Hugh Pemberton, Pat Thane, and Noel Whiteside (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263853
- eISBN:
- 9780191734281
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263853.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
British pensions are in crisis. Yet in all the discussion of what exactly the crisis consists of, and how it might be addressed, attention to the history of how the crisis has come about is ...
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British pensions are in crisis. Yet in all the discussion of what exactly the crisis consists of, and how it might be addressed, attention to the history of how the crisis has come about is surprisingly lacking. History has much to tell us about how pensions have developed in Britain, how that development has shaped the crisis that we now face, and how decisions taken in the past constrain our options for the future. In this book, leading experts on the past and present of pensions in Britain debate the present crisis, and the lessons of history for those seeking to craft solutions to it that are both effective and enduring. The volume also contains a number of chapters that draw important lessons from the experience of European and North American countries over the past few decades. The book contains reactions to the second report of the Pensions Commission and the government's response to it.Less
British pensions are in crisis. Yet in all the discussion of what exactly the crisis consists of, and how it might be addressed, attention to the history of how the crisis has come about is surprisingly lacking. History has much to tell us about how pensions have developed in Britain, how that development has shaped the crisis that we now face, and how decisions taken in the past constrain our options for the future. In this book, leading experts on the past and present of pensions in Britain debate the present crisis, and the lessons of history for those seeking to craft solutions to it that are both effective and enduring. The volume also contains a number of chapters that draw important lessons from the experience of European and North American countries over the past few decades. The book contains reactions to the second report of the Pensions Commission and the government's response to it.
Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814799932
- eISBN:
- 9780814763841
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814799932.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it ...
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When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it came to government assistance. This book places the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the past eight decades. It compares and contrasts how the government responded to emergencies, including environmental and public health emergencies, toxic contamination, industrial accidents, and bioterrorism threats and show that African Americans are disproportionately affected. It argues that uncovering and eliminating disparate disaster response can mean the difference between life and death for those most vulnerable in disastrous times.Less
When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it came to government assistance. This book places the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the past eight decades. It compares and contrasts how the government responded to emergencies, including environmental and public health emergencies, toxic contamination, industrial accidents, and bioterrorism threats and show that African Americans are disproportionately affected. It argues that uncovering and eliminating disparate disaster response can mean the difference between life and death for those most vulnerable in disastrous times.
Aderibigbe S. Olomola
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198718574
- eISBN:
- 9780191788017
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198718574.003.0013
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
The food crisis of 2008 in Nigeria was influenced by price changes in the world market and the escalation of the price of imported fuel into Nigeria which led to sharp increases in the prices of ...
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The food crisis of 2008 in Nigeria was influenced by price changes in the world market and the escalation of the price of imported fuel into Nigeria which led to sharp increases in the prices of agricultural inputs and transportation cost. The soaring prices of food staples benefited the producers whereas there was a worsening of malnutrition among the poor. To cushion the effects within the short-term, the government released grains from the reserve, ordered the import of half a million tonnes of rice to be sold at a subsidized rate and suspended the tariff on rice imports. The short-term price reduction could not be sustained, however, due to food supply shortages, weakness of the Nigerian currency, and the poor implementation of projects.Less
The food crisis of 2008 in Nigeria was influenced by price changes in the world market and the escalation of the price of imported fuel into Nigeria which led to sharp increases in the prices of agricultural inputs and transportation cost. The soaring prices of food staples benefited the producers whereas there was a worsening of malnutrition among the poor. To cushion the effects within the short-term, the government released grains from the reserve, ordered the import of half a million tonnes of rice to be sold at a subsidized rate and suspended the tariff on rice imports. The short-term price reduction could not be sustained, however, due to food supply shortages, weakness of the Nigerian currency, and the poor implementation of projects.
Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814799932
- eISBN:
- 9780814763841
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814799932.003.0005
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
This chapter examines the government's response to toxic contamination in African American communities and the health consequences for the residents of those communities. It begins with an overview ...
