The Last Post

As the semester wraps up, this post concludes my Worldly Environmental Hazard Happenings blog. I've truly enjoyed writing on this on a week to week basis, and I feel it has greatly contributed to my overall understanding of Environmental Hazards throughout the world. Each week, I'm searching for stories to write about on this blog. Many of those searches I wouldn't have conducted in my personal life, but I definitely feel much more knowledgeable due to them. I also feel like I am much more up to date with world news as a whole, and that's a direct reflection of this blog. It's my hope that readers gained a little knowledge out of my posts, because I certainly gained quite a bit by posting. If you haven't yet, make sure to check out the Book Review tab at the top of the page for my review: On the Dirty Plate Trail: Remembering the Dust Bowl Refugee Camps. Also, the Images and Videos page is full of images from different labs we've conducted in class. Thanks again for reading! - Austin

First Cleon, Now Dion

                       A line of semi's in Sanger, Texas caused by the snowfall of Winter Storm Dion - December 7, 2013

My last blog post was last week discussing Winter Storm Cleon hitting nearly everywhere in the United States except the East Coast. Well round two is here, and this time even the East Cost will feel the effects. Winter Storm Dion hit the West Coast Saturday, and has gradually been making it's way East. This morning there were multiple reports of school closings and estimated snowfalls of up to 6 inches throughout the East Coast. The article I read discussed mostly the damage done by the storm so far, including some 267,000 people in Texas without power. I couldn't help but think of my last blog post, as one of the main points I discussed with the potential impact Cleon could have on Dallas, Texas. There was serious concern for lost power in the city, an event that would certainly have a huge impact on the businesses and citizens in that city. I also mentioned in the last blog that there was major fear of California citrus growers that their crop would be severely damaged. Surely with Dion following Cleon, that concern has only increased, and many citrus farmers and companies could be effected in a big way. Something from this article that I found interesting was the number of truck drivers stranded in Denton, Texas. I know very rarely in Wisconsin do I see truck's not on the road in rough winter conditions. However, the article stated that many were stranded, and therefore their deliveries would be delayed. I'm wondering if an explanation is just a lack of preparation by cities for such large snowstorms. You don't generally think of Texas as a place with a lot of snow, and you would think whatever snow removal resources, like salt, that they had would have been used to clear roads from Cleon. Also, how many snowplows do they actually have in Texas? My guess would be that the cities invest in much more practical equipment that would be more related to Texas weather, now snowplows. It's pretty amazing to see two storms like these go back to back in a two week time frame. For the sake of citrus growers, truck drivers, and Texans without power, lets hope Cleon and Dion are the last of the winter storms for a while.  http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/07/21806037-winter-storm-heads-east-after-walloping-west?lite

Winter Storm Cleon Take Over US

Well it's that time of year again. As I write this blog, it's about 10 degrees outside, and the walk to Environmental Hazards this morning at 7:45 wasn't too much fun at about 2 degrees. With cold temperatures comes a new type of hazard never before discussed on this blog: Winter Storms. Cold temperatures, snow, and freezing ice bring all sorts of fun new hazards to deal with in regards to human effects. Here in the Midwest the hazard effects are more limited to just our everyday lives such as car accidents from iced over roads, but what about those that aren't used to these cold, snowy temperatures? Winter Storm Cleon is currently making it's way throughout the United States, starting on the West Coast and now making it's way throughout the Midwest. But states also being effected include Texas, Oklahoma, and Central California, all areas that aren't nearly as used to these hazards as we are. A perfect example of freezing temperatures, something we consider to just be part of our lives in the winter months, can be considered a hazard is in California. The article I read states that 85% of citrus crops are still on the vine in Central California, and area used to high temperatures. Throw in this winter storm, and imagine the loss that has farmers crossing their fingers that their crops can make it through these cold temperatures. To put into perspective just how cold this winter storm is, Pullman, Washington had temperatures fall below zero for the first time in nearly three years. Tuesday in Lubbock, Texas the high was 77, on Saturday morning it's estimated to be below 10. Very few cities are going to be prepared for this type of cold. Throw in the predicted mixture of snow and frozen ice, and the effects could be huge. The article states that ice in Dallas could knock out the power for the majority of the city. This goes to show the power of this storm. Think of the number of people, businesses, and schools that would be effected if the power went out in one of the largest cities in the United States. Another aspect is the size of this storm. The article points out that the only states likely to not be effected will be the East Coast. The wrath of Cleon will be felt by nearly the entire nation, a pretty eye-opening point as to the overall effects one event can have on millions of people. Overall, this could just be a storm that makes people a little colder than normal for a few days. But it also has the potential to have a life changing impact on citrus growers in California, and people without power in Dallas. The next few days will certainty be interesting, to see the power of of Winter Storm Cleon. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/03/21734950-arctic-invasion-brutal-weather-system-threatens-most-of-us-with-snow-ice-wind?lite

