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

The Facts Behind Haiyan

Today in class we did a little research on Typhoon Haiyan including the facts surrounding the storm and what may have caused it. It was nearly a week ago the that the largest typhoon in recent memory hit the Philippines causing an estimated 10,000+ deaths and millions in damage. The typhoon measured a five on the saffir-simpson scale, and had low pressure at 895 milibars contributing to a 15 ft. high wall of water. Winds speeds were measured at 195 miles per hour, and gusts reached 235 miles per hour. Lastly, through my groups research, we realized warnings were issued in some areas, and many warnings didn't correctly measure the size of the storm. A storm this size would have a major effect no matter where it hit, but couple the lack of proper warning with the poor building infrastructure and overall poverty of the nation and we begin to see the swiss cheese model in effect. The majority of homes and buildings in general in many parts of this country are not properly built or constructed. We also discovered there was an earthquake in October in the same location where major parts of the storm hit. This left some already without homes living in shelters, just further contributing to the potential for overall death and destruction when the storm hit. Lastly, we took a look at Haiyan from a contextual view and how it relates to future storms. There was one clear point that stood out: climate change. We found climate change affects systems globally, creating a higher frequency of strong category storms such as Haiyan. Increased temperature will contribute to heavy precipitation in some areas and much direr conditions in others. This presents the fact that there is a strong possibility more of these storms will come. Maybe not always to the magnitude of Haiyan, but definitely still creating problem for humans as a whole.

Relief Efforts Continue for Philippine Victoms

When such a major environmental hazard hits, how could I only write one blog about it? Today I read an article on the relief efforts so far in response to last weeks Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Specifically, this article focused on American relief efforts and the large amount of donations going to recovery efforts. Donations are expected to reach $1 billion according to Patrick Rooney, associate dean at Indiana University's School of Philanthropy. This trails only the 2010 Haitian earthquake and 2004 tsunami in Indonesia for donations to a foreign cause. Donations to the Salvation Army alone went from $300,000 on Monday to about $1 million by Tuesday. One interesting aspect of this whole donation and aid cause is how long will it last? Typically, it's estimated that 75% of donations come within three to six months of a disaster. Of course, no matter the amount of giving, the relief and recovery in the Philippines most certainly will not be complete in six months. Large amounts of this giving also depends on the media coverage the event receives. As is with nearly every new channel, foreign disasters such as this may only stay in our local news for a few weeks, until something else comes up that is fresh and will interest viewers. As bad as it is, how much longer are Americans going to care about the Philippines and its recovery? And directly going along with that, how much longer will they continue to give money to recovery efforts? While initial donations from Americans have been substantial, it will be interesting to see how much longer it continues. Certainly the American government can help in recovery efforts as much as it wants, but as this article shows, many of the current funds are coming from individual Americans that just feel the need to help. Recovery efforts will take years, and it will be interesting to see if recovery efforts last as long as they are needed. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/13/donations-typhoon-stricken-philippines/3508929/

Typhoon Haiyan: The Aftermath

It's to have a environmental hazards blog and not have a post on the recent typhoon in the Philippines. Lat last week, typhoon haiyan hit the country and destroyed nearly everything in its path. The article I read is more about the recovery and relief efforts, but offers stunning facts at the strength of this hazard. The typhoon was measured as one of the strongest ever recorded, and it's estimated it destroyed up to 90% of the structures in its path. Now we have to consider the Philippines isn't necessarily the wealthiest of nations with building structures engineered to stand up to storms, but even with advanced building design, a storm with this strength is going to leave its mark. Also, the death toll is climbing daily, and it's estimated nearly 10,000 have lost their lives do to the storm. Relief efforts are coming from all over with the UN, Red Cross, and US marines all on the ground already in hit areas. Common supplies such as blankets, food, and medical supplies are being delivered hourly for the survivors. Win gusts were measured at 175 miles per hour. An estimated 9.5 million were affected. 630,000 plus were forced from their homes. This is the best example I've written about on this blog so far of just the absolute strength of nature and the affects it can have. All we can do as society in cases like this is make sure our relief efforts are made rapidly, not wasting that precious time following the hazard to get in right away and save as many lives as possible. It appears every effort is being made to save as many lives as possible, but the overall strength of an environmental hazard has never been more clear. http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/10/21389125-it-was-like-a-tsunami-philippines-stunned-by-typhoon-haiyans-devastation-as-us-forces-head-to-islands

