Acts of God: An Environmental History

of Natural DisastersDisaster Portfolio

June 2013By: Taylor M. Huffman(all digital photos taken by author)

Introduction

Disaster is defined in a list of different ways. Most often, it is seen as an uncontrollable natural occurring event which wreaks havoc on a helpless population. This simple explanation for disaster is a disaster in itself. These events are moments in time which can always be more understood and prepared for. The goal of this portfolio is to redefine how disasters are interpreted. Disasters are a not so much just an event, but rather a process that includes many causes and consequences.

Objectives for the course “Acts of God: An Environmental History of Natural Disasters” are summarized as follows. First, is to problematize the idea of a natural disaster through reframing the societally constructed relationship between humans and nature. Second, analyze and broaden popular culture’s presentation of disasters. Third, access an understanding of vulnerability to disasters because of race, class, and gender. And lastly, to examine relationships between disasters, their framing, and disaster response, along with the ways misunderstanding disaster promotes the probability of future disasters. To accomplish these objectives it is crucial to consider the study of disaster through a post-modern lens. That is to realize the study of disasters is a multidimensional, non-linear, and never-ending debate. An ethno-historical approach suits this study for it involves aspects of multiple disciplines in order to develop a most accurate and complicated understanding. Anthony Oliver-Smith and Susanna M. Hoffman address these issues in their article, “Catastrophe and Culture, An Anthropology of Disaster”.

Smith and Hoffman argue that disasters are processual phenomena rather than events of clearly defined time frames, and that they are a consequence of our social and environmental relationship. They define disaster as “all-encompassing occurrences sweeping across every aspect of human life, impacting environmental, social, economic, political, and biological conditions”. Disasters are multidimensional and “occur at the intersection of nature and culture and illustrate, often dramatically, the mutuality of each in the constitution of the other” (Hoffman 24). A disaster is nature and culture simultaneously colliding. Society constructs “patterns of vulnerability” to disasters, and these patterns are more harmful to a population than the actual event (Hoffman 3). Humans structure the disaster experience, and when disasters develop they expose how we perceive the environment and the ways we constitute morality. Smith and Hoffman write, “Disaster exposes the way in which people construct or “frame” their peril, the way they perceive their environment and their subsistence, and the ways they invent explanation, constitute their morality, and project their continuity and promise into the future” (Hoffman 6).

The causes of disaster are therefore linked more to society than to nature. An array of causes unfold over time leading to a climactic event and those causes are then more visible, but it takes technical and complicated investigation to conceive of what all those causes were. This is why the study of disaster is vital. The more that is known about causes will lead to less negative consequences. To help articulate the interrogation of disaster, some terms besides disaster should be defined. First, what is a hazard? According to Smith and Hoffman, “the forces, conditions, or technologies that carry a potential for social, infrastructural, or environmental damage. A hazard can be a hurricane, earthquake, or avalanche; it can also be a nuclear facility or a socioeconomic practice, such as using pesticides” (Hoffman 3). The way a society views hazards is important because it represents how much risk or danger is present. Most societies are ignorant or complacent about many of the risks they are facing each day, and this has been shown to not only damage parts of the population, but be the full demise of entire societies throughout history. And these hazards are more often than not more present in areas with poverty and racial minorities.

The concept of “vulnerability” is crucial to comprehending disaster. It can worsen or reduce the impacts of a disaster. Vulernability is defined as “characterisitcs of a person or group in terms of their capacity to anticipate, cope with, resist, and recover from the impact of a natural hazard. It involves a combination of factors that determine the degree to which someone’s life and livelihood is put at risk by a discrete and identifiable event in nature or society” (lecture). Vulnerability is created through the causes of the disaster, or the societal structures, that then combine with the actual event. People who are most vulnerable are those who are less fortunate in society, or societies who are ignorant to their hazards. There is evidence of a high correlation between disaster proneness, chronic malnutrition, low income, and famine potential (Hoffman 27). It is critical to study disaster in order to make visible and prevent “hazards of domination”. These are “long term patterns of human exploitation and misuse of the environment resulting in agricultural and societal collapse” (lecture). Understanding the true causes of disasters is important in order to prevent hazards of domination from taking over societies. Examples of this recur throughout history, and it seems humans still resist fully comprehending the causes of these collapses. This is possibly due to the issue of the human/nature divide.

