrina and the Disasters of Tomorrow. - 1st ed. - 1 online resource (222 pages)

Intro -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- Prologue: The First Days of Katrina -- Chapter 1: A Mighty Storm Hits the Shore -- Chapter 2: The Setting -- Chapter 3: Slicing Through the Swamps -- Chapter 4: The Growth Machine Comes to New Orleans -- Chapter 5: A "Helpful Explosion -- Chapter 6: The Collapse of Engineered Systems -- Chapter 7: The Loss of Natural Defenses -- Chapter 8: Critical for Economical Survival? -- Chapter 9: The Axe in the Attic -- Chapter 10: The End of an Error? -- Endnotes -- References -- Acknowledgments -- Index.

Based on the false promise of widespread prosperity, communities across the U.S. have embraced all brands of "economic development" at all costs. In Louisiana, that meant development interests turning wetlands into shipping lanes. By replacing a natural buffer against storm surges with a 75-mile long, obsolete canal that cost hundreds of millions of dollars, they guided the hurricane into the heart of New Orleans and adjacent communities. The authors reveal why, despite their geographic differences, California and Missouri are building--quite literally--toward similar destruction. Too often, the U.S. "growth machine" generates wealth for a few and misery for many. Drawing lessons from the most expensive "natural" disaster in American history, Catastrophe in the Making shows why thoughtless development comes at a price we can ill afford.

9781610911566


Economic development - Environmental aspects - Louisiana - New Orleans.


Electronic books.

HV636

363.34/9220976090511

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