Landslide | Jotup

Incremental environmental change can be as hazardous as a sudden shock – managing these ‘slow-burning’ risks is vital

Retrieved on:

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Although risk assessment and management procedures try to account for hazards in a systematic way, they often overlook risks arising from incremental and seemingly insignificant environmental changes.

Key Points:

Although risk assessment and management procedures try to account for hazards in a systematic way, they often overlook risks arising from incremental and seemingly insignificant environmental changes.
But over time, or when aggregated, incremental changes can lead to significant impacts on human health and wellbeing.
Incremental changes in our environments can evade regulation if their effects are slow-burning, uncertain, or there is a time lag between cause and effect.
However, given the requirement for significant change, it is hard to see how these provisions could be used proactively to manage incremental changes.

Respirable mineral dust

They can gradually accumulate in the lungs, causing diseases such as pleural changes, silicosis and asbestosis, even cancer.
However, the causes of frequent but low-level exposures to mineral dust have often escaped regulation.

Cumulative effects of incremental loss of green space

Our built environment of impermeable surfaces is slowly encroaching on urban green spaces and gardens.
Instead, consent applications are assessed on their individual impacts and there are few mechanisms to sufficiently assess and manage aggregate and cumulative effects.

What needs to happen

If we continue to only consider the immediate and local effects from individual actions, we are not able to protect people from future cumulative consequences.
Marc Tadaki receives funding from Te Apārangi Royal Society of New Zealand and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Martin Brook receives funding from Royal Society Te Apārangi, Toka Tū Ake EQC, and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
He is a chartered geologist (CGeol) with the Geological Society of London, and a member of Engineering New Zealand (MEngNZ).

Indonesia will hold the world's biggest single day election: here is what you need to know

Retrieved on:

Saturday, August 5, 2023

The total number of voters expected accounts for 74% of the total population of this, Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

Key Points:

The total number of voters expected accounts for 74% of the total population of this, Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
The registration for presidential and vice presidential candidates will be open from October 19 to November 25, 2023.
But already the names Anies Baswedan, Ganjar Pranowo, Prabowo Subianto have emerged as leading candidates who are expected to run.
And many have predicted that 53-year-old Anies will be the front runner in the race.
In a number of national surveys Prabowo comes out on top, slightly ahead of Anies and Ganjar.

The youth vote

A key question will be whether they are willing to participate or not.
But when asked about their views, the percentage of young people who declared an interest in politics was a mere 1.1%.
Many young voters were undecided, pessimistic about the political situation and lacking in trust of the political elite.
Since the number of young voters is huge, political parties and potential candidates have started to implement social media strategies to attract them.

The simultaneous election

The legislative elections will consist of votes to the national-level council and the House of Representatives as well as regional legislative bodies.
It is also burdensome for election organisers.

The system

This system differs from the closed proportional system previously implemented from 1971 to 1997 – where voters voted for the political parties, and then the parties internally select candidates for the legislative seats.
With the open proportional system, the election gives voters more power over political parties to choose who will get the seats.

Hoaxes, misinformation and social media

Do phrases like 'global boiling' help or hinder climate action?

Retrieved on:

Thursday, August 3, 2023

People, Coral, United Nations, Climate, Politics, Fear, Foot, Hope, Dignity, Fire, Guterres, Phrase, Wind, Landslide, Climate change, Traction, IPCC, False alarm, Flood, COP27, Risk, Water, UN, Horn, United Kingdom, Weather, Black Summer, Food, Tremor, News, Farm, Fossil fuel, Renewable energy, Film industry, Design

The era of global warming has ended, he declared dramatically, and the era of “global boiling” has arrived.

Key Points:

The era of global warming has ended, he declared dramatically, and the era of “global boiling” has arrived.
Do phrases like this actually help drive us towards faster and more effective climate action?
Or do they risk making us prone to climate doomism, and risk prompting a backlash?

Rhetoric and reality

In many ways, it’s one of the only tools he has, given the UN has global influence but limited real power.
It’s designed to sound the alarm and trigger more radical action to stave off the worst of climate change.
At one level, “global boiling” is clearly an exaggeration, despite the extreme summer heat and fire during the northern summer.
Fewer doubters are trying to discredit the fundamental science than during the long period of manufactured scepticism in Western nations.
In this context, we can see “global boiling” as an expression of humanitarian concern backed by rigorous science showing the situation continues to worsen.