The tendency for civilization to separate itself from the natural world is an ongoing issue. The concept and ideology of capitalism has formed a world where every bit of land is seen as something to be utilized, and it has made profit the goal for any nation that wants to compete in the global economy. The ecological values of capitalism are: nature as a commodity, self-advancement to the maximum advantage is an obligation, and social order should maintain this. If this is the ideology of our society, then clearly only the profiting will survive a collapse, if anyone. All over the world, humans try to capture “mother nature”. The idea that nature is something to be accessed misconstrues the reality that humans are a part of nature. We need her for food, water, and shelter, but we have chosen to also use her for money which can lead to the disruption of her providing all these necessities.

This portfolio serves to open-up discussion on the multidimensional realities of disasters and how society can better understand them as processes rather than acute events or “acts of God”. Normal life subtly presents disaster to us every day, and we often nonchalantly pass it by. Because of this, when disaster strikes, change and disruption constitute our view that the event itself is the disaster. But if we simply look around us and come to terms with our environment and the hazards present, it may be possible to avoid disaster and hazards of domination. The photo referencing in this portfolio aims to illuminate the conscious truth of disaster that has come to seem normal as we walk past it each day. The four objectives are to see humans as a part of nature, realize the importance of scrutiny towards the way media represents disaster, understand that race, class, and gender determine susceptibility to disaster, and accept that framing affects how response and prevention is managed.

Method and Organization

To get a concept of how disaster is visible everywhere the portfolio will move through space from the most local region, The University of Missouri campus, to a global perspective.

There are literally millions of aspects to the study of disaster that could be considered. This portfolio strives to present just a small portion of the many causes and consequences of disaster, while focusing on the objectives listed using themes, ideas, and facts from lectures, films, readings, and guest speakers.

Structure:University of Missouri CampusCity of ColumbiaState of MissouriThe United States of AmericaGlobal

University of Missouri Campus Disaster Over centuries, humans have developed

mechanisms to aid in preventing disasters like famine or disease. We have been quite successful at inventing ideas which have brought us to where we are today. Things like trash cans are simple disaster prevention mechanisms we pass by constantly. On the University of Missouri campus one can find a trash can within sight at any location. Over the last decade, recycling bins have even become a standard. Without these bins, where would all of campuses waste go? That questions leads to another one; where does the waste from the trash cans go? The plethora of trash that is created each day has to be put somewhere, and these numerous bins are symbols for the mountains of waste piling up on our Earth. Walking by trash bins constantly throughout our lives we neglect to think about what their meaning truly is.

Sanitation is another large part of campus disaster prevention. Without bathrooms, soap, and paper towels disease and illness would be much more prevalent. These anti-bacterial dispensers are seen in almost every hallway of the campus. At first thought, it seems to be an efficient solution to campus cleanliness, but anti-bacterial solutions like this have actually been creating a hazard. Research across the board has been proving that anti-bacterial agents are creating antibiotic immunity which means bacteria is becoming immune to antibiotics. This puts humans at risk for deadly illnesses.

Trash cans eliminate spread of disease and compact waste in order to leave space

for living. Recycling bins save materials and possibly energy, while creating less

waste for landfills.

Is there such thing as too clean?

Fire Fire and water are two important elements institutions like the University must take seriously, and this results in intricate management. When strolling through campus, one may not recognize the list of measures taken in fire prevention. Standing in one spot alone, one can view a handful of “red” fire safety measures: no smoking signs, cigarette butt receptacles, pull alarms, bells, and fire extinguishers. Fateful events like the 1906 fires in San Francisco and the Triangle factory fire of 1911 in New york have taught Americans to put fire safety into the law books. Why weren’t they before these events? American morals have always been defined by people like John Locke , Thomas Paine, and the Bible. Life, liberty, and property are core values here, but they are not always protected until a disastrous event presents vulnerability.

Protecting lives and property.

The Triangle factory fire was most likely started by a cigarette.

