Season’s Greetings from Alabama: Where Stars Aligned

Here’s a story of hope for the holidays. And like most good stories, it begins with bad news. Ben Brown talks about the Coastal Recovery Commission of Alabama, how politicians, community leaders and professionals working together on a plan for resiliency in the aftermath the BP Oil spill.


Unlike many recent natural disasters such as the Haiti earthquake or Hurricane Katrina, the magnitude of the repercussions are much less obvious. A thousand people came together to make a plan for how their fragile coastal homeland might become more resilient in the face of what natural disasters almost certainly await their high-risk region.


"The report itself (7.9mb .pdf), produced in 90 days, is less significant than the response it was able to conjure. To produce it required an alignment of the stars through a process that attracted more than a thousand leaders and citizens. And though the report’s recommendations aren’t likely to surprise professionals familiar with the fundamental goals of regional planning, the process and its ceremonial climax in Montgomery on December 15 revived at least a little hope that it’s possible for folks to come together in agreement on something important for generations to come. Even if what’s agreed upon is a commitment to keep the conversation going."


"It wasn’t a gift. It was the result of some heavy lifting on the part of regional leaders and an inspired governor. And it’s a fragile coalition that will require continuing attention as the Commission’s proposals move towards implementation. But it’s a hopeful moment, nonetheless. Which is good enough in these uncertain times."


Read the full story here.