Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Katrina's Lessons
Hurricane Katrina has taught us several lessons, how well will we learn?
Some lessons are very personal. Am I prepared to survive for 3 days faced with a catastrophic collapse of infrastructure? No. I'm not in an area that is subject to flooding, so that's OK. I've got a way to communicate when faced with disruptions of electrical service, telephone, and cell phone (ham radio). I can easily endure several days without electricity; our heat and cook stove are propane. The bottom line, however, is that I don't have enough non-perishable food and water supplies. I'm going to work on that. On the web, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service has a nice an simple menu and shopping list for a 3-day supply. There are some basic guidelines:
The other lesson is a much broader and simpler one, but it has deep implications for our society. It is a lesson best seen through the lens of geologic time and the global climate changes the collective we are starting to recognize. First off, coastlines are ephemeral. They are places to visit, but they are constantly in flux. Maybe they should all be parks. In the aftermath of the tsunami in Banda, Ache, the coastal parklands suffered the least damage. Remember the lesson of building a house on sand also applies to casinos.
Secondly, what does this tell us about the consequences of global warming? Climate scientists have warned of sea level rise and an increased frequency and power of hurricanes as ocean surface water temperature rises. Not only has Earth's climate been significantly warmer than it is now (the Cretaceous for example), but geologists know where that ancient coastline was. Along the east coast, that coast line is known as the "fall line" where the topography undergoes a transition from the Appalachian Mountains to a flat, "coastal" plain. The Jackson Purchase region of western Kentucky is in that Cretaceous seaway. Millions of years ago, Paducah would have been in a swampy lowland similar the modern environment of New Orleans.
I'll finish with two questions to consider. Under what circumstances would you decide to "ride it out" rather than evacuate? Hurricanes don't sneak up on anyone so, for those who can't evacuate (ill health, no transportation, and the like) should the public transportation resources be marshaled to this task? (It may have happened, but I saw no news stories about this.)
Some lessons are very personal. Am I prepared to survive for 3 days faced with a catastrophic collapse of infrastructure? No. I'm not in an area that is subject to flooding, so that's OK. I've got a way to communicate when faced with disruptions of electrical service, telephone, and cell phone (ham radio). I can easily endure several days without electricity; our heat and cook stove are propane. The bottom line, however, is that I don't have enough non-perishable food and water supplies. I'm going to work on that. On the web, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service has a nice an simple menu and shopping list for a 3-day supply. There are some basic guidelines:
- At least one gallon of water per person per day.
- Canned goods require 3 cans per person per day.
- Rotate supplies every six months.
- Canned meat (chili, stew, ham, spaghetti sauce, etc), fish, fruit, vegetables, soup (ready to eat varieties that don't require adding water)
- MECHANICAL CAN OPENER and "church key"
- Coffee, tea, powdered sport drink, dehydrated milk
- Crackers
- Cheese (hard cheeses with wax coatings that don't require refrigeration)
- Snacks: nuts, peanut butter, dried fruit, beef jerky, granola bars, trail mix
- Instant hot cereal
- Pasta
- Dried beans
- Salt, pepper, sugar, honey
- Pots, pans (compact mess kit variety as sold for camping)
- Eating (plastic forks, spoons, knives) and cooking (spatula, carving knife, fork) utensils
- Paper towels, plates, cups, aluminum foil, self-closing plastic storage bags, garbage bags
- Matches, candles, batteries, flashlights
- Antibacterial wipes or hand cleaning gel (of course, a First Aid Kit)
- Battery or self-powered radio (solar or hand-cranked). Get one that receives the sound from local TV channels.
- Raingear, blankets
The other lesson is a much broader and simpler one, but it has deep implications for our society. It is a lesson best seen through the lens of geologic time and the global climate changes the collective we are starting to recognize. First off, coastlines are ephemeral. They are places to visit, but they are constantly in flux. Maybe they should all be parks. In the aftermath of the tsunami in Banda, Ache, the coastal parklands suffered the least damage. Remember the lesson of building a house on sand also applies to casinos.
Secondly, what does this tell us about the consequences of global warming? Climate scientists have warned of sea level rise and an increased frequency and power of hurricanes as ocean surface water temperature rises. Not only has Earth's climate been significantly warmer than it is now (the Cretaceous for example), but geologists know where that ancient coastline was. Along the east coast, that coast line is known as the "fall line" where the topography undergoes a transition from the Appalachian Mountains to a flat, "coastal" plain. The Jackson Purchase region of western Kentucky is in that Cretaceous seaway. Millions of years ago, Paducah would have been in a swampy lowland similar the modern environment of New Orleans.
I'll finish with two questions to consider. Under what circumstances would you decide to "ride it out" rather than evacuate? Hurricanes don't sneak up on anyone so, for those who can't evacuate (ill health, no transportation, and the like) should the public transportation resources be marshaled to this task? (It may have happened, but I saw no news stories about this.)
