As Florence Threatens 'Catastrophic' Destruction, A Reminder That North Carolina Passed Law

[guillaumeb]

As Florence Threatens 'Catastrophic' Destruction, A Reminder That North Carolina Passed Law Mandating Climate Warnings Be Ignored

From the article:

The outer bands of Hurricane Florence made landfall on the coast of North Carolina on Thursday, bringing with it warnings of "catastrophic" floods and renewed scrutiny of legislation that actually bars state agencies from crafting policies based on climate science models that warn of devastating sea-level rise due to human-caused global warming.
North Carolina's Republican-controlled legislature enacted House Bill 819 (pdf)—which became law without any action by then-Gov. Bev Perdue, a Democrat—in 2012, after the state's Coastal Resource Commission published a 2010 report (pdf) predicting that seawater could rise 39 inches along the coast by 2100, and lawmakers, coastal landowners, and members of the real-estate industry responded with alarm over pricey waterfront property that faces billions of dollars in damage.

To read more:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/09/13/florence-threatens-catastrophic-destruction-reminder-north-carolina-passed-law?cd-


Profit before people is the GOP motto.

[Persondem]

1. Yes, as far as our General Assembly is concerned ...

... the inmates are running the asylum. That would of course mean the crazy, power hungry GOP assholes in Raleigh.

But I am not sure why this OP needed to be posted while the lives of my fellow Tar Heels are at risk.

[guillaumeb]

2. I posted it to highlight how the GOP talks about caring for people

while acting solely in the interest of the 1%.

The GOP agenda should be the topic. And one contributory factor to the risk to your fellow citizens is failing to prepare, and failing to adjust to climate change. The GOP has underfunded FEMA and other agencies since the Reagan Presidency and too often this is ignored.

[lagomorph777]

3. So...that would bar first-responders from using National Weather Service models to plan response?

That's effing insane. Good going, GOP.

[guillaumeb]

4. Agreed.

But the interests of the rich business people and developers always take precedence over the citizens.

[KCDebbie]

5. This law in North Carolina (and similar laws in other coastal states)

was passed so greedy real estate brokers and developers could continue to profit by selling and re-selling beach-front property...

The selling and re-selling of this beach-front property is an industry of its own and is much like a game of "hot potato". Each smart investment buyer knows that he/she will be able to re-sell that land at a higher price... No one wants to be the owner of this land if/when potential buyers have to be warned of the effects of rising sea levels...

[guillaumeb]

7. And this deliberate lying about climate change

to benefit the 1% is just one of the destructive policies that the GOP pursues.

I read a Tribune article today about a poor white family that is not evacuating because they cannot afford it. On their boarded up house is a sign supporting Trump.

[Generic Other]

6. The first state to win

a Darwin Award.

Sadly, the rest of us are in the running for the Federal Darwin Award!

[guillaumeb]

8. Agreed. A mass dumbing down of speech to protect the 1%. eom

[KCDebbie]

9. Several coastal states have similar laws...

And they're designed to protect the real estate/investment industry and real estate brokers.

What irks me is that because of this industry, the US Government/Corp of Engineers feel obligated to spend billions of taxpayer $ annually building walls and other structures to keep the sea from reclaiming its beaches so the 1% can keep enjoying their ocean view!