These three images were captured in Middlebush Hall on the University campus. Each photo was shot without taking one step, suggesting the serious attitude we take towards fire prevention. There are even more extinguishers and alarms within eyesight. Evacuation is also important as maps of buildings are posted near every staircase.

It is the framing of fire disaster because of the history of fire damage that put these here. If the people in the Triangle factory had the same systems available, the fatality loss of that fire would have been less and maybe not even occurred.

Water

Management of water is a necessity at this point on Earth. Only about 90,000 cubic kilometers of water are available for human use, creating water conflicts over necessity, scarcity, distribution and control. Water is managed everywhere, even down to the non-manmade sources like rivers, lakes and streams. On Missouri’s campus, every place one looks water management mechanisms are visible.Drains and gutters help

protect the buildings that house learning throughout the campus. Technological advancement has allowed us to build complicated institutions that can withstand heavy rains and heavy populations.

“Manscaping?”

The issues surrounding the water conflict can be seen right at the University. Water management systems run through every space on the campus. Marveling at the exquisite landscaping campus has to offer, one ponders how a place as this can exist while others are barely able to find a drop of water to drink. In the documentary, Darwin’s Nightmare, Lake Victoria is highlighted as a place taken over by commercial fishing and losing the natural resources the population needs to survive. Clean water is scarce. Business may be thriving there for a time, but the locals are hardly able to sustain life. Similar to Lake Victoria, the University of Missouri manages its water in order to foster profits, while others nearby may not have enough to sustain life.

Local Columbia Area Disaster

Just recently, flash flooding has devastated some parts of Missouri. When heavy rains pour over Columbia, the Missouri river and its tributaries often flood surrounding lands. The following four photos were taken on June 1, 2013 of locations near Sapp, Missouri where roads and homes have been damaged or covered by the flood waters.Local weather stations had been reporting flood warnings for these areas for about one week, but local media took a different approach to informing the public of the flooding.Link: http://www.komu.com/news/

missouri-river-hits-flood-stage/ In a KOMU news article on May 30, 2013, it was reported that “Tim Patronski who works with the Midwestern region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said his agency had yet to become involved in combating flooding along the Missouri River.” Patronski says the flooding falls under the responsibility of the Army Corps of Civil Engineers. Jody Farhart, chief of the Missouri River division of the Corps says they had begun reducing water levels. So why is this important?

Permanent signs warn of flooding, while a local man sits, fishing, gazing onto the rushing waters of the Missouri River.

Authorities do not seem too worried or impatient about relief or assistance to these areas of flooding, but as we can see, there are plenty of damages done just along one small portion of the river.Within 200 feet on the roadside near the river in Sapp, two homes have been taken over by the floods.Residents of the area set up RVs and campers along the uncovered roads near their water-logged homes. The vulnerability of this area to the

hazard of flooding is exacerbated by local media. Taking a visit out to this area, one can feel the devastation, while reports by the media ignore the victims.This is an example of disaster effecting a demographic of people who seem to be living below the poverty level. If they had more money, maybe they would not be stuck in campers while their homes drift away.

Missouri DisasterPlaces where “mother nature wins”…

Video of Governor Jay Nixon in Clarksville, MO on the flooding occurring there in May 2013:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmIZ-QLm9JM

Politics and Publicity

Governor Jay Nixon is interviewed in this video as he stands in the flood damaged city of Clarksville, Missouri. He begins by thanking everyone involved in the relief effort, makes a comment about marshmallows, and then points out the rising waters. His sense of urgency seems to be lost in the goals of keeping people calm and recruiting volunteers. The governor repeatedly mentions the efforts of volunteers and local management. He insists on the importance of volunteering and local resources. Does the local economy have what it takes to relieve the damages done here? They are in crisis mode, and it seems inconsiderate to so strongly suggest locals and volunteers as the main source of aid here. Nixon lists the three needs to recovery, in order: locals, volunteers, law enforcement and emergency relief agencies. He wants the locals to manage the situation so “the city of Clarksville will be open for business once the water recedes”. “Open for business” is a common theme and goal for areas where disaster strikes.