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This chapter examines the government's response to toxic contamination in African American communities and the health consequences for the residents of those communities. It begins with an overview of the federal Superfund program, created in 1980 when Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), which allowed the federal government to respond to releases or potential releases of hazardous wastes that might harm people or the environment. It then considers the legacy of unequal protection in the Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement of its Superfund laws, increasing the risk for African Americans and other communities of color. It also presents case studies that highlight environmental racism and slow government response to disasters that threaten the health and welfare of African Americans in the Deep South.Less
This chapter examines the government's response to toxic contamination in African American communities and the health consequences for the residents of those communities. It begins with an overview of the federal Superfund program, created in 1980 when Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), which allowed the federal government to respond to releases or potential releases of hazardous wastes that might harm people or the environment. It then considers the legacy of unequal protection in the Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement of its Superfund laws, increasing the risk for African Americans and other communities of color. It also presents case studies that highlight environmental racism and slow government response to disasters that threaten the health and welfare of African Americans in the Deep South.
Karen J. Cullen
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748638871
- eISBN:
- 9780748653508
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748638871.003.0004
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Scottish Studies
This chapter focuses on the ways in which adverse weather conditions impacted upon the supply and price of grain. The famine was described by Smout as ‘a terrible instance of the vulnerability of a ...
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This chapter focuses on the ways in which adverse weather conditions impacted upon the supply and price of grain. The famine was described by Smout as ‘a terrible instance of the vulnerability of a primitive economy to bad weather’, and some of the ways in which the economy, and particularly the grain market, responded to these adverse conditions and grain shortage are explored. The central government's ability to implement adequate famine relief measures, particularly during this period of economic difficulty, is a further determinant of the severity of the famine. The wider impact of the other ‘disasters’ of the 1690s clearly not only limited the government's ability to provide financial relief, but also town councils, kirk sessions and some landowners may have found their income reduced due to the convergence of a number of economic crises which further limited the amount of specie circulating in the country. The chapter considers some of the influences of foreign markets upon the Scottish economy.Less
This chapter focuses on the ways in which adverse weather conditions impacted upon the supply and price of grain. The famine was described by Smout as ‘a terrible instance of the vulnerability of a primitive economy to bad weather’, and some of the ways in which the economy, and particularly the grain market, responded to these adverse conditions and grain shortage are explored. The central government's ability to implement adequate famine relief measures, particularly during this period of economic difficulty, is a further determinant of the severity of the famine. The wider impact of the other ‘disasters’ of the 1690s clearly not only limited the government's ability to provide financial relief, but also town councils, kirk sessions and some landowners may have found their income reduced due to the convergence of a number of economic crises which further limited the amount of specie circulating in the country. The chapter considers some of the influences of foreign markets upon the Scottish economy.
Selim Raihan
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198718574
- eISBN:
- 9780191788017
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198718574.003.0011
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
Global food price hikes during 2007–8 resulted in a sharp rise in staple food prices in Bangladesh. Poor and marginalized households were particularly vulnerable to such an adverse situation as their ...
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Global food price hikes during 2007–8 resulted in a sharp rise in staple food prices in Bangladesh. Poor and marginalized households were particularly vulnerable to such an adverse situation as their real purchasing power eroded. Studies indicated that the adverse effects of the food price hike in Bangladesh were primarily manifested by the significant rise in the number of households falling below the poverty line income. At the political front, Bangladesh was run by an unelected and undemocratic ‘civil’ caretaker government backed by the military. The caretaker government remained in power until the end of 2008 and undertook several steps to contain price hikes. These measures included cuts in tariffs and taxes, increase in the allocation for subsidies, widening the scope and coverage of the social safety net programmes, public procurement, and distribution programmes, etc. Some of these policies and programmes were effective and some were not.Less
Global food price hikes during 2007–8 resulted in a sharp rise in staple food prices in Bangladesh. Poor and marginalized households were particularly vulnerable to such an adverse situation as their real purchasing power eroded. Studies indicated that the adverse effects of the food price hike in Bangladesh were primarily manifested by the significant rise in the number of households falling below the poverty line income. At the political front, Bangladesh was run by an unelected and undemocratic ‘civil’ caretaker government backed by the military. The caretaker government remained in power until the end of 2008 and undertook several steps to contain price hikes. These measures included cuts in tariffs and taxes, increase in the allocation for subsidies, widening the scope and coverage of the social safety net programmes, public procurement, and distribution programmes, etc. Some of these policies and programmes were effective and some were not.
