Lever Time
The Corporate Corruption Behind Hurricane Helene
Oct 4, 2024
Katya Schwenk, a reporter at The Lever, dives into the chemical fire that devastated Conyers, Georgia, revealing shocking regulatory failures. Lucy Dean Stockton, a news editor for The Lever, discusses Hurricane Helene's aftermath in North Carolina, highlighting how policy missteps worsened the disaster. They explore the role of corporate greed in undermining safety regulations, the emotional toll on affected communities, and how outdated policies hinder crucial climate adaptation initiatives.
30:15
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Quick takeaways
- Hurricane Helene's devastation exemplifies how weakened climate adaptation infrastructure, due to regulatory failures, has left communities unprepared for extreme weather.
- The chemical fire in Georgia highlights the dangers of lax regulatory oversight and corporate lobbying's role in exacerbating public safety risks.
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Impact of Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene has caused widespread devastation across the southeastern United States, particularly in North Carolina, where over 200 lives have been lost. The hurricane's impact revealed how unprepared many communities are for extreme weather events, with Asheville suffering significant flooding that overwhelmed its infrastructure. Locals expressed disbelief at the scale of the destruction, highlighting a growing concern that climate change is making once-unimaginable storms a regular occurrence. Government inaction, especially by Republican lawmakers who have dismantled climate adaptation measures over the past decade, exacerbated the situation, turning North Carolina from a model of climate resilience into a cautionary tale.
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