Landslide in Newfoundland

Daniel's Harbour, a western town in Newfoundland, was the victim of a large landslide this week that has a history in the same area. The landslide has gotten worse over the past few days, and geologists will be in the town in the next few days to asses the degree to which the landslide could continue and the potential damage is may cause if this occurs. In reading this article, there's a sense that proper mitigation techniques were in place to defend against mass destruction by the landslide. First of all, it is mentioned that Daniel's Harbour has a history of landslides, but also that zero injuries have been reported. However, roads have been closed alongside the area hit, an act that is a mitigation attempt in itself, but also shows a lack of planning by having roads in an area where there is a history of landslides. Perhaps the most interesting, and potentially harmful, aspect of this landslide is that there's a concern that if the destruction continues the communities water and sewer system will be affected. This is a clear example of the swiss cheese model discussed in class, as a landslide leads to all these other potential problems. While the landslide's overall effect does not seem that great for now in Daniel's Harbour, it appears there's still a fear that it could create major problems for the town.
http://www.bing.com/search?q=landslide+affects&src=ie9tr

Wildfire Satellites

The first few posts on this blog involved the Yosemite wildfire, and the fire has since been contained, wildfire prevention technology is taking a huge step forward. Taking mitigation to a whole new level, Cal Berkeley researches are developing a satellite that could detect wildfires in their infant stages. Using infrared sensors, the satellite can detect a wildfire when it's under an acre in size. In a state that just lost millions due to a massive wildfire, it should be no surprise that they're attempting to come up with new techniques to decrease the impact. However, this is taking it to another level. Obviously satellite's in space are going to cost millions of dollars, so is the cost really worth it to prevent only potential millions in fire damage? I feel like that's the future question on the development of this satellite. While it most certainly would make an impact, the cost just operate may not make it worth the money lost in wildfire damage. But than you also have to consider the potential safety of humans effected by wildfire's, how much do you pay for that? All things to be considered as the wildfire satellite continues its development. http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/wildland-firefighting-goes-high-tech

Large Storms Cause Texas Floods

Floods and Texas. We generally don't associate the two, rather it's normally drought and Texas. However, school has been canceled and rescue teams diploid near Austin, Texas following huge storms starting Wednesday. Reports in Wimberley, Texas were of 14 inches of rain since Wednesday, and Austin Energy reported 12,000 customers without electricity. 3,000 people were evacuated from San Marcos, Texas which is 30 miles south of Austin. Emergency personnel went door-to-door on Thursday encouraging residents to leave to avoid heavy flood waters from the Blanco River. This is a perfect example of mitigation. While many may see this as just a precautionary measure, getting people out before expected floods occur will absolutely decrease potential flood problems. This is also is a great example of being prepared to take action wherever you are for any type of hazard. Specifically, rain storms and drought can really hit anywhere at anytime. From an outsiders perspective, I wouldn't assume a huge flood like this to hit Texas. Obviously it did though, and the reaction of the people seems like it was effective according to this article.
 http://www.weather.com/news/weather-severe/flash-flooding-texas-austin-halloween-photos-reports-20131031

Massive Storm Hits UK Coast

A combination of heavy rain and strong winds hit the United Kingdom coast today in one of the largest storms to hit the nation in quite some time. A 14 year-old boy is believed to have died after being washed away from the strong waves. Flights and trains have also been delayed due to the storm, and winds were measured at up to 80 miles per hour. I was shocked to see in the picture above that civilians are walking so close to the shore during the flood. Also, one part of the article that I found particularly interesting is that the article clearly says the UK doesn't get hurricanes due to its geographic location. 80 mile an hour winds and massive waves seems pretty close to hurricane type conditions though, and just goes to show a country always has to be prepared for hazards. Overall, the country should move on pretty quickly from this type of hazard. Much of that can be contributed to the overall development of the UK as one of the leading countries economically in the world, in contrast to some of the previous countries mentioned in this blog. However, this goes to show that no matter how developed a country is, how prepared they can be, hazards can have an affect anywhere. It's how quickly and efficiently a country can respond to the hazard, as well as the overall preparedness. http://www.weather.com/news/st-jude-day-storms-uk-braces-severe-weather-20131027

Evacuation in India Saves Thousands of Lives

Very rarely so far have I had the opportunity to write about a success in terms of planning for an environmental hazard. The government of India finally gave me that opportunity over the weekend, when it evacuated performed its largest evacuation of people people in the nations history, in response to a threat by Cyclone Phailin. The cyclone did indeed hit, and 17 were killed, but the death tole could have been far worse had it not been for the evacuation. Jeff Masters, founder of Weather Underground in Michigan, stated that changes in infrastructure, weather forecasting, and emergency servicing all contributed to the low number of deaths. This part of India is no stranger to tropical cyclones as 26 of the worlds 35 deadliest cyclones have occurred in the Bay of Bengal. Now, the biggest long-term problem is the rice production lost. Nearly 600,000 hectares of the state's rice area was affected. This is equal to 15% of the state of Odisha's rice planting area, which could affect a large amount of local farmers. This loss has the potential to be a big blow to rice productions, and the 17 lives lost should not be forgotten, but the potential affects that could have occurred cannot be forgotten. The Indian government deserves a great deal of recognition for their actions and keeping their people as safe as possible.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-13/nine-killed-as-cyclone-strike-shuts-power-roads-in-india.html

Aqua Alta Flood hits Venice

                                                            A personal photo from Venice.

