· September, 2012

Stories about Disaster from September, 2012

Nepal: Another Plane Crash Dips Optimism

  29 September 2012

Lex Limbu used to share his optimism and hope for the domestic airlines industry of Nepal. But the recent Sita Air crash, and the death of 19 people on board, puts all optimism in despair.

Guatemala: Profiting from Catastrophes

  27 September 2012

Kevin from the Guatemala Solidarity Network blog points readers to an article by Danilo Valladares published in Inter Press Service about “‘big disaster business’ – profiting from catastrophes.” In a country as vulnerable to natural disasters as Guatemala, a “state of public calamity” is frequently declared – to the joy...

Japan: Citizens Respond to New Nuclear Power Policies

  24 September 2012

Individuals with vested interests in nuclear power have been named to lead a regulatory commission of the Japanese government that will play crucial role in determining whether to phase out nuclear power during the 2030s and how. While environmental groups welcome the government's statement of intent to end nuclear power, citizens are calling for commission members with a conflict of interest to be declared ineligible.

Japan: Radio Airs Story of Fukushima Province Evacuee

  15 September 2012

Multilingual community radio station FMYY in Kobe has aired a radio drama titled “Under Invisible Clouds” [ja], the story of Yasuko Sasaki, one evacuee from the town of Namie in Fukushima Prefecture. This story was produced by volunteers in Hiroshima as a part of the 100 Stories Project [ja] about...

Russia: Religiosity & the Murdered U.S. Ambassador

RuNet Echo  15 September 2012

Responding to the attack on U.S. embassies across the Muslim world (specifically the murder of Ambassador Christopher Stevens in Libya), Russian bloggers have addressed the perceived growth of religiosity in their own country, and used the incident as an opportunity to discuss the wider consequences of political unrest.

India: Koodankulam Nuclear Plant Starts Amidst Protests

  14 September 2012

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, India started operations recently despite protests to stall it. Police cracked down on some 8,000 people from nearby villages who assembled at the beach and stood in sea water to protest moves to load uranium fuel in one of the two reactors of the plant.

Cuba: Blackout Leaves 5 Million People in the Dark

  11 September 2012

An interruption of an electrical transmission line left five million people from Pinar del Río to Camagüey, including the Cuban capital, Havana, in the dark. Various Twitter users residing in Cuba used the battery life they still had on their laptops and dial-up connections to report what was happening.

Mayotte, Comoros: Tensions Rise After 36 Refugees Disappear at Sea

  11 September 2012

We cannot be part of the Indian Ocean Community and be indifferent to these tragedies. The solution must involve both countries Saïd Larifou reacts to the recent drowning [fr] of refugees trying to reach Mayotte  by sea. Currently 36 are missing [fr] after their boat capsized as it approached Mayotte. M. Larifou warns...

Brazil: Mapping Fires in São Paulo Favelas, Land Values

  11 September 2012

After crowdsourced research on fires in São Paulo's slums and informal settlements, known as favelas, Patrícia Cornils and a group of São Paulo citizens are mapping the fires at a site called “Fogo no Barraco” which translates as “Shanty on Fire”. The site also reveals dramatic increases in land value near fire...

Video: San Cristobal Volcano Eruption in Northern Nicaragua

  9 September 2012

YouTube's Citizentube has a playlist of user submitted videos showing the dramatic volcanic eruptions of September 8th in Nicaragua. The San Cristobal volcano, the tallest in this Central American country, erupted at 9:02 am on Saturday, releasing steam and ash and causing authorities to evacuate more than 3000 people from Chinandega.

India: Standing Neck Deep in Water to Protest

  7 September 2012

Fifty one residents of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh have launched a ‘Jal Satyagraha' protest by standing neck deep inside the backwaters of Omkareshwar dam on Narmada river. The protest is against the government decision to raise the water level of the dam pending rehabilitation.

Nepal: Hydro-power Sector Marred by Politics

  7 September 2012

Nepal is experiencing a huge power (electricity) deficit and despite this fact no additional power stations were commissioned in recent times to meet the growing demand. Hydroelectricity has a great potential in the country but the sector needs foreign investment and government support. Democracy for Nepal blog rounds up the latest...