That's not classy, its trashy

Landfills have constantly been increasing in size and number over the last few decades as we as a species try to find a place to hide our massive amounts of waste from sight,  then from there out of mind. But after watching a part of a documentary called, How The Earth Made Us (BBC), I became aware of something I had never heard of before. A gyre, or a spiral/whirl can exist in many forms. You could have a gyre of wind, gyre of water, hell a gyre of geese! But what about a gyre of garbage, mostly composed of plastics and Styrofoam, swirling around in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Yes, there actually exists an immense swirl of garbage that grows everyday and is currently the largest landfill (or waterfill?) in the world, more than tripling the state of Texas in size. Seventy percent of all the plastic falls to the ocean surface where it can damage the coastal floor ecosystem. This is extremely hazard for wildlife, which can also indirectly affect us. But where this garbage is primarily a growing concern is in the Midway Atoll. This area is roughly, as the name implies, half or midway between North America and Asia. The Albatross is an oceanic bird that lay and hatch its eggs on and around these islands. Once hatched, the mother searches far and wide looking for food, normally for squid or fly fish eggs. But what has been happening more often than not it seems is that, mistaking it for food, the albatross picks up numerous pieces of plastic ranging from bottle caps to checkers, and feed it to their young.  Plastic, as you may remember from being a child, doesn’t taste good, nor is it good or safe to ingest no matter what species you are.

 There are plenty of people in the world that do not see this as a problem, or more likely don’t even see it at all. Now the albatross isn’t the only living organism to suffer from this floating gyre of garbage, but lets imagine it is. 500,000 albatross eggs are hatched at Midway every year, with roughly 200,000 chicks that die. As i was saying, some people may down play this event as trivial. But looking at the big picture as opposed to looking at a small, narrow instant gratification scope, we can see that this has enormous potential consequences. The less albatross their are, then their is a less diverse food supply for those animals that feed on them. Conversely, if there are less albatross, then their primary food source will increase because of the decrease in predators. This can change the entire ecosystem with which the albatross is apart. Everything in this world is interconnected, you cannot change "x" without it having a direct affect on "y". The repercussions of this are to many and too detailed to explain in full in this blog, so I encourage my readers to look into the complete connectedness of the world’s ecosystems.  

Thinking about a very positive affect on humans, what if a tsunami were to occur right by this gyre? We would have a giant wave of our own garbage with the potential the impact thousands of people along the coast and deliver back to us our garbage. The physical affects on humans from this gyre are at this point minimal. But the affects on wildlife and the future affects it may have on us should be a growing concern. 

Sources: http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-ocean2aug02,0,4917201.story
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/great-pacific-garbage-patch.htm

  

Typhoon Bopha

Typhoon Bopha recently crossed paths with the southern portion of the Philippines this last week causing pandemonium. This area has had many run-ins with these natural disasters, experiencing a typhoon season just like we experience hurricane season on the east coast. This typhoon was a beast with sustained winds up to 260km per hour and gusts of 315km per hour. So far, approximately 620 people have been reported either dead or missing in the wake of this storm and its subsequent disasters. The subsequent disasters that I’m referring to are the floods that swept many people into the chaos of Bopha. These regional floods also destroyed two emergency centers along with the 78 soldiers and villagers located there. Another disaster that was triggered by this typhoon was the landslide that added to the death toll. Heavy rains, especially in areas with steep slopes lacking vegetation over, can over saturate the soil and seep in between the bedrock and soil. Yet another hazard Bopha brought with it was the flying debris such as the roofs of poorly constructed houses that were ripped off. 

When it comes to mitigating hazards there is much that can be done for typhoons. Typhoons are slow developing hazards that can be seen days before they reach land. This allows us to predict when and where the disaster will strike to a fairly accurate degree. Knowing that you live in a typhoon prone area can help you in constructing houses or improving new ones that can withstand strong gale force winds. Planning on where to put emergency buildings is another important step in the mitigation process. As i mentioned above 78 people died because an emergency station was flooded. We need to be aware of potential floods levels that are associated with typhoons so that we can construct these important emergency facilities in safe areas. 

Typhoon Bopha on its way to the Phillipines on Dec. 3rd, 2012 

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57557204/philippines-death-toll-from-typhoon-bopha-nears-300/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/world/asia/typhoon-said-to-have-killed-hundreds-in-philippines.html?_r=0

The only thing worse than a landslide is a Chinese landslide

The threat of landslides in the area around the recently (2006) constructed Three Gorges Dam in China has increased over the last 6 years. The cause of this increase is the very dam itself. This is the world largest hydroelectric dam, to give you an idea of how much water runs through this thing. The construction of this dam brought much criticism from geologists and environmentalists who recognized some potentially problems of this dam, one of which being landslides. Since the dam reached its high water mark in 2010, landslides have risen seventy percent. This growing threat of landslides has caused the Chinese government to relocated 46,000 people, with the planning of relocating an additional 100,000 out of this area. Hindsight is 20/20 so I can’t criticize the Chinese government to hard over the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. At the same time, the Chinese have made and continue to make poor planning decisions (as well as other countries). A prime example of this comes in the form of nuclear power. Of China’s 27 reactors, 19 of them are located in areas at risk of tsunamis.

Landslides are unlike other natural disasters that we face because of their uncertainty. We know that hurricanes typically occur in the months between June and November, just like we know when the monsoon season starts in some areas. Landslides are a different beast because there are many variables associated with its’ prediction such as rainfall, vegetation, and elevation. In summation, it’s extremely difficult to predict landslides and their rapid onset characteristic make them even more dangerous. Not only are landslides dangerous events in themselves but they can also trigger other events, like a 65-foot wave that killed a dozen people in China. The main cause of Chinas landslides in regards to this article are due to dam water levels raising. Another major contributors to landslides is deforestation. Once vegetation like grasses, trees, and the like are removed there are no roots to anchor the soil. This might be fine if nothing else happened, but this is the real world (not to be confused with the awful MTV series!). Over time precipitation will soak into the ground and reach the bedrock, which from there the devastation occurs. 

