· February, 2012

Stories about Disaster from February, 2012

Chile: The Role of Public Libraries in Post-Earthquake Reconstruction

  29 February 2012

Several Chilean bloggers are sharing their thoughts on the second anniversary of the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Chile on February 27, 2010. Enzo Abbagliati [es] looks at how public libraries can help people “rebuild their lives.” He argues that restoring or building people's deep bond with reading is “probably the...

Argentina: The Sarmiento Train Crash, an Accident Waiting to Happen

  27 February 2012

Simon Kofoed says that the train crash that took place last week in Buenos Aires, Argentina, “is the worst train accident in Argentina since the 1979 head on collision of two trains near Benavidez station when over 140 people lost their lives.” He adds: “Anyone who travels on the Sarmiento,...

Haiti: Students in Sheds

  23 February 2012

Haiti Grassroots Watch explores the issues surrounding the non-reconstruction of the state university in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake.

Peru is Hit by Strong Rains

  18 February 2012

Juan Arellano reports [es] that the rainy season in Peru has arrived with particular strength this year. He names some areas that have been affected by the rainfall in his blog Globalizado.

Japan: Netizens Cast Doubt on Anti-Nuclear Power Poster

  17 February 2012

On March 11, 2011, the largest earthquake in the history struck Japan, and the resulting tsunami irreversibly damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. An anti-nuclear power poster has triggered arguments on the multifaceted impact of visual art.

Honduras: Prison Fire Kills Hundreds

  15 February 2012

A blaze broke out on Tuesday night, February 14, in a prison in Comayagua. The blog Honduras News has published several posts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ) on the fire, while Adrienne Pine recommends watching “Oscar Estrada's film El Porvenir for background.”

Hungary: Another Environmental Catastrophe in the Making

  14 February 2012

In October 2010, a toxic spill from a red sludge reservoir in Kolontár caused the greatest environmental disaster in Hungary's recent history. Atlatszo.hu and Greenpeace are now drawing attention to another hazardous waste reservoir, in the town of Almásfüzitő, which is "leaking like a sponge" and is already causing grave environmental and health damage.

Madagascar : Crowdsourcing Information about Cyclone Giovanna

  13 February 2012

Cyclone Giovanna was expected to make landfall on February 13th at 23h00 local time in Madagascar. Malagasy Bloggers  have set up  a citizen reporting  platform  to crowd source information during the storm.  If you have any relevant information regarding the cyclone, you can share those with mutliple channels: via  SMS...

Macedonia: Coping With Ice and Snow in Skopje

  10 February 2012

GV Author Filip Stojanovski posts pictures of Skopje's snowy and icy streets and reports on his blog: “[…] the pavements and the side streets in the municipality of Centar remain icy. Some are covered by layers of ice or re-frozen slush, by old frozen snow, or an unevenly hardened mash...

Brazil: Is the Weather Wacky?

  9 February 2012

Talking about the weather may be mere elevator chit-chat but, come rain or shine, there is no honest conversation that does not make some reference to the weather. Obviously the online community could not remain silent on the issue. Especially not in the face of Brazil's readying for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20.

Cuba: Collapsing Capital?

  9 February 2012

“For Rogelio, 49, the need for housing is stronger than his fear of losing his life due to a collapse”: Iván's File Cabinet discusses the conundrum many inhabitants of Havana face.

Puerto Rico: Extraordinary Decisions

  9 February 2012

“What do you say when you meet someone you think is extraordinary? You should say ‘Hi!’ and then start a conversation,” says Gil the Jenius, who profiles the extraordinary Andrea Pérez, a speaker at the recently held TEDx San Juan.

Bulgaria: Severe Flooding Emergency

  7 February 2012

GV Author Ruslan Trad is tweeting – here, here, here, and here – about the severe flooding in southern Bulgaria, which was caused by heavy rainfall of the past few days and has killed at least eight people in the village of Bisser. The latest tweet came about an hour...

Balkans: Online Platform Tracks Reports From Areas Hit by Record Snowfall

  7 February 2012

Since last week, the Balkans have been hit by massive snow storms, the likes of which have not been seen in over a decade, if not longer. Danica Radisic reports on relevant initiatives launched by the region's online community, including the new Ushahidi platform for tracking verified information on road blocks, power outages and other critical points and information in the entire region.

Cuba: Another Building Collapses

  2 February 2012

“Another occupied building has collapsed in Havana, this time only partially and with no fatalities, but in the same district”: Havana Times reports.