Doe Run Mines, A Recipe for Disaster? Brushy Creek Mine and Mill in Reynolds, Missouri

Upon entering the offices area of the Brushy Creek mine/mill, one would the word “safety” plastered all over every wall. Safety awards, posters like this one, and signs in bright colors and encouraging tones make a person feel safe before entering the mineral mine 1000ft below ground.

Minerals are filtered out of ore and refined into powder. This system pulls the mineral up onto these spinning screams and a puff of air pushes the mineral out and onto a conveyor belt. It is hard to believe breathing in air contaminated by these minerals is safe, considering their leakage into the water supply is unsafe according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Minerals out of Missouri mines provide lead, zinc, galena, and other minerals to many places of the world, while providing life for people of the Ozark mining region. The mines there provide community and economic “stability” for the local communities. Stability is questionable; as more mines are excavated and left, more mining towns and communities lose their source of income. If these families have to leave the mining areas for work, they lose the sense of community that has been tradition for so long. Schroeder states of Washington county mining community, “The community has yet to enter the mainstream of American economic prosperity” (Schroeder 50). This is not only disaster for the people’s economies and sense of place, but a disaster for the environment and the peoples’ health. Because of industry needs and local economy, the lands continue to be mined simultaneously destructing the landscape, contaminating water and vegetation, threatening wildlife, and threatening humans.

Ore and mineral is moved throughout the mine to get the pure minerals prepared to be purchased

Drills for mining make holes to set explosives off to help break ore to find minerals.

Here mine workers can control the levels and types of chemicals used to extract the minerals. The room is full of equipment and buttons to ensure proper extractions and maximum profit.

State Emergency Management Agency

At SEMA, preparation and planning for disasters is top priority. With increasing levels of vulnerability to disaster, SEMA has to keep up with the ever-changing events that lead to disaster in Missouri. SEMA has to follow a strict regiment of rules and regulations in order to enact their relief services. They must comply with Missouri Statutes along with federal laws in the Stafford Act which make their job even more complicated. But to provide relief, the only way to attempt fairness is to have rules.

SEMA utilizes their resources to attempt proper relief and prevention throughout the state. They are actually located in the basement of the National Guard Headquarters who works with them to serve in crisis situations. Another disadvantage comes from the small amount of employees who are full-time. These individuals must stop their regular lives when a disaster hits and work often twenty-four hours per day, which is hard to do, presenting another negative aspect of the “once it happens” mentality. The Missouri SEMA uses an exceptional amount of volunteer efforts in their relief; volunteer expectations are even written into their procedure documents. This is quite an advantage to their efforts, but also a disadvantage overall. These volunteer institutions are referenced by Tim Diemler frequently, suggesting their critical importance. But it is rather frightening to realize volunteer networks are one of SEMAs top resources.

A safe-room for disaster management is stocked with technology to help SEMA get relief out as quick as possible

Is there a correlation between poverty and disaster?

On May 29, 2013 the Weather Channel put out an article reporting the top disastrous states in the country. Here is a look at how that compares to poverty levels.

Poorest U.S. states by %below poverty level: http://www.census.gov/statab/ranks/rank34.html

Weather Channel’s most disastrous states:http://www.weather.com/news/most-disastrous-states-us-20130528

States with highest percentages of people below poverty level in order form the “poorest”(all have 14% or more below poverty level):

Mississippi* Louisiana*New MexicoArkansas*Kentucky*West Virginia*AlaskaFlorida*District of ColumbiaTexas*Tennessee*Oklahoma*South CarolinaNorth CarolinaGeorgiaArizonaMontana

Most disastrous states in order:

Texas*CaliforniaOklahoma*New YorkFlorida*Louisiana*AlabamaKentucky*Arkansas*MissouriMississippi*IllinoisTennessee*West Virginia*MinnesotaKansasIowa

From just these two lists, we can see a correlation. There are 9 states which fit into both lists. More than half of the states are both the most disastrous and the most poor.

Current Issues in the Politics of Disasters

Even in 2013, politicians, the leaders of change, are avoiding the topic of disaster prevention. This article suggests disaster relief and prevention is still barely understood or taken seriously.

