Stories about Disaster from December, 2011
Philippines: Typhoon Sendong and Social Media
Typhoon Sendong victims, their families, and friends, in the Philippines are using social media to look for missing victims, coordinate and document relief efforts, and record images and accounts of the destruction.
Chile: Netizens Report and React to Torres del Paine Wildfire
For days, a wildfire has been consuming thousands of hectares in national park Torres del Paine in Chile's Patagonia. Netizens are sharing reports and reacting to the news through #salvemostorresdelpaine...
A Radical Solution For Global Poverty: Open Borders
Various experts say that extreme poverty isn't inevitable. The most radical solution to drastically reducing global poverty would be, for many economic experts, opening the borders between countries and allowing workers to migrate where labor is most needed.
Tanzania: Dar Youth Mobilise Online to Assist Flood Victims
Dar Es Salaam’s young social media users are mobilising volunteers to assist in relief efforts following the floods that inundated vast areas of Dar es Salaam causing deaths and damage to infrastructure. Using the hashtag #Darfloods, Twitter users have been in the forefront informing and mobilising relief efforts.
Japan: Archiving Online Videos of Quake and Tsunami
More than 9 months have passed since the earthquake and tsunami which devastated many areas of Japan on March 11th. Rick Martin has been mapping and tagging videos taken during...
Philippines: State of National Calamity After Tropical Storm Sendong
A state of national calamity was declared by the Philippine president after tropical storm Sendong devastated many parts of north Mindanao Island. More than 1,000 people have already died in the flash floods and 1,000 are still missing. Here are some citizen media photos and reports of the flood impact.
Japan: New Video Footage of Tsunami Tidal Surge
Devastating tsunami tidal surges are quiet and quick, as a recently uploaded video shows. The video was recorded from inside a truck which got stuck in the rising waters more...
Japan: Life Decisions in the Face of Radiation Fear
The decision to move away differs from the more reactive evacuations that occurred this spring after the initial nuclear disasters. A blogger who decided to stay calls for a more logical understanding of the nuanced undercurrents of our emotional struggles.
Kobe, Japan: Running Through a City Once Devastated
Kobe City was hit with a 7.3-magnitude earthquake on January 17, 1995. On November 20, 2011, the city held their first ever official marathon event, where more than 20,000 runners completed the 42.195km distance. Among them were 641 runners who came from the Tohoku region, which had been devastated by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake this March.
Philippines: Storm Leaves Hundreds Dead and Missing
Hundreds died in many parts of Mindanao Island in southern Philippines after tropical storm Sendong hit the country last Friday. The casualties could be worse and may even reach more than 600. It’s the worst flooding to hit the north part of Mindanao in many years. Netizens immediately used the web to report about the disaster and to call for support
Southeast Asia: Crocodiles in the News
A giant crocodile in the southern Philippines and crocodiles in the flooded waters of Thailand and Cambodia were among the top news topics in Southeast Asia in the last quarter of the year. Here are some crocodile sightings and online reports.
Japan: Lifestyle and Awareness Changes after the Earthquake
The Japan for Sustainability blog summarized results of various questionnaires that indicate how Japanese lifestyles and awareness have changed after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Subjects include energy, nature, inter-personal...
Japan: 311 in a Visual Anthropology Class
Anthropologist Steven C. Fedorowicz summarizes a recent Contemporary Japan and Globalization class that he taught on the triple disasters following March 11th.
Macedonia: Is Skopje Really the Most Polluted City in the World?
Unlike the authorities, social media users are reacting to the empirical information about high levels of pollution in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. Filip Stojanovski reports.
Barbados: Environmental Laws Needed
In the wake of a fire at a chemical warehouse, Barbados Free Press says: “This week’s spill disaster again reminds us that when it comes to environmental standards, laws and...
