Curbing Catastrophe

Natural Hazards and Risk Reduction in the Modern World
Erscheinungsjahr 2017
ISBN: 978-1-107-03518-8
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 346 Seiten, Format (B × H): 159 mm x 238 mm, Gewicht: 658 g

What does Japan's 2011 nuclear accident have in common with the 2005 flooding of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina? This thought-provoking book presents a compelling account of recent and historical disasters, both natural and human-caused, drawing out common themes and providing a holistic understanding of hazards, disasters and mitigation, for anyone interested in this important and topical subject. Based on his on-the-ground experience with several major recent disasters, Timothy H. Dixon explores the science, politics and economics behind a variety of disasters and environmental issues, arguing that many of the worst effects are avoidable. He describes examples of planning and safety failures, provides forecasts of future disasters and proposes solutions for hazard mitigation. The book shows how billions of dollars and countless lives could be saved by adopting longer-term thinking for infrastructure planning and building, and argues that better communication is vital in reducing global risks and preventing future catastrophes.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Dixon, Timothy H

Fachgebiete

• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Umwelttechnik
• Geowissenschaften Geologie Geologie
• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Naturgewalten & Katastrophen
• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Soziale & wirtschaftliche Auswirkungen von Umweltfaktoren
• Technische Wissenschaften Umwelttechnik | Umwelttechnologie Umwelttechnik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface; 1. Black and white swans, evolution, and markets; 2. What is a natural disaster? Where do they occur, and why? Are they different from human-made disasters?; 3. If we know so much about natural disasters, why are we so vulnerable?; 4. Japanese earthquakes and nuclear power plant failures; 5. Future earthquake disasters in Seattle and Istanbul; 6. Nuclear power, coal, and tuna: the concept of relative risk; 7. Past and future coastal flooding: Galveston, New Orleans, Bangladesh, and the specter of sea level rise; 8. What's all the fuss about global warming?; 9. Solutions; References and further reading; Index; Online appendices: Appendix 1. Additional background material and exercises for students; Appendix 2. Colour figures.

Über Autor(innen)

Dixon, Timothy H
Timothy H. Dixon is a Professor in the School of Geosciences and Director of the Natural Hazards Network at the University of South Florida. In his research, he uses satellite geodesy and remote sensing data to study earthquakes and volcano deformation, coastal subsidence, ground water extraction and glacier motion. He has worked as a commercial pilot and scientific diver, conducted research at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, and was a Professor at the University of Miami, where he co-founded the Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing (CSTARS). Dixon was a Distinguished Lecturer for the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) in 2006-7, and is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the Geological Society of America (GSA), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He received a GSA 'Best Paper' award in 2006, and received GSA's George P. Woollard award in 2010 for excellence in geophysics.