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Floyd Brooks takes a break from gutting his house in the Upper Ninth Ward. Source: Justin Beck
More than six months after Hurricane Katrina, much of the Gulf Coast still lay in ruin, but beyond the physical destruction, the disaster brought to light a number of deeper issues: poverty, environmental pollution, and government negligence.
On this edition, we go to New Orleans, where we hear from local people working to rebuild their communities. We visit the devastated Ninth Ward, where grassroots groups are leading the cleanup effort, and we look at whether the city is safe enough for those choosing to return.
Featuring:
Floyd Brooks, Ninth Ward homeowner; Malik Rahim, co-founder, Common Ground Relief; Gabriel Cohen and Rebecca Mintz, Common Ground volunteers; Diamonds Eugene, New Orleans resident; Wilma Subra, president, Subra Company; Cynthia Fanning, information officer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Ken Ford, founder, St. Bernard Citizens for Environmental Quality.
This week’s hosts: Tena Rubio and Justin Beck.
Bonus audio:
- Tena’s interview with Malik Rahim – running time: 57:24 (164k mp3)
For more information:
Subra Company, Inc. – New Iberia, LA
Common Ground Relief – New Orleans, LA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Washington, DC
Louisiana Bucket Brigade – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Natural Resources Defense Council – New York, NY
St. Bernard Citizens for Environmental Quality
Tags: environment, Hurricane Katrina, poverty