The hazards of theatrical language

Or the warnings can add to climate anxiety and make people feel there’s no hope and therefore no point in acting.
Catastrophic language often has moral overtones – and, as we all know, we don’t like being told what to do.
Hot language can motivate us, just as quieter, process-heavy, technocratic language can.
It can be folded into a discourse of hope and aspiration for the future, rather than of fear and trembling.

Rethinking calamity

The poor and marginalised, both authors observe, are already living through crises, year-in and year-out.
They suffer what Nixon dubs “slow violence”, punctuated by dramatic environmental events such as landslides and failed harvests.
What he’s hoping is to make people listen – and act – now we can see what climate change looks like.
Read more:
The climate crisis is real – but overusing terms like 'crisis' and 'emergency' comes with risk

Episcopal Relief & Development Supports Nine Partners in Cyclone and Flood Response

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

NEW YORK, July 18, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting partners in seven countries following cyclones and heavy rain in Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania. Through these responses with nine local partners, Episcopal Relief & Development will reach over 12,000 people and an additional 6,000 households.

Key Points:

NEW YORK, July 18, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting partners in seven countries following cyclones and heavy rain in Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania.
Through these responses with nine local partners, Episcopal Relief & Development will reach over 12,000 people and an additional 6,000 households.
"The 2022-2023 cyclone season had devastating effects on several countries," said Nagulan Nesiah, Senior Program Officer, Disaster Resilience, Episcopal Relief & Development.
Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting Anglicans in Development, who is providing food, water and temporary shelter to 1,000 people.

Real Estate Veteran Craig Robinson and Climate X Join Forces to Scale Next-Generation Climate Risk Software in the US

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Climate X , the fast-growth climate risk analytics provider, today announces the appointment of Craig Robinson as advisor.

Key Points:

Climate X , the fast-growth climate risk analytics provider, today announces the appointment of Craig Robinson as advisor.
A seasoned board director, C-suite executive and advisor, Craig brings 23 years of experience in commercial real estate, professional services and technology companies to Climate X.
His expertise will support Climate X to engage the commercial real estate industry, establishing the business’s award-winning platform Spectra as the leading tool to help real estate professionals manage climate risk.
It is impacting real assets today and is a risk that real estate managers and investors must now actively engage with.

Earthquake Early Warning System in Canada to Be Enhanced Through Collaboration With Tel Aviv University

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, announced funding for Tel Aviv University (TAU) to develop software aimed at improving Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) systems that include arrays of sensor stations.

Key Points:

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, announced funding for Tel Aviv University (TAU) to develop software aimed at improving Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) systems that include arrays of sensor stations.
The EEW system was developed by Tel Aviv University in collaboration with SeismicAI, an Israeli high tech company specializing in EEW technology.
"We are excited to be collaborating with Tel Aviv University and Natural Resources Canada.
"Of all the earthquake mitigation actions that may be considered for Canada, the array-based earthquake early warning is the most practical and most cost-effective one.

Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization Opens its 2023 STEMgirls Summer Camp

Retrieved on:

Monday, June 19, 2023

CHICAGO, June 19, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization (iBIO), dedicated to inspiring the next generation of innovators and helping restore America's leadership in technology education, today launched its 2023 STEMgirls Summer Camp at Cristo Rey St. Martin College Preparatory High School at 3106 Belvidere Rd., Waukegan, IL.

Key Points:

118 campers from the Waukegan area connect with industry volunteers for fun, educational programs
CHICAGO, June 19, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization (iBIO), dedicated to inspiring the next generation of innovators and helping restore America's leadership in technology education, today launched its 2023 STEMgirls Summer Camp at Cristo Rey St. Martin College Preparatory High School at 3106 Belvidere Rd., Waukegan, IL.
Without sponsors, iBIO's STEMgirls Summer Camp would be impossible.
Abbott is the lead sponsor for the 2023 STEMgirls Summer Camp.
Other Chicago-area healthcare companies that provided financial support for the camp include Horizon Therapeutics and the Steans Family Foundation.

From Donald Trump to Danielle Smith: 4 ways populists are jeopardizing democracy

Retrieved on:

Thursday, June 1, 2023

He argued in a celebrated essay that even the prosperous, post-Second World War United States was not immune to the radicalism of authoritarian populism.

Key Points:

He argued in a celebrated essay that even the prosperous, post-Second World War United States was not immune to the radicalism of authoritarian populism.
The so-called Red Scare of the 1950s was “simply the old ultra-conservatism and the old isolationism heightened by the extraordinary pressures of the contemporary world.” Seven decades later, Hofstadter’s words ring true again.