“Late last year, Inhofe and Coburn both backed a plan to slash disaster relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy. In a December press release, Coburn complained that the Sandy Relief bill contained "wasteful spending," and identified a series of items he objected to, including "$12.9 billion for future disaster mitigation activities and studies.”

Links:Article on Sandy Relief:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/oklahoma-senators-disaster-relief_n_3309234.html?icid=hp_front_top_art

Mitt Romney wants to cut FEMA.Link:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/28/mitt-romney-fema_n_2036198.html

Coburn also put out a message on Twitter, writing, "My thoughts and prayers are with those in Oklahoma affected by the tragic tornado outbreak.”

Coburn backs plan to cut disaster funds, but prays and thinks of the victims.

Good morning --On Sunday, I was in Moore, Oklahoma. Today, I'm headed to the Jersey Shore. Those two communities are separated by half a continent but united by a common sense of purpose. Like Joplin, Tuscaloosa, and New Orleans, they are home to people who've seen nature at its worst and humanity at its best. And they're filled with those who have made the choice to rebuild after disaster, to come back stronger than ever.The scene on the ground this weekend was one we all know too well: homes wrecked and neighborhoods devastated. But the memories I'll take away from Moore will be of people standing tall, of neighbor helping neighbor, of survivors working to ensure that no one suffers through tragedy alone. And that too, was strikingly familiar. I could have been back in Brigantine Beach after Hurricane Sandy. I could have been in Joplin in 2011.It's because of those past experiences in places like New Jersey and Missouri that I have faith that Moore will emerge from the wreckage of this tornado stronger than ever. And that's in part because I know that they won't undertake the road to recovery alone. This was a national tragedy, and that demands a national response.If you want to help, the best way to support those affected by this storm is to make a financial contribution to the voluntary organization of your choice. The best way to volunteer is to affiliate with an organization that is already providing support to survivors.We've set up a page to help steer you in the right direction. Check it out to get started:http://www.whitehouse.gov/oklahomaThank you,President Barack Obama

National Disaster

Email letter from President.

Subject line: Faith

On May 28, President Obama sent out a message to help rally support for communities recently hit by disaster. His rhetoric is strikingly in line with the disaster framing issue. By titling his message “Faith”, the president is suggesting that faith is the only answer to these devastating issues. He is playing on the “act of God” idea that these disasters were unstoppable. Maybe the tornadoes were unstoppable, but could the disaster have been stopped? Faith alone could never answer that question; it takes real investigation. Other phrases like “nature at its worst and humanity at its best” fuel the human/nature divide that propagates disasters. It’s excruciating to realize even the leader of the entire country is not facing the truth about the process of a disaster and treating it as an acute event that only faith can get us through. He is also adding to the continuous theme of local and volunteer management that state and federal governments promote.

Link:http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/09/millions-are-starving-horn-africa

Global Disaster and More Media Roles

“The United Nations has called the ongoing drought and famine in Somalia the "worst humanitarian disaster" in the world.”

Just as we pass by other hazards each day, many Americans and other people across the globe probably do not realize the extent to which disaster plagues us. In places like Somalia, Kenya,and Ethiopia there are millions starving. “The statistics are shocking: In Somalia, at least 29,000 children died of starvation in 90 days. Some 2 million children are malnourished, and another 500,000 children are at great risk of starving to death. Some 12 million people in the region need emergency assistance. The crisis has been exacerbated by the al-Shabaab Islamist insurgent group, which has played a hand in causing the famine by forcing out aid groups and preventing starving Somalis from fleeing the country.” So why isn’t this a topic around the water cooler? According to this Mother Jones article, American media refuses to report on these disasters. Perhaps this is an attempt to ignore the suffering our capitalism could be influencing. Perhaps it is simply too sad for Americans to stand to watch. Either way, it is avoidance. Avoidance of vulnerability and hazards has consistently proven to foster hazards of domination like famine.

Image taken from article

Final thoughts…

These last photos are to represent the irony that exists in the discourse humans have established for disasters.

We have ourselves fostered an environment that ignores its habitat. Humans ARE nature, just as much as any animal or plant or microbe.

But we deny our impacts on the Earth. We deny our apathy and we deny truth. A complacent society only feeds the oppressor.

Hey, it could happen…