Danielle Resnick
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198718574
- eISBN:
- 9780191788017
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198718574.003.0014
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
Since independence, Senegal has been highly reliant on international markets to meet its food needs, this tendency has only increased with rapid levels of urbanization in recent decades. Poor ...
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Since independence, Senegal has been highly reliant on international markets to meet its food needs, this tendency has only increased with rapid levels of urbanization in recent decades. Poor domestic cereal harvests prior to 2007 exacerbated this import-dependence during a time of high global food prices, resulting in the cost of rice sky-rocketing. Government response was to suspend customs duties and value added taxes, providing consumer subsidies and other modes of social protection, and launching a high-profile agricultural initiative. This chapter argues that the policies which emerged reflected the confluence of a strong, diverse civil society placing disparate pressures on a government increasingly centralized around the personality and populist impulses of its former president. Senegal remains vulnerable to future food price crises, learning from these policy mistakes should be a key priority for government.Less
Since independence, Senegal has been highly reliant on international markets to meet its food needs, this tendency has only increased with rapid levels of urbanization in recent decades. Poor domestic cereal harvests prior to 2007 exacerbated this import-dependence during a time of high global food prices, resulting in the cost of rice sky-rocketing. Government response was to suspend customs duties and value added taxes, providing consumer subsidies and other modes of social protection, and launching a high-profile agricultural initiative. This chapter argues that the policies which emerged reflected the confluence of a strong, diverse civil society placing disparate pressures on a government increasingly centralized around the personality and populist impulses of its former president. Senegal remains vulnerable to future food price crises, learning from these policy mistakes should be a key priority for government.
Jikun Huang, Jun Yang, and Scott Rozelle
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198718574
- eISBN:
- 9780191788017
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198718574.003.0017
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
The overall goal of this chapter is to analyse the political economy of food price policies in China during the global food crisis. The results show that given China’s unique economic and political ...
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The overall goal of this chapter is to analyse the political economy of food price policies in China during the global food crisis. The results show that given China’s unique economic and political context and the nature of its agricultural markets, the government’s reaction to the crisis was swift and decisive. Responses, which considered the interests of the relevant stakeholders, included both short-term counter-measures that covered a wide range of domestic and border policies as well as long-term policy changes on biofuels and agricultural investment. This, in conjunction with the country’s political system, meant that the decision-making process encountered no problems and that the impacts of policy responses by the government achieved the envisaged objectives.Less
The overall goal of this chapter is to analyse the political economy of food price policies in China during the global food crisis. The results show that given China’s unique economic and political context and the nature of its agricultural markets, the government’s reaction to the crisis was swift and decisive. Responses, which considered the interests of the relevant stakeholders, included both short-term counter-measures that covered a wide range of domestic and border policies as well as long-term policy changes on biofuels and agricultural investment. This, in conjunction with the country’s political system, meant that the decision-making process encountered no problems and that the impacts of policy responses by the government achieved the envisaged objectives.
Christopher B. Strain
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813032399
- eISBN:
- 9780813038919
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813032399.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
This chapter analyzes the government's response to the arsons. The government responded vigorously to allegations of white racists burning black churches in the South. When publicity about the church ...
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This chapter analyzes the government's response to the arsons. The government responded vigorously to allegations of white racists burning black churches in the South. When publicity about the church burnings reached a peak in June 1996, President Clinton created the National Church Arson Task Force.Less
This chapter analyzes the government's response to the arsons. The government responded vigorously to allegations of white racists burning black churches in the South. When publicity about the church burnings reached a peak in June 1996, President Clinton created the National Church Arson Task Force.
Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814799932
- eISBN:
- 9780814763841
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814799932.003.0006
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
This chapter examines how incompetent government response to disasters endangers the health and safety of African Americans by focusing on the case of the town of Dickson in Tennessee. Dickson is the ...
