OUR FRAGILE PLANET EARTH.ppt

Natural Phenomena that Change our Environment Planet Earth is warming up, causing: Droughts DROUGHT IN CHINA: 2007 Possible Changes in Earth’s Environment As Planet Earth warms up, Rivers may dry up. ELBE RIVER, GERMANY: SUMMER, 2007 COLORADO RIVER BASIN, WESTERN USA LOS ANGELES RIVER: SUMMER 2007 Possible Changes in Earth’s Environment As Planet Earth warms up, Wildfires may Increase WILDFIRES IN EUROPE: JULY 2007 WILDFIRES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: OCTOBER 21,2007 Possible Changes in Earth’s Environment Planet Earth is easily damaged by some of man’s actions, for example: Deforestation 1 ? ACRES OF RAIN FOREST DISAPPEAR EVERY SECOND Implications for Planet Earth The potential risk to Planet Earth’s environments calls for: Public policies that promote long-term community resilience COMMUNITY DATA BASES AND INFORMATION HAZARDS: GROUND SHAKING GROUND FAILURE SURFACE FAULTING TECTONIC DEFORMATION TSUNAMI RUN UP AFTERSHOCKS NATURAL HAZARDS INVENTORY VULNERABILITY LOCATION RISK ASSESSMENT RISK ACCEPTABLE RISK UNACCEPTABLE RISK GOAL: DISASTER RESILIENCE PREPAREDNESS PROTECTION EMERGENCY RESPONSE RECOVERY IENCE FOUR PILLARS OF RESILIENCE COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC POLICIES MONITORING Protecting Planet Earth Planet Earth’s changes in exposure and risk over time call for: Technology to monitor the causative factors, warn people, and protect property, and infrastructure. POLICIES FOR REDUCTION OF RISK MONITORING (TRACKING CHANGES THAT MIGHT INCREASE THE RISK TO A CITY AND WARNING THE PEOPLE IN TIME FOR THEM TO GET OUT OF HARM’S WAY) AND PROTECT PROPERTY THE INT’L SPACE STA (ISS) PROVIDES EYES IN THE SKY: HURRICANE FELIX, SEPT 3, 2007 EARLY WARNING: A CAT 2 HURRICANE DEAN: AUG 16, 2007 EARLY WARNING AND EVACUATION: AUGUST 19, 2007 TYPHOON LONGWAN ENROUTE TO TAIWAN CHINA: OCT 1, 2005 TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC POLICIES MITIGATION (Protection) THAMES RIVER BARRIER: ENGLAND CONTAINMENT:S