Terence O'Rourke is a life-long environmental attorney that currently serves as a Special Assistant County Attorney in the Harris County Attorney's Office. In addition to talking about his career in government and in environmental law, he joins Femi and Patrick on the podcast to discuss the environmental challenges Houston faces and and the legal forces at play. Terry also discusses the potential, existential threat of future hurricanes-- as well as possible solutions, including the Galveston Bay Park Plan, a conservation project that has the potential to protect Houston from these grave dangers.
You can read more about Terry and these topics by reading this Texas Monthly article from August 2020 (https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/houston-hurricane-ship-channel-orourke/) and reviewing the Galveston Bay Park Plan brochure (PDF). In this article, Terry describes the environmental risks posed to Houston by the evolving global climate, mentioning that a future hurricane smashing into the numerous chemical facilities in the area could result in “America’s Chernobyl,” as a great enough storm surge can cause a “toxic pond” that can render Houston inhabitable for years to come.
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