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This chapter examines how incompetent government response to disasters endangers the health and safety of African Americans by focusing on the case of the town of Dickson in Tennessee. Dickson is the poster child for environmental racism: for more than forty years, the town's mostly African American Eno Road community has been used as the dumping ground for garbage and toxic wastes. As a result, Dickson's drinking water supply was poisoned by deadly chemicals from the Scovill-Schrader automotive company that ultimately made local residents sick. This chapter describes the Dickson County landfill and explains how an African American family's wells on their homestead were contaminated. It also shows how the combination of toxic waste, institutional racism, and poisoned water creates a deadly mix for African Americans. Finally, it offers policy recommendations to government and nongovernmental organizations in the wake of the environmental health disaster created by the Dickson County Landfill and government inaction.Less
This chapter examines how incompetent government response to disasters endangers the health and safety of African Americans by focusing on the case of the town of Dickson in Tennessee. Dickson is the poster child for environmental racism: for more than forty years, the town's mostly African American Eno Road community has been used as the dumping ground for garbage and toxic wastes. As a result, Dickson's drinking water supply was poisoned by deadly chemicals from the Scovill-Schrader automotive company that ultimately made local residents sick. This chapter describes the Dickson County landfill and explains how an African American family's wells on their homestead were contaminated. It also shows how the combination of toxic waste, institutional racism, and poisoned water creates a deadly mix for African Americans. Finally, it offers policy recommendations to government and nongovernmental organizations in the wake of the environmental health disaster created by the Dickson County Landfill and government inaction.
Susan Owens
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198294658
- eISBN:
- 9780191802171
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198294658.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
This chapter focuses on two studies, separated by a quarter of a century, in which the Commission took a critical look at institutional structures and the conceptual underpinnings of environmental ...
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This chapter focuses on two studies, separated by a quarter of a century, in which the Commission took a critical look at institutional structures and the conceptual underpinnings of environmental policy. In its fifth report (1976), it advocated a system of integrated pollution control, based on its concept of ‘best practicable environmental option’ (BPEO), to be implemented by a new pollution inspectorate. Though rejected at first, its recommendations had a profound influence on policy over several decades. The Commission’s twenty-third report (2002) proposed a more coherent system of land use and environmental planning, involving Integrated Spatial Strategies. In this case (at a time of planning reform) its ideas had only modest short-term impact and little lasting effect. The processes contributing to these different outcomes, including the changing political and institutional contexts, are carefully examined. Taken together, these cases tell us much about the Commission’s experience when it tried to change the policy frame, and highlight interesting differences in government responses to its reports over time.Less
This chapter focuses on two studies, separated by a quarter of a century, in which the Commission took a critical look at institutional structures and the conceptual underpinnings of environmental policy. In its fifth report (1976), it advocated a system of integrated pollution control, based on its concept of ‘best practicable environmental option’ (BPEO), to be implemented by a new pollution inspectorate. Though rejected at first, its recommendations had a profound influence on policy over several decades. The Commission’s twenty-third report (2002) proposed a more coherent system of land use and environmental planning, involving Integrated Spatial Strategies. In this case (at a time of planning reform) its ideas had only modest short-term impact and little lasting effect. The processes contributing to these different outcomes, including the changing political and institutional contexts, are carefully examined. Taken together, these cases tell us much about the Commission’s experience when it tried to change the policy frame, and highlight interesting differences in government responses to its reports over time.
Susan Owens
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198294658
- eISBN:
- 9780191802171
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198294658.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
This chapter focuses on the ways in which the Commission’s ideas came to have effect, and on the conditions in which they were most or least likely to do so. The Commission had impact, but its ...
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This chapter focuses on the ways in which the Commission’s ideas came to have effect, and on the conditions in which they were most or least likely to do so. The Commission had impact, but its influence is best conceived of in terms of a spectrum or continuum, with rapid responses at one end and long-term conditioning of the policy environment at the other. In between are ‘dormant seeds’, diffuse forms of influence, invisible levers, and changes in the policy frame, all shading into one another along the spectrum and sometimes co-existing. The ‘dogs that didn’t bark’—recommendations that sank without trace—are also considered. This fine-grained analysis draws on the cases considered in Chapters 4 and 5, but also ranges widely across the Commission’s contributions and government responses. Setting its findings within a wider conceptual framework (Chapter 1), and drawing on ideas such as framing, policy learning, and boundary work, it helps to illuminate relations among knowledge, expert advice, and processes of policy evolution.Less
This chapter focuses on the ways in which the Commission’s ideas came to have effect, and on the conditions in which they were most or least likely to do so. The Commission had impact, but its influence is best conceived of in terms of a spectrum or continuum, with rapid responses at one end and long-term conditioning of the policy environment at the other. In between are ‘dormant seeds’, diffuse forms of influence, invisible levers, and changes in the policy frame, all shading into one another along the spectrum and sometimes co-existing. The ‘dogs that didn’t bark’—recommendations that sank without trace—are also considered. This fine-grained analysis draws on the cases considered in Chapters 4 and 5, but also ranges widely across the Commission’s contributions and government responses. Setting its findings within a wider conceptual framework (Chapter 1), and drawing on ideas such as framing, policy learning, and boundary work, it helps to illuminate relations among knowledge, expert advice, and processes of policy evolution.
Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814799932
- eISBN:
- 9780814763841
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814799932.003.0004
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
This chapter examines how Hurricane Katrina exposed the limitation of local, state, and federal government operations to implement an effective emergency preparedness and response plan. It first ...
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This chapter examines how Hurricane Katrina exposed the limitation of local, state, and federal government operations to implement an effective emergency preparedness and response plan. It first considers the post-Katrina reconstruction and rebuilding efforts in New Orleans and the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama Gulf Coast region. It then analyzes the “second disaster” that occurred in New Orleans after Katrina due to racism, classism, elitism, paternalism, and greed. In particular, it describes the “Twenty-Point Plan to Destroy Black New Orleans,” which included the Federal Emergency Management Agency's slow response in getting aid to Katrina survivors, insufficient insurance settlement amounts awarded to African Americans, and discrimination in the application of environmental cleanup standards. The chapter also assesses the impact of the demolition of public housing on New Orleans's African American neighborhoods and concludes by offering a number of policy recommendations that could prevent delays and unfairness in government response to disasters in the future.Less
This chapter examines how Hurricane Katrina exposed the limitation of local, state, and federal government operations to implement an effective emergency preparedness and response plan. It first considers the post-Katrina reconstruction and rebuilding efforts in New Orleans and the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama Gulf Coast region. It then analyzes the “second disaster” that occurred in New Orleans after Katrina due to racism, classism, elitism, paternalism, and greed. In particular, it describes the “Twenty-Point Plan to Destroy Black New Orleans,” which included the Federal Emergency Management Agency's slow response in getting aid to Katrina survivors, insufficient insurance settlement amounts awarded to African Americans, and discrimination in the application of environmental cleanup standards. The chapter also assesses the impact of the demolition of public housing on New Orleans's African American neighborhoods and concludes by offering a number of policy recommendations that could prevent delays and unfairness in government response to disasters in the future.
Ahmed Farouk Ghoneim
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198718574
- eISBN:
- 9780191788017
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198718574.003.0012
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
The study focuses on the period 2004–9 during which Egypt experienced food crisis. The political economy context on how the government responded to the crisis is analysed while pinpointing to what ...
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The study focuses on the period 2004–9 during which Egypt experienced food crisis. The political economy context on how the government responded to the crisis is analysed while pinpointing to what extent there was a pass-through effect from international to domestic prices. The complexity of food price policy issues and their entanglement with poverty, agricultural, and economic policies in Egypt together with the structural aspects of the food subsidy policies are discussed and evaluated from a political economy perspective. Prospects for reform or lack thereof are also analysed in the context of the 25 January 2011 revolution and new political set-up. Dramatic shifts in food prices and their significant impact on many variables implied that countries have been experiencing a new situation where the interaction of economic and social policies need to be altered to face this new challenge.Less
The study focuses on the period 2004–9 during which Egypt experienced food crisis. The political economy context on how the government responded to the crisis is analysed while pinpointing to what extent there was a pass-through effect from international to domestic prices. The complexity of food price policy issues and their entanglement with poverty, agricultural, and economic policies in Egypt together with the structural aspects of the food subsidy policies are discussed and evaluated from a political economy perspective. Prospects for reform or lack thereof are also analysed in the context of the 25 January 2011 revolution and new political set-up. Dramatic shifts in food prices and their significant impact on many variables implied that countries have been experiencing a new situation where the interaction of economic and social policies need to be altered to face this new challenge.
Michael Barkun
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520238053
- eISBN:
- 9780520939721
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520238053.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, it was said that nothing would be the same again. They were aided by the ambiguity of the initial media reports, which ...
