Environment, Organics, Fair Trade & Recycling at Big Green Purse

With More Natural Disasters, Do You Need More -- or Different -- Insurance?

 Natural disasters aren’t going away any time soon. In fact, given the increasing effects that climate change is having on the weather, scientists expect the number of natural disasters globally to grow. You only need to review the skyrocketing frequency of hurricanes, cyclones, tornadoes, fires and floods that have destroyed homes and communities in the last couple of years to be clear on at least one thing: it’s better to protect yourself before you’re hit by a natural disaster than try to pick up the pieces afterwards.

At a conference I recently attended on rebuilding sustainably after natural disasters strike, the audience of educators, first responders, disaster experts, scientists, elected officials, public interest advocates and business leaders all agreed: most people do not have enough insurance to protect themselves if a natural disaster hits. As the sponsor of this post, the Australian insurer HBF also points out that most travelers don’t carry adequate insurance in the event their holiday or business trip is disrupted by a natural disaster, either.

HOW MUCH INSURANCE DO YOU NEED?

Tornadoes Highlight Need for Sustainable Resilience, Recovery

Tornadoes keep striking the Midwest like so many hammers pounding away at one nail after another.

 On Sunday, November 17, 81 tornadoes hammered southeastern Illinois, impacting as many as nine states total, killing eight people, flattening hundreds of homes, and decimating farms and businesses. At one point, more than 19,000 people were without power.  Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn declared a state of emergency for seven counties. Said meteorologist Tom Skilling of Chicago’s WGN TV, “The storm may have produced the most powerful Illinois November tornado on record outside of St. Louis (and possibly elsewhere) and maybe one of the four most intense Great Lakes storms of the past five decades.”

 Just looking at the pictures of the devastation makes me shudder. I can’t imagine how terrifying it must have been to live through it, or how discouraging it must be for those who are sifting through the rubble for their personal belongings and wondering where they’re going to sleep, let alone live.

They’re also facing an important and not necessarily clear decision. Should they rebuild? And if so, how?

Rebuild Sustainably After Natural Disasters Strike

If there's any silver lining in the dark weather clouds hanging over most of the country right now, it's in the opportunity they're creating to transform our cities and towns into the energy-saving, water-saving, safe and healthy communities they should be.

  Greensburg, Kansas provides a perfect example of how a town sheared down to the very ground it was built on has become a model of sustainability, not just for the U.S., but for the entire world.

At 9:45 pm on May 4, 2007, an EF5 tornado whipped through rural Greensburg, essentially destroying the entire town. (Photo at right from the GreensburgGreentown.org website; see more amazing photos on the blog of professional photographer Galen Buller.)

Within days, the community decided to rebuild their homes and businesses sustainably. Yes, they wanted to get their lives back on track. But they also wanted to create a "model green town" for the future. They formed a non-profit organization called Greensburg GreenTown, with an ambitious and inspiring vision (taken directly from their website, GreensburgGreentown.org):

Vision

Greensburg GreenTown exists to:

• Make it easier for residents to ascribe to and adhere to green practices, and to make green living appealing to people.
• Engage as many residents as possible in the enthusiastic pursuit of making Greensburg a model green community.
• Establish incentives in order to maximize the participation of businesses and residents in rebuilding Greensburg as a model green community.
• Bring in resources and support from around the country to make the dreams of Greensburg as a model green community a reality.
• Make it easier for builders, building supply companies, and local businesses to do business as green as possible.
• Work to spur economic development with a green emphasis.
• Serve the residents in an unbiased consumer advocate capacity, striving to get them the best value for their money as they rebuild their homes and businesses.