Iran: The Environmental Side

One would think based off American media that all that Iran consists of is nuclear weapons. While that is the leading issue from an American point of view, Iran has a much larger domestic problem, one potentially detrimental to its society. I read an article from the San Francisco Chronicle about the intense dryness that effect Iran. While it's commonly known that this area of the world is full of deserts, the facts the article offers in regards to the impact these conditions are having on society are eye opening. As would be expected, lakes and rivers are drying up, but along with are the aquifers that supply drinking water to the majority of the countries population. This is obviously a problem. Couple this with the fact that just 16% of the land in the country remains arable fro crops, and you have a country that imports the majority of its drinking water and food. This is never a recipe for success, even for a country rich in oil. The effects of these dry conditions start at a very young age, as 35% of the countries children suffer from asthma or related allergies. So what does this all have to do with America? Why would a US newspaper be writing about environmental problems in Iran, when the real issues we continually hear about is nuclear weapons? The answer is, as the article states, the US has more expertise in this issue than nearly any other country in the world. The truth to that may be questioned, but the country certainly has the researchers and the money to develop a plan to help fix these serious environmental issues in Iran. Imagine what a bargaining chip that would be if the US could help fix such a problem. This is why such an article is being written, and that's why I, as an American, feel this is an extremely interesting topic to blog about. It's first time on this blog we've taken environmental hazard mitigation, and turned it into a political bargaining chip. This bargaining chip just happens to be in play for one of the largest world issues we've heard about over the past year. http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/brinkley/article/Iran-U-S-could-team-up-on-environmental-issues-4986197.php

The Effects of Midwest Tornadoes

Well the past couple weeks have been pretty active with significant events to blog about. While having something to post about usually means loss or suffering for the area that's effected, the simple fact is that we live in a a world where mother nature is constantly active, and hazards are a way of life. Really, there's no new news to post about from the article I read regarding the tornadoes that hit the Midwest last week. Reference my previous blog post about the facts regarding the initial finding on the tornadoes. What I found interesting, and equally important but often ignored, was the now fallout for businesses and different business industries from the tornadoes. This goes back to the swiss cheese model that I've referenced multiple times in blogs over this semester, but the tornado is ultimately just the first step of a a chain of related events. We've talked about a few times in class how insurance plays a part in hazards when it comes to paying for the damage done. This is really the first article I've read and posted on that references insurance companies and the mass payout. State Farm insurance, which insures nearly a third of all the homes in Illinois, are beginning to payout expense checks to the nearly 3,600 claims made. You also have the hotel industry, who sees a massive increase in business from the storms. I find all of this very interesting, specifically the insurance aspect. Very rarely do we see articles written on hazards that talk about these types of aspects of hazards, but they are important to remember that there are multiple effects long after the hazard hits. http://www.wunderground.com/news/midwest-tornado-update-some-illinois-schools-reopen-fema-begins-assessing-damage-20131122

Tornadoes Strike Midwest

It's been a crazy few weeks in the world environmental hazards, both far away and close to home. My last few blog postings have been in regards to the massive tsunami that hit the Philippines nearly two weeks ago. Now, we have a hazards that hit much closer to home, literally a 30 minute drive from my hometown. First off, let me just say I realize Twitter is the last thing that people want to hear about as far as a news source. However, this is how I initially, and really pretty instantly, heard about the tornadoes occurring in Illinois. Specifically what I was reading was the effects it was having close to home for me. I'm from a suburb of Milwaukee, so when I hear sirens going off in Menominee Falls, Wauwatosa, and downtown Milwaukee, I'm starting to think "dang, this is pretty close." Ultimately very little damage was done in Wisconsin, but our neighbors to the south got hit hard. The article I read really doesn't say much about total figures for the multiple tornadoes recorded, but it does state that at total of 16 tornadoes struck Illinois and northwest Indiana on Sunday. What I found particularly interesting about this article was the severity of some of these tornadoes, and just how powerful some were. As I said, the article I read was more about individual towns being hit instead of total figures for all the tornadoes combined. But for example, in the town of Washington, Illinois (near Peoria) the tornado there was measured an E-4. Now I had no clue what exactly that meant before reading the article, but apparently an E-5 is the strongest measurement on a scale for measuring tornadoes. This specific tornado in Washington had winds up 190 miles per hour and stretched 46 miles through two counties. Washington got the worst of the damage, with one dead, 120 injured, and as many as 500 homes damaged. This is just one of the many examples in this article. I've had few opportunities to write about something to close to Eau Claire, let alone so close to my hometown. This absolutely something that's major news regarding environmental hazards, so look for at least one other post about these tornadoes striking the Midwest. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-illinois-tornadoes-20131119,0,3693175.story

Is Haiyan Still Relevant?

A few blog posts back, I discussed an article from USA Today talking about Typhoon Haiyan and the large amounts of funds that were being donated from the United States. The question was, how much longer would those funds continue to pour in? It was stated that much of that would depend on the media coverage the event continued to get. Obviously, this was a historical environmental hazard, but how long would American news cover a foreign event? Well if it's any indication, I returned to the USA Today site moments before writing this blog, and found nothing in regards to Haiyan. However, I also happen to be watching a football game as I write this, and there was a message to donate to the relief effort as the start of the second quarter. One thing is clear, more news is coming out about the severity of Haiyan. Through a quick Google search, I did manage to find an article about some new, up to date, facts from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. I've touched on a few facts already, but Haiyan was measured at 370 miles wide as it hit the Philippines. THE OCHA estimates 13 million people have been affected by the typhoon, with 12,501 being injured. 3 million people have been displaced from their homes with 371,000 currently living in evacuation centers. 2.5 million people are in need of food assistance. 491,611 homes have been damaged. These aren't just numbers or facts, these are lives that are being drastically changed. All that can be said is that even if media attention declines, funds remain the steady. Millions are depending on it. http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/17/21496134-typhoon-haiyan-a-crisis-by-the-numbers?lite