In my time in Europe, Venice was probably the biggest surprise city to me. I really can't explain why, I guess I just didn't have really high expectations, and it turned out to be one of my favorite cities to visit in Europe. You absolutely get the feel while you're in Venice like there is no other place like this in the world. Also, perhaps my favorite thing about Venice, is that there's really nothing to do in Venice. That sounds bad, but it's what makes the city. There's no must see monument or museum, it's just the city itself that's such an attraction. All I did for the day I was there was walk around the city, and that was perfect, and it made for an awesome experience. With all this being said, as a visitor you can absolutely see the potential for flooding problems. As I said, Venice is unlike any other city in the world. I didn't know the exact numbers until I read this article on current flooding problems in Venice, but the city is 118 small island connected by 160 canals. That's crazy! Aqua Alta floods are caused by a combination of high tides and strong winds. In the case of Venice, the Mediterranean surrounds the entire city, and the risk of flooding is just part of living and visiting there. At this point, it's tough to say what Venice can do to prevent this type of hazard or what type of mitigation techniques can be used. The city essentially a bunch of buildings that are hundreds of years old surrounded by a large body of water. The city probably wasn't a wise decision to build in the first place, and Aqua Alta flooding is just a part of Venice. The article does bring up an extremely interesting point though: More damage is done to these ancient building by the vibrations of cruise ships than by flooding. While we may think that this flooding puts the city in extreme danger, the vibration of cruise ships, something that happens daily, has more of an impact. I don't think too many people would have guessed that, but what are the chances that cruise ships will stop going to one of the most beautiful cities in the world? My recommendation, see Venice while you can. Who knows how much longer these buildings and this city will be standing. It's definitely a city that's worth seeing, and it is truly unique.
http://www.weather.com/travel/acqua-alta-strikes-again-venice-photos-20131009

Tropical Storm Danas Threatens Japan and South Korea

The goal of this blog is to not just focus on hazards in the United States, but throughout the world. It would be a pretty poor blog if I just focused on one country, when environmental hazards are obviously a worldwide problem. In an attempt to expand outside of US hazards, I read an article on tropical storm Danas which was threatening both Japan and South Korea and still could cause major problems. Even with the attempt to get away from affects of a hazard on the US, I read that more than 18,000 American military and their families live on the Japanese island of Okinawa, which was right in the target lines of Danas. The storm did not make a direct hit on the island, and no reports of immediate damage were reported. Tropical storms, which lead to more commonly known hazards such as hurricanes and typhoons, are a major type of hazard in this region of the world. These hazards can be especially affective because of the populations and land mass of some of these nations. For example, Japan has a very large amount of people in a very small country in terms of land. When hazards hit, there's not too many places to run for safety. Also when you look at the location of these countries, many are bordered by oceans, creating the potential for very large hazards. It appears tropical storm Danas will not be as severe as once though, but winds were still measured at 145 miles per hour. Those types of speeds could do serious damage if they hit the right area, and unfortunately for many Asian nations, it's a reoccurring problem. http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/typhoon-danas-leaves-okinawa-moves-toward-japan-and-south-korea-20131008

Fighting Wildfire's the Wrong Way?

This is my first post that is not about a specific hazard, but rather a potential problem with the way we fight a certain type of hazard. The article I read was legitimately very interesting to me because it raised a lot of potential problems about the way we fight wildfires. The article begins by discussing the way we measure the strength of wildfires by the death total or property loss that comes out of them. It references the 32 people that have lost their lives this year so far fighting wildfires, 19 of which were in the Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona this past June. This fact leads to probably the strongest statement in the article: "The U.S. fights wildfires like it once fought wars." This is a bit extreme, but it does make a good point in that we attack wildfires head on with overwhelming manpower. The cost most certainly adds up, as the federal government budgeted $2 million last year to fight wildfires, but has already crossed that dollar amount this year. This is not to say that fighting wildfires don't deserve this type of funding, because when lives and millions of dollars in property value are at risk, they most certainly do. However, do we need to fight every single wildfire out there? This is what the article suggests we do. As I learned in my visit to Yosemite, wildfires are allowed to burn at times with the benefit of burning some plants so that forests don't become overcrowded. I don't believe that every wildfire we instantly run to and fight with all available manpower we have until it's put out, but maybe we should let nature take it's course a little more often. I think where the article makes a very strong point is that if we continue to fight the majority of wildfires we're just encouraging people to move closer and closer to forests at risk for fires. This brings in the engineering paradigm, as well as the swiss cheese model, in that we're almost telling people to move closer forests, which is just setting them up when that fire occurs for property loss to occur, and in the worst cases death. So maybe we have to change our approach. Maybe we let a few more fires burn, not only to save money, but to remind people of how dangerous it is to ignore hazards and the potential affects they have.
http://science.time.com/2013/10/04/let-it-burn-changing-firefighting-techniques-for-a-warming-world/