Paranoid politics

With so much money and power behind it, this paranoid style of politics — with its enemies lists, demonization of opposition leaders and often violent language — has gone mainstream.
But is there anything to fear from the red-hot rhetoric of the paranoid style of politics?
In Hofstadter’s time, after all, American conservative politics turned away from fringe radicalism following the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963.
The following year, Lyndon Johnson defeated right-wing Republican insurgent, Barry Goldwater in one of the largest landslides in U.S. history.

1. The shrinking middle ground

We are now in a world of zero-sum political contests, with a shrinking middle ground.
Conservative parties often force extreme referendums to maintain their grip on a deeply divided electorate.
Republicans are now doubling down on the abortion issue, even though they’re facing pushback from some state legislatures and governors.

2. The working class isn’t benefiting

Nevertheless, conservative parties around the world are marketing themselves as parties of the working class.
Populists recognize the working class is essential to their success at the national level because of the “diploma divide” that now separates right and left.
It used to be that working people recognized education as a path to prosperity.

3. The rich and powerful direct the chaos

In a war of all against all, it’s not the wealthy who lose.
Furthermore, once a lust for vengeance takes hold in the general public, it’s almost always being directed by elites with money and power who benefit financially or politically from the chaos.

4. Assaults on the rule of law

The paranoid style of politics has entered a new phase with a full-spectrum assault on the rule of law — from inside government.
Populists are lying when they argue they want to empower the rest of us by divesting judges of their authority to oversee democracy.
As he runs again for president, he’s already telegraphing his violent desires, promising pardons for the Jan. 6 insurrectionists.

The road ahead for populists

The defeats of Trump and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro don’t represent absolute rejections of their movements.
Despite an indictment for alleged financial crime and being found liable for sexual abuse in a civil case, Trump is still the 2024 front-runner.
Read more:
Why populism has an enduring and ominous appeal
We can’t count on an easy institutional fix, like a grand electoral coalition to push the populists off the ballot.

Red lights flashing

Nor can we count on the right to step back from the abyss of culture wars.
We can’t even say for certain that the populism will recede in the usual cyclical manner.
All citizens can do is offer is constant, concerted pushback against the many big lies told by populists.

5G Open Innovation Lab Teams with F5, GXC, and Spirent Communications to Lay the Groundwork for Faster Deployment of Private Mobile Networks

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

As 5G infrastructure becomes more mainstream, enterprises and organizations are subsequently deploying more private networks and telco clouds into strategic locations to leverage newly available connectivity, lower latency, and agility.

Key Points:

As 5G infrastructure becomes more mainstream, enterprises and organizations are subsequently deploying more private networks and telco clouds into strategic locations to leverage newly available connectivity, lower latency, and agility.
F5, a hybrid and multi-cloud application services and security company, deployed carrier-grade BIG-IP Virtual Editions .
These security functions were consolidated with an N6/SGi-LAN solution adding another layer of speed and security at the network level.
Finally, the entire solution was pressure-tested through technology made available through the 5G OI Lab and its enterprise and operator partners deployed with GXC’s ONYX Portal.

Landslides are a global injustice – they're rarely caused by the people worst affected

Retrieved on:

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Located at about 2,000 metres elevation in Chamoli District in the Himalayas, Joshimath is an ancient, sacred town of about 17,000 people.

Key Points:

Located at about 2,000 metres elevation in Chamoli District in the Himalayas, Joshimath is an ancient, sacred town of about 17,000 people.
Late in 2022, a new chapter started in the long history of Joshimath as cracks started to develop in buildings across the town.
The reality is something else: the town is built upon debris from an ancient landslide.
The age of the landslide is unclear, but it is likely to be hundreds or even thousands of years old.
A third theory is that climate change, which has caused more intense rainfall in the area, has triggered the landslide.

Many other Joshimaths go unreported

Landslides are destroying communities right across the high mountains of South Asia, most frequently small, isolated settlements that do not command the attention that has been heaped on Joshimath.
Over and again, people lose their major economic assets – their house and land – and are rendered destitute.
In the vast majority of cases, the landslides result from things outside of the control of the people affected, making these events a travesty of social justice.

A safety net for landslide victims

The victims at every stage are the local people, who lose their home, their land, their possessions and their livelihood, and sometimes their lives.
For most people it is not possible to assess the likelihood of a property being affected by a landslide, so home owners are in effect having to gamble.
When things go wrong, and they will, there is a need for a safety net, either through insurance or through government schemes.