Urban sprawl is one of the biggest reasons why National Flood Insurance has the burden it does. With the exception of Staten Island many of the homes needing reconstruction and reclamation are young homes. Not that homeowners are young, but, the home itself is young.
Staten Island and the older areas of The Jersey Shore received storm surge. But, many of the lost properties from Hurricane Sandy were relatively new homes.
More and more NEPA assessments are not respected and homes are built. The construction industry only uses NEPA to make arguments as to why it does not apply and the local zoning boards buy into it for the sake of their economies and tax bases. Property Taxes.
Increasingly there are more and more consumer losses and DANGER when NEPA assessments are ignored or minimized. Everyone thinks that construction can control water. NOT. The only reason they think they can beat the odds is because the disaster is NOT HAPPENING NOW.
Wildlife, water and mud cannot be controlled and cause huge problems with 'living in a civilized' society. People live in denial, the local economies believe their tax bases will increase and those towns and cities plan their budgets based upon the new tax base which is then an investment into idiocy. The town's budgets become over extended and the politicians become invested in rebuilding rather than admitting they have made huge mistakes.
The problem New Jersey has is it's population. It is the most densely populated state in the nation. When these hugely damaging climate storms occur it suffers in social dynamics greater than any other state of the nation because there is no place for people to take up new residence away from the disaster and/or future disasters.
The paradigm is so screwed up it will take a long time to reverse. People have lives, families, work and love for the areas where they live. Many of the most conservation sensitive areas have people longing to build in them because they love the view and the environment away from pollution and noise and traffic. The commute times are ridiculous. The commute times add to the CO2 emissions and makes the Climate Crisis worse. It is a negative feedback loop and everyone is blind to it because it is their desired lifestyles.
People don't want to hear any FACTS and what the future is going to look like if they don't listen to those saying, "Don't fill in those wetlands, you'll be sorry." People don't want to hear it and they live in areas they should never live.
At one time if people received FEMA assistance they were not allowed to rebuild on that land and if they did they would never receive future assistance WHEN, not IF, it happened again.
Now, do I have sympathy? Sure. The economy takes a huge hit and people are adversely effected. There are deaths and danger. Preventing those deaths and ending that danger when it is impossible to guarantee is very expensive business. But, my sympathy is limited. See, folks were warned. I know they were, but, hey what does a tree hugger know?
For all those folks that want to bring the outside into their homes for the beauty of it; learn to hike.
More and more NEPA assessments are not respected and homes are built. The construction industry only uses NEPA to make arguments as to why it does not apply and the local zoning boards buy into it for the sake of their economies and tax bases. Property Taxes.
Increasingly there are more and more consumer losses and DANGER when NEPA assessments are ignored or minimized. Everyone thinks that construction can control water. NOT. The only reason they think they can beat the odds is because the disaster is NOT HAPPENING NOW.
Wildlife, water and mud cannot be controlled and cause huge problems with 'living in a civilized' society. People live in denial, the local economies believe their tax bases will increase and those towns and cities plan their budgets based upon the new tax base which is then an investment into idiocy. The town's budgets become over extended and the politicians become invested in rebuilding rather than admitting they have made huge mistakes.
The problem New Jersey has is it's population. It is the most densely populated state in the nation. When these hugely damaging climate storms occur it suffers in social dynamics greater than any other state of the nation because there is no place for people to take up new residence away from the disaster and/or future disasters.
The paradigm is so screwed up it will take a long time to reverse. People have lives, families, work and love for the areas where they live. Many of the most conservation sensitive areas have people longing to build in them because they love the view and the environment away from pollution and noise and traffic. The commute times are ridiculous. The commute times add to the CO2 emissions and makes the Climate Crisis worse. It is a negative feedback loop and everyone is blind to it because it is their desired lifestyles.
People don't want to hear any FACTS and what the future is going to look like if they don't listen to those saying, "Don't fill in those wetlands, you'll be sorry." People don't want to hear it and they live in areas they should never live.
At one time if people received FEMA assistance they were not allowed to rebuild on that land and if they did they would never receive future assistance WHEN, not IF, it happened again.
Now, do I have sympathy? Sure. The economy takes a huge hit and people are adversely effected. There are deaths and danger. Preventing those deaths and ending that danger when it is impossible to guarantee is very expensive business. But, my sympathy is limited. See, folks were warned. I know they were, but, hey what does a tree hugger know?
For all those folks that want to bring the outside into their homes for the beauty of it; learn to hike.
Monday, Aug. 30, 2010
Urban sprawl could crowd wetlands, parks (click here)
Experts say encroachment affects quality of state parks
By Jamie Oppenheim / joppenheim@mercedsun-star.com
Despite Merced County's construction slump, plans are under way for the erection of mini-towns along the county's Westside, all at cost to the neighboring state parks.
While suburban sprawl may be robust for the local economy, it will slowly erode the buffer area between lands available for commercial and residential development and protected State Park lands and natural habitats.
According to David Widell, the general manager for Grasslands Water District in Merced County, encroachment is a bad deal for grasslands. Merced County is home to one of the largest and most intact vernal pool-grassland habitats in the world, according to the Nature Conservancy.....
