Stories about Disaster from August, 2011
Haiti: Hurricanes Only Part of the Problem
Throwing Down the Water says that although Hurricane Emily “mostly missed Haiti…the usual rains of this season will not because they are part of the usual cycle of nature. And as it was with the earthquake, it will not be their nature killing people but the lack of appropriate accommodations,...
Côte d'Ivoire: Abidjan in Mourning After Tragic Bus Accident
Friday, August 5, was a tragic day for the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire. A bus transporting passengers in the capital city Abidjan, plunged off a bridge into the Ebrié lagoon, killing 40 and injuring 9. The Ivorian government has decreed three days of national mourning as a mark of respect for the victims.
Walking through Japan
On August 1st Thomas Köhler started a mission: to walk trough three of the major Japanese islands, from Hokkaido to Kyushu. Köhler – who works as a manager at a tour operator – came up with the project after the March 11 disaster, when the number of visitors to Japan...
Japan: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami Creative Industry Survey Results
Chris Palmieri published “Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami Creative Industry Survey Results” in English and Japanese on the AQ blog, reporting how people who work in the creative industries were affected by the events following the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11. It's also been translated into Chinese.
Japan: “Hiroshima Archive” maps testimonials and photographs
Hiroshima Archive is a multilayered resource cataloging the reality of atomic weapons. They use Google Earth to associate geographic information with testimonials and photographs. Their website is in Japanese and English.
Haiti: Tackling the Housing Problem
Toussaint on Haiti maintains that “kicking people out of the IDP camps without providing them with an adequate alternative will not solve the [housing] problem”, adding: “The only solution is for the government to provide some form of public housing [and] engage in serious agrarian reforms that will provide real...
Ukraine: People as Expendables
Taras of Ukraïniana comments on two recent mine accidents in Ukraine, causing 38 deaths, and posts a video [ru] of a miner who says that mine-owners treat their employees as expendables.
China: Symbolism of the High Speed Train
Eli from Chengdu Living discusses about the symbolism of the high speed train in China and its backlash as a result of the Wenzhou train crash.
Haiti: Fair Pay Needed for Honest Work
“Eighteen months after ‘bagay la’ (‘the thing’) brought Haiti to its knees, Haiti is still on its knees”: Dying in Haiti says that “there is much work to be done in Haiti and there are many Haitians to do the work. They need to be paid fairly for their work...
Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Flying High
Two posts in the aftermath of the Caribbean Airlines crash: Jamaica Woman Tongue on “duppy” airlines and KnowTnT.com on the “political circus of BW523.”
Paraguay: 7 Years Since Supermarket Tragedy
Seven years ago today, on August 1, 2004, a fire in a supermarket killed over 300 people and left more than 500 injured in what the blog Interparaguay [es] calls the greatest civil tragedy in Paraguay.
Caribbean: Online Reactions to Guyana Plane Crash
When news broke early on Saturday that a Caribbean Airlines flight had crash landed at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana, the regional blogosphere sat up and took notice. In its 71-year history, the airline had boasted an unblemished safety record until the incident.
South Korea: Volunteers out to Clean up Flood Damage
Several days after the onset of one of the worst flooding and landslides in South Korean history, efforts to aid those affected continue. Twitter user Sayqueen tweeted a photo of volunteers gathered to clean up water damage.
