Commentary from Community Health and Environmental Policy

Local Communities Need a Voice in How to 'Build Back Better'

Long before it was popularized and made its way into political slogans and economic recovery battle cries, the phrase “building back better” was a central tenet of disaster recovery and community resilience. How should community voices be incorporated into “building back better” processes?

Max Izenberg, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg

Lessons for Central America's Recovery from Hurricanes

As the global community works to assist Central America in recovering from the disastrous 2020 hurricane season, other recent recovery efforts offer helpful lessons, both for the governments of the region as well as outsiders providing resources and support.

Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson, Ismael Arciniegas Rueda, et al.

Unaccompanied Women Become an Official Homeless Subpopulation in LA County

Unaccompanied homeless women are more likely than other subgroups to be chronically homeless, to have mental illness, and to have work limitations. Los Angeles County is now recognizing these women as a subgroup in the official homeless count. An assessment will also be conducted to identify this group's unique needs.

Alicia Revitsky Locker, Sierra Smucker, et al.

Disaster Reporting and Its Impacts on Policy and Inequities

Disaster news tropes may capture audience attention, but they ultimately frustrate progress in mitigating the short- and long-term effects of disasters on communities. It's more important than ever that news stories about disasters frame the effects of environmental phenomena in meaningful ways.

Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg, Shearon Roberts

What's Missing From Community Disaster Response? The Whole Community

Across the United States, significant gaps exist in disaster response needs and capabilities. Community volunteers have stepped up to fill those gaps where possible. They may need more support and resources.

Gary Cecchine @GaryCecchine, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg

Another Record-Breaking Fire Season Shows the Need for a Comprehensive Strategy

Year after year, fires across western U.S. states scorch forests, rangeland, and neighborhoods, wreaking havoc on rural economies and pushing smoke into cities. Policymakers should consider a coordinated and comprehensive effort that brings together the best minds in government, communities, and academia.

Jay Balagna, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg

How Much Do Americans Value Their Health During the Pandemic?

Do Americans believe that limiting the spread of COVID-19 justifies the social and economic costs of physical-distancing measures? Researchers conducted a survey to better understand how Americans weigh health against other priorities.

Christopher Nelson, Katherine Grace Carman @KGCarman, et al.

The Downside of a Lean Electric Grid

The electric grid is central to U.S. national security. Recent disasters provide an example of the downsides of leanness. It's more costly to be less lean, but given our dependence on the electric grid and the increasing prevalence of disasters, safety and resilience may be greater priorities.

Ismael Arciniegas Rueda, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg

How States and Localities Might Approach Operational Design Domains for AVs

An operational design domain (ODD) is a description of the conditions in which an autonomous vehicle is designed to operate safely. No nationwide ODD policy exists, but because ODD is partly about the characteristics of a specific location, state and local policies could be useful.

Laura Fraade-Blanar, Maynard A. Holliday

COVID-19 Highlights Disaster Policy's Need to Prepare for Multiple, Sequential Emergencies

The pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities many disaster-affected households face. As lawmakers debate a second relief package, they could reconsider how the emergency management framework responds to the effects of simultaneous hazards on individual-assistance and community-recovery programs.

Carlos Martín, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg

Stress Accumulates in Marginalized Communities, Generation After Generation

Psychologists and biologists have known for years that prolonged stress is toxic to the human body. A better understanding of how stress builds in communities—and the burden it puts on them—can lead to more effective policies to address it.

What Can the Coronavirus Teach Us About Preparing for a Heat Wave?

The occurrence of a heat wave during the pandemic may be the clearest example of an overlapping disaster in the near term, but we'll likely see more and more overlapping disasters brought about by a changing climate.

Jaime Madrigano @JMadrigano