This week, we bring you two stories from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, one from a native Louisianian scientist and the other from a fourth-generation Louisiana fisherman. 

Part 1: Louisianan scientist Estelle Robichaux struggles to deal with the massive oil spill affecting her state while also balancing personal problems.

Part 2:  When Lousiana fisherman Robert Campo receives news of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, he knows his life is about to change.

Estelle Robichaux, a native Louisianian, is a senior restoration project analyst at Environmental Defense Fund. A broadly-trained scientist with a passion for wetlands conservation and restoration, Estelle has a background in natural and social sciences as well as extensive experience in science education. Her field and research background spans wetlands, marine environments and wildlife, from Costa Rica to South Africa to South Caicos. Estelle advocates for the implementation of science-based restoration projects and leads project-related efforts for Restore the Mississippi River Delta. Estelle also works on science communication and tracking the development of scientific and research programs in the wake of the Gulf oil disaster.

Robert Campo is the owner of Campo's Marina located in Shell Beach, Louisiana.  He's a fourth generation commercial fisherman and the great-grandson of the late Celestino Campo, the founder of Campo's Marina started in 1903.  He's the grandson of the late Frank Blackie Campo (a true legend) and the son of Frank J. Campo Jr.  Campo's Marina is the oldest family-owned business in St.Bernard parish and it's one of the top ten oldest family owned businesses that still exists today in Louisiana.  He owns and operates his oyster business with two oyster boats and a farm of nearly 1500 acres of oyster grounds.

Oil: Stories from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

I spoke with Dr. Daniel P. Aldrich who is a professor and director of the Security and Resilience Program at Northeastern University. He researches post-disaster recovery, countering violent extremism, the siting of controversial facilities and the interaction between civil society and the state.  He has published five books, more than fifty peer reviewed articles, and written op-eds for The New York Times, CNN, Asahi Shinbun, along with appearing on popular media outlets such as CNBC, MSNBC, NPR, and HuffPost. His research has been funded by the Fulbright Foundation, the Abe Foundation, and the National Science Foundation, and he has carried out more than five years of fieldwork in Japan, India, Africa, and the Gulf Coast. Please see the following link for a longer bio: http://daldrich.weebly.com/bio--cv.html

We spoke about how social capital can bring people together both here in the USA and overseas to demonstrate greater resilience in the face of COVID-19 and how communities can establish stronger social ties while maintaining physical distance and stay-at-home measures. We also discussed the use of the term physical distancing vs. social distancing.

Dr. Aldrich’s website:
http://daldrich.weebly.com/
The Black Wave:
https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo40026774.html
Social capital's role in humanitarian crises
https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/handle/2086/19042

E9 - The Black Wave, featuring Dr. Daniel Aldrich Northeastern

Emergency management is a growing discipline as our world has become increasingly more complex, interconnected, and vulnerable to hazards both natural and human caused. The role of the emergency manager, including leaders in public safety, has expanded and become more vital to cities, counties, states, and large organizations, and much of this work can be contained and effectively managed within projects, be they longer term plans,  disaster recovery, mitigation measures or short-term emergency responses to a disaster. This podcast series focuses on project management topics for emergency managers. Come with us as we ride the wave!

E9 - The Black Wave, featuring Dr. Daniel Aldrich Northeastern

Andrew Boyarsky

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