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/19/world/asia/landslide-peril-near-chinese-reservoir-grows-official-says.html?_r=0

Like a good neighbor, Allstate might not be there

The people of New York and New Jersey, the two places with the most destruction in terms of dollars, are now filing their insurance claims, which most of us would after such an event. But many people are finding that their insurance companies are reluctant to pay up for this super storm. People with hurricane insurance may think that they are protected from the floods that usually follow, but are shocked to learn that only wind related damaged is covered. To obtain flood insurance, the most common way is to buy a separate policy from the federal governments’ National Flood Insurance Program. If you were smart enough to purchase flood insurance through the federal government then you may have been lucky enough to escape dealing with insurance agents who make it difficult for you to collect your insurance check. But even the federal government is not without problems.

 The annual budget allotted for disasters in FEMA's budget has in recent years fallen short of the claims made. With hurricane sandy we see the same problem. So far the insurance claims have rise to 17.7 billion dollars, compared with only 3.5 billion that the federal government receives in premiums. This raises the debate on how accurate are these costs associated with flood insurance policies. Granted this was a freak of nature storm that caused excessive amounts of damage, but the ratio seems unreasonable. Insurance companies go bankrupt all the time over selling polices for to little and then not being able to cover the claims, so why is our own government in that position. Others argue that those on the east coast should receive less aid than what they have already gotten based on the fact that the east coast is known to have this time of extreme weather. Those people living there made a choice to accept the risks associated with that area, but are now relying on the government to pay for all the damage. The events that cost the federal flood insurance program the most money are repeat events, most notably areas built in flood plains. The problem is that when these houses are destroyed or damaged through flooding because they are located on a flood plain, they end up getting rebuilt in the same spot. So now in a couple years down the road, the same flood will happen, or maybe one at a larger scale, and the whole cycle repeats itself. 

Sources: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/realestate/reconsidering-flood-insurance-after-hurrican-sandy.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2012/11/27/sandy-insurance-complaints-new-jersey/1728999/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/nyregion/federal-flood-insurance-program-faces-new-stress.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Guatemala

On Wednesday a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck western Guatemala killing 48, injuring 150, and   leaving 60,000 people throughout the country without power. This is the largest earthquake to hit Guatemala since 1976, where 23,000 people were killed. The earthquake caused a sand quarry in San Marcos, one of the worst hit cities, to collapse and kill 7 people.  In a more developed country there are work safety laws that prohibit unsafe labor practices and force companies to make the job as safe as possible. The  7 people killed in the sand quarry were just out digging into the side of the earth with no protection. There isn't much protection you can provide against an earthquake, but i imagine there is something you can implement to reduce the risk of quarry collapses. 

After the main shock of the earthquake, the  Guatemalan government issued alerts and evacuations from tall buildings in case of powerful aftershocks. Using scientific knowledge, the government was able to make the public aware of potentially powerful aftershocks. Taking this engineering paradigm approach of forecasting hazardous may have been saved many lives.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/11/201211805947793553.html

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/07/world/americas/guatemala-earthquake/index.html

Post Huicane Sandy

Now that the storm has finally passed we can take a look and assess the damage of Hurricane Sandy, or for all my Spanish readers, huracán Sandy. My main coverage is focused on New York and their extensive mass transportation systems that were affected. The seven tunnels under the east river were flooded by the 14 foot storm surge, with three of them already opening up after 3 days since Sandy. But bringing back the subway system in New York is a massive project to say the least. Pumping out thousands of gallons of water is the first place to start, followed by repairing the many electrical components. Cleaning off the salt and other corrosive compounds off of the tracks is another large scale project. While New York’s' transportation systems received a large amount of damage, problems arose elsewhere. Water treatment facilities that were near the coast were flooded which caused a mix of storm water and sewage to bypass the plant flowing straight into the water ways and streets of New York. 111 homes have reportedly been destroyed by fire, exacerbated by strong winds.

 

 

Article found at: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/10/30/nyregion/hurricane-sandys-aftermath.html

 

Hurricane Sandy Update

So far Sandy has caused much of the predicted damage forecasted before the storm hit. There was flooding in every state from North Carolina to Massachusetts coupled with wide spread power outages leaving 8 million without. Gale force winds damaged many homes and businesses; flights have been grounded and transit systems flooded. So far the death toll has reached 111people. Some estimates put an amount of $88 billion dollars worth of damage.

This naturally occurring event was mitigated in many ways, most notably the evacuations (mostly mandatory) that were called for. The federal government and FEMA were a bit more prepared for this event than they were for Katrina, bringing in machines to pump out the water that much of the coast is bathing in. What makes this event even more interesting is the fact that it happened just days before the election. Natural Disasters make or break governments because disasters like Sandy show how well a president or state official can govern. Looking back to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, former president George W. Bush was greatly criticized for his inaction during that disaster. This inability to govern and show leadership lowered his popularity ratings. Obama, as I stated earlier, handled this event quite well. The death toll of Katrina was roughly 1700, while Sandy as of now only killed 111. Had Obama not reacted with the right measures in a timely fashion, the outcome of this election may have been affected.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=hurricane+sandy&view=detail&id=2465B50FFA7337A6B5D2F28D3F2DEC4B529056FB