Death Total Rises in Mexico After Storms

I read an article on a tropical on twin storms that hit the the Pacific and Gulf Coast of Mexico at the same time a month ago, and how they're still finding bodies of those killed in the storms. There are a few different topics we've covered in class that can be related to this storm. One, the preparation, specifically the engineering paradigm of hazards, was not prepared for this storm. The article mentioned the area hit hardest was a remote village in the state of Guerrero where bodies are just beginning to be recovered. While the storms hit hard, the perfect example of the swiss cheese model is what ultimately caused the wrong problems. Mudslides were what caused the majority of house damages and deaths, and these slides were caused by the severity of the storm. A heavy storm is one thing, but when you pair that with the formation of mudslides, this is an example of multiple situations coming together to form an environmental hazard. The death tole has risen to 157, and nearly 175,000 homes have been lost. Perhaps the most interesting part of the article which points right to the engineering paradigm is the president of Mexico has ordered an investigation on which officials gave permits to build in banned areas like the riverbeds affected. Obviously, if there were no houses in these areas, the loss in both property and lives would be smaller. However, there was approval, and people that should have never been allowed to live in an area with such a risk ultimately lost their lives because they were allowed to live in this area.
http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/mexico-storm-deaths-continue-rise-after-tropical-systems-and-mudslides-20131003

Drought Effecting Man Made Lakes

It's very easy to take for granted how lucky us Wisconsinites and Minnesotans are with our plethora of lakes. While we'll most certainly have our dry season's, we really never have to worry about lakes drying up or our water sources being lost. So when I read stories about man made lakes in California losing the majority of their water, and communities struggling with a lack of water, it's something I just can't relate to too much. I read an article on Nacimiento Lake and Lake San Antonio in California, both man made, being effected by the extremely dry season currently taking in place in the Cal Poly region of California. The region is currently in it's third driest year on record in Cal Poly. The lakes were made to control flooding in winter months from strong winter storms, and then be a water source in the hot spring and summer months when the largest amounts of water are being consumed. Obviously, with dry weather the lakes didn't fill up over winter, and there's been no water available for these already dry spring and summer months. With no natural spring feeding these man made lakes, when there's no rain, there's no lake. Communities are feeling the pain of no rain, with not only their landscape drying up, but more importantly their tap water sources are limited effecting drinking water and utilities. There's really no way humans could have predicted when they built these lakes that drought would nearly dry up completely. However, we're seeing the impact a man made lake can have when relied upon for water. It's something we don't think about much here in the Midwest, but that many parts of the country and world have to deal with. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/09/28/2708164/drought-hits-some-area-lakes-hard.html

Major Irish River Potentially Threatened

One of the many beautiful views along the River Shannon, Ireland

For the first time on this blog, I decided to just Google environmental hazards and select news and see what came up. I was shocked when the second headline was from Limerick, Ireland, the exact city I studied abroad in last semester. Aughinish Alumina is looking to extend the size of its bauxite residue deposits pond. The pond leaves a red-coloured bauxite residue that's stored as a red mud. So far this may not seem like two big of a problem, but one of the largest rivers in the country of Ireland just happens to be 100 feet away from this proposed pond expansion. I can tell your firsthand, it rains pretty much everyday in Ireland. With a pond that holds a chemical residue so close to a major river , in a country where flooding is as common as a pint of Guinness on a week night, one could see why there would be some concern. Humans are the one's causing this concern, since it's the companies wish to extend their holding pond. It may seem like this really isn't related to an environmental hazard, and nothing has really happened yet. However, think of the hazard that would occur if there was a flood, and this red mud did make its way in the Shannon River. While the company is pushing for their pond to be expanded, there's plenty of opposition to it. A local farmers action group has talked to the European Commission, saying the material should be considered hazardous waste. The former mayor of the city is speaking out about the potential danger to the wildlife, which includes dolphins, otters, and numerous birds. As someone who walked right along this river multiple times, there are numerous fisherman, massive swans, and plenty of ducks that can be found all over this river. There are also many canoe's and kayak's that spend hours everyday on the river. It will be interesting to see whether this pond is approved or prevented, but I believe it absolutely could lead to an environmental hazard occurring. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/concerns-raised-over-aluminium-plant-in-limerick-1.1532430