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After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, it was said that nothing would be the same again. They were aided by the ambiguity of the initial media reports, which facilitated the rise of a host of urban legends. The sheer scope of the attacks and the dramatic, real-time television coverage created potent apocalyptic imagery. Millennialists began issuing their end-time analyses. The key issue for millenarians was what the attacks meant in terms of history's final trajectory. Conspiracists quickly responded to the attacks, rejecting the conventional explanation that Al Qaeda was responsible. Unintended consequences involve conspiracists and fall into two categories: those that result directly from the attacks themselves, and those which derive from the government's response to the attacks. It remains to be seen whether that volatile conjunction of perception, belief, and action will emerge out of the post-September 11 environment.Less
After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, it was said that nothing would be the same again. They were aided by the ambiguity of the initial media reports, which facilitated the rise of a host of urban legends. The sheer scope of the attacks and the dramatic, real-time television coverage created potent apocalyptic imagery. Millennialists began issuing their end-time analyses. The key issue for millenarians was what the attacks meant in terms of history's final trajectory. Conspiracists quickly responded to the attacks, rejecting the conventional explanation that Al Qaeda was responsible. Unintended consequences involve conspiracists and fall into two categories: those that result directly from the attacks themselves, and those which derive from the government's response to the attacks. It remains to be seen whether that volatile conjunction of perception, belief, and action will emerge out of the post-September 11 environment.
Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814799932
- eISBN:
- 9780814763841
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814799932.003.0007
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
This chapter examines government response to disasters by presenting presents case studies of industrial accidents and other incidents that have affected African Americans dating back to the early ...
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This chapter examines government response to disasters by presenting presents case studies of industrial accidents and other incidents that have affected African Americans dating back to the early 1930s. It first discusses the risk of toxic chemicals in the United States before analyzing each of the cases, including the Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, mine disaster in 1930; the Gaylord Chemical tank car accident in Bogalusa, Louisiana, in 1995; the Norfolk Southern Railway train wreck that released toxic chlorine gas in Graniteville, South Carolina, in 2005; the ExxonMobil Baytown, Texas, refinery gas spill in 2006; and the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The chapter also explores the role of race and race-based decision making and industrial practices in responding to threats from locally unwanted land uses and risky facilities in African American communities.Less
This chapter examines government response to disasters by presenting presents case studies of industrial accidents and other incidents that have affected African Americans dating back to the early 1930s. It first discusses the risk of toxic chemicals in the United States before analyzing each of the cases, including the Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, mine disaster in 1930; the Gaylord Chemical tank car accident in Bogalusa, Louisiana, in 1995; the Norfolk Southern Railway train wreck that released toxic chlorine gas in Graniteville, South Carolina, in 2005; the ExxonMobil Baytown, Texas, refinery gas spill in 2006; and the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The chapter also explores the role of race and race-based decision making and industrial practices in responding to threats from locally unwanted land uses and risky facilities in African American communities.
Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814799932
- eISBN:
- 9780814763841
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814799932.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
This chapter examines how bias figures in government response to disasters such as hurricanes, droughts, and floods. Focusing on natural disasters that have occurred over the past eight decades, ...
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This chapter examines how bias figures in government response to disasters such as hurricanes, droughts, and floods. Focusing on natural disasters that have occurred over the past eight decades, including the 1927 flood along the Mississippi and the 1999 Hurricane Floyd in eastern North Carolina, the chapter highlights the impact of race and class dynamics on vulnerability and adaptation. It considers the claim that “natural” disasters are in fact acts of social injustice perpetuated by government and business on the poor, African Americans and other minorities, and the elderly, and that measures to prevent or contain the effects of disaster vulnerability are not equally provided to all. It also looks at the ways that black farmers were subjected to institutional racism when applying for the Department of Agriculture's disaster relief.Less
This chapter examines how bias figures in government response to disasters such as hurricanes, droughts, and floods. Focusing on natural disasters that have occurred over the past eight decades, including the 1927 flood along the Mississippi and the 1999 Hurricane Floyd in eastern North Carolina, the chapter highlights the impact of race and class dynamics on vulnerability and adaptation. It considers the claim that “natural” disasters are in fact acts of social injustice perpetuated by government and business on the poor, African Americans and other minorities, and the elderly, and that measures to prevent or contain the effects of disaster vulnerability are not equally provided to all. It also looks at the ways that black farmers were subjected to institutional racism when applying for the Department of Agriculture's disaster relief.
Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814799932
- eISBN:
- 9780814763841
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814799932.003.0010
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
This book explores government responses to natural and man-made disasters, from hurricanes to bioterrorist attacks, and their impact on African American communities in the southern United States. ...
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This book explores government responses to natural and man-made disasters, from hurricanes to bioterrorist attacks, and their impact on African American communities in the southern United States. Using an environmental justice and racial equity framework, the book traces the unequal protection and unequal treatment afforded African Americans over eighty years and looks at the factors that have made them vulnerable, including their socioeconomic status and race. It presents case studies to illustrate how environmental hazards develop into public health threats and how their effects are either mitigated or amplified by design factors. It also examines special challenges and barriers faced by African Americans on a daily basis and how government response to disasters compounds these obstacles. Finally, the book recommends policy strategies for preventing inept government responses to various threats to African Americans.Less
This book explores government responses to natural and man-made disasters, from hurricanes to bioterrorist attacks, and their impact on African American communities in the southern United States. Using an environmental justice and racial equity framework, the book traces the unequal protection and unequal treatment afforded African Americans over eighty years and looks at the factors that have made them vulnerable, including their socioeconomic status and race. It presents case studies to illustrate how environmental hazards develop into public health threats and how their effects are either mitigated or amplified by design factors. It also examines special challenges and barriers faced by African Americans on a daily basis and how government response to disasters compounds these obstacles. Finally, the book recommends policy strategies for preventing inept government responses to various threats to African Americans.
Barry Jean Ancelet, Marcia Gaudet, and Carl Lindahl (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- March 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781617037962
- eISBN:
- 9781621039518
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Mississippi
- DOI:
- 10.14325/mississippi/9781617037962.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Environmental History
This book chronicles the brave and creative acts through which Gulf Coast people rescued their neighbors during the chaotic aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Ordinary citizens joined in with ...
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This book chronicles the brave and creative acts through which Gulf Coast people rescued their neighbors during the chaotic aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Ordinary citizens joined in with whatever resources they had. Unlike many of the official responders, vernacular rescuers found ways around paralysis produced by a breakdown in communications and infrastructure, and were able to dispel unfounded fears produced by erroneous or questionable reporting. The essays, personal narratives, media reports, and field studies presented here all have to do with effective and often ingenious answers that emerged from the people themselves. Their solutions are remarkably different from the hamstrung government response, and their perspectives are a tonic to sensationalized media coverage. The first part of the collection deals with Gulf Coast rescuers from outside stricken communities: those who, safe in their own homes and neighborhoods, marshaled their resources to help their fellow citizens. It includes some analysis and scholarly approaches, but also includes direct responses and first-hand field reports. The second part features the words of hurricane survivors displaced from New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities to Houston, Texas. In many cases, the “victims” themselves were the first responders, rescuing family, friends, and strangers. All of the stories reveal a shared history of close-knit community bonds and survival skills sharpened by hard times. The book is about what went right in the aftermath of Katrina and Rita—in spite of all that went so wrong.Less
This book chronicles the brave and creative acts through which Gulf Coast people rescued their neighbors during the chaotic aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Ordinary citizens joined in with whatever resources they had. Unlike many of the official responders, vernacular rescuers found ways around paralysis produced by a breakdown in communications and infrastructure, and were able to dispel unfounded fears produced by erroneous or questionable reporting. The essays, personal narratives, media reports, and field studies presented here all have to do with effective and often ingenious answers that emerged from the people themselves. Their solutions are remarkably different from the hamstrung government response, and their perspectives are a tonic to sensationalized media coverage. The first part of the collection deals with Gulf Coast rescuers from outside stricken communities: those who, safe in their own homes and neighborhoods, marshaled their resources to help their fellow citizens. It includes some analysis and scholarly approaches, but also includes direct responses and first-hand field reports. The second part features the words of hurricane survivors displaced from New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities to Houston, Texas. In many cases, the “victims” themselves were the first responders, rescuing family, friends, and strangers. All of the stories reveal a shared history of close-knit community bonds and survival skills sharpened by hard times. The book is about what went right in the aftermath of Katrina and Rita—in spite of all that went so wrong.
