The natural disaster economist

When contract negotiations between Alaska Airlines and their flight attendants' union broke down in 1993, the union had a choice to make. The union — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA — knew that if they chose to strike, Alaska Airlines could use a plan. While Alaska Airli ...  Show more

Back in 2005, Burt Banks inherited a plot of old family land in Delaware. But when it came time to sell it, he ran into a problem: his neighbor had a goat pen, and about half of it crossed over onto his property. Burt asked the goats' owner to move the pen, but when neighborly pe ...  Show more

As this summer has made clear: from hurricanes to wildfires, climate change is exposing more of us to extreme weather. This week we hear what it's like to survive a life-changing disaster, get tips on how to prepare — from a disasterologist — and learn why you should never call a ...  Show more

How can the most vulnerable countries protect against climate change if they’re drowning in debt? A major international aid agency revealed this week that 93% of the world’s worst-affected countries can’t afford to safeguard against natural disasters. Some are being forced to sla ...  Show more

Tsunamis, volcanoes, tornadoes, earthquakes...these are real-life monsters. We like to think we’re prepared for a catastrophe. But time and time again, Mother Nature proves us wrong. Each week, Parcast's original show, Natural Disasters examines the earth’s biggest catastrophes t ...  Show more

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and hurricanes all have the power to cause deadly destruction. One event can lead to another, causing a chain reaction of devastation that can take years to rebuild from. But do all natural events have to turn into a disa ...  Show more