Numerous States Feeling Affect of Drought

 Last class, Dr. Hupy asked the class to raise their hand if they had heard of the horrible drought occurring in Oklahoma. A few raised their hands, but the majority had no idea what he was talking about, including me. I had already planned to read up on it, but also chose a book for my book review about the Dust Bowl in an attempt to learn a little bit more about one of the largest environmental hazards the United States has ever seen. What I learned about the current drought, affecting more than a few states, was pretty interesting. My family also owns a farm, mainly for hunting, but that grows corn and soybeans. I was surprised to read Wisconsin as on the of the states listed in the article being affected by the drought. I suppose it was just me not really thinking about it considering we haven't had rain here in a very long time, but it still made me a little more interested when I read my state as one that was a part of this drought. While the cause of the wildfire that I've talked about in my previous blogs is linked to humans, a drought is something we have little control over. We don't have the ability to make it rain, and the only thing we can really do in response is wait it out for that rain to come. The article listed the states affected: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. That's a lot of states. It also discussed how prices and overall crop yields were being affected on the crops. Something that I found very interesting was that the USDA still was expecting record yields for corn and the third largest yield of soybeans ever. I would never associate drought with record crop yields, but I'm also not about to question the USDA. The drought overall is considered severe, and obviously thousands of farmers are being affected. However, with high yields I would not expect prices to go up too much for consumers on the crops being affected. Overall, it was interesting to read about something that I didn't even know was occurring until a couple days ago.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130913/BIZ/309130005/Drought-worsens-Midwest-South-crops-taking-hitile

The Financial Damage of the Yosemite Fire

As a Finance major, I'm always interested to see if there's a financial aspect to worldly news, and that's no different when it comes to attempting to put out a wildlifefire. I think it's specifically interesting in the story of the Yosemite National Park fire. For so many other Environmental Hazards, such as Hurricane Katrina or tsunami's in Asia, we're informed of the financial implications that these hazards caused. Very rarely in wildfire's is that sort of information focused on, so it was interesting to read this article saying that the cost of fighting the Yosemite fire has reached $100 million. That number is surely only going to grow. Slince my last blog post, the fire is still spreading. The fire remains 80% contained, but the article stated nearly a dozen homes have been burned to the ground along with almost 100 outbuildings. As stated in my last blog post, this fire was caused by an illegal fire set by a hunter in Yosemite. While putting out the fire is obviously the top priority and should be done at whatever the cost, it's just interesting to look at this from a financial perspective. The article talked about how Tuolumne River Trust has already asked the US government and the state of California for funds, as it should as a National Park. I just thought this was a different look at the fire that we don’t always think about, but is obviously significant.www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Rim-Fire-Started-Near-Yosemite-Costs-100-Million-223131161.htm

Hotter Weather Means Spreading Yosemite Fire

As someone who was able to visit Yosemite National Park just a few weeks before the current wildfire started, I was interested to take a look at the current situation of the fire. Of course it's been national news for a while, but I hadn't looked into it a great deal. First off, the cause was an illegal fire by hunters. I would have never believed that hunters would be allowed in a National Park, but due to my recent visit, I can see why it's allowed. Yosemite is larger than a few states. When I visited, it would take 45 minutes just from the entrance to the middle of the park where we were doing our hike. I was also able to to see firsthand the number of campers that are allowed in Yosemite, and with that, the number of campfires. It was so interesting to see the change in climate when I was in California. My family spent a few days in San Francisco where it was surprisingly very cool. The four hour drive East to Yosemite brought us to what I always thought California weather would be like: hot and dry. Therefore, the fact that a fire could spread quickly in Yosemite didn't surprise me. What was shocking to me was the article stated that the fire spread 10,000 acres on Thursday! I was also very surprised to read that the fire was 80% controlled. It was interesting because perhaps my favorite part about Yosemite was when we visited the giant sequoias. During the tour of these beautiful trees, the tour guide discussed how they create fires on purpose quite a bit because it's good for the trees and the forest as a whole. Still, I find it very impressive that a wildfire this large could be 80% controlled. The image above is a personal photo I took while at Yosemite. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/06/20362060-crews-could-lose-ground-as-rim-fire-gains-speed-in-california?lite