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EXOTEC Posts: 3,327
9/27/13 11:03 P

I have every sympathy for those who are enduring these disasters. However... I do have to question the sensibility of people who insist upon building in flood plains, on cliffsides, where there's no water, in historically known storm tracks... and then prefer to blame fate.

We might also remember that human lives are remarkably short, geologically speaking. Our world has very long cycles of weather that we aren't necessarily witness to. Who says these things aren't just the natural order of our planet's "life"? Of course they're bad for us! but that doesn't make them abnormal for nature.

Remember the times we have stopped wildfires...only to have the subsequent environmental effects turn out to be worse. We dam our waterways, and then wonder why we have droughts and floods and *real* disasters as a result. We clearcut forests, and then can't understand why we suffer mudslides.

I don't advocate making no mark on our world. We live here; we have to make some modifications on that account. I just wish they'd be more sensible, and more in tune with the natural flow of things. Nature is bigger than we are, all conceit aside. If we meddle without understanding, I think we're likely bound to reap the consequences (this is not meant to be apocalyptic or judgmental! just common sense).

JMOUSE99 SparkPoints: (110,037)
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9/27/13 10:01 P

Climate change with the weather disasters, more media reporting with the earthquakes.

ETHELMERZ SparkPoints: (93,742)
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9/27/13 9:42 P

Do you really think any of us on these boards would be here, if we knew the answer to your question?

ALBERTJON SparkPoints: (3,133)
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9/27/13 7:40 P

PLINTHESS: I can only assume you were not meant to be taken seriously. So I will add an LOL! because the post cracked me up.

Edited by: ALBERTJON at: 9/27/2013 (19:41)
9/27/13 1:09 P

Anything taken in a small window can seemed skewed. The earth goes through changes and so does the sun. Over the long term we are not seeing a great uptick, in a one or two year period we do at times, but taken over history there is no evidence. Just this year we were told about how catastrophic hurricane season would be but so far a very light season.

To use a sports metaphor if we tried to examine a baseball season based on a one month period we may get very odd results, but if we look at it over the entire season we might get a very different view. The same is true of history, climate, societal norms and most other enduring things. the important thing is to see trends and to try to examine if they are short term trends or long term trends and then see if we can see correlation between these trends..

PLINTHESS SparkPoints: (35,487)
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9/27/13 6:48 A

The Scientists tell us it's climate change brought about by our profligate use of mineral resources. But hey - when have they ever been right about anything? All they have ever done is study the evidence, over long periods. They go to University, work and study hard, what do they know about anything?

The last thing we need to do is take them seriously

9/27/13 3:04 A

We're living in eschatological times. Read LaSalete, Fatima apparitions, warnings.

GENRE009 SparkPoints: (23,355)
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9/27/13 2:21 A

When we had the flooding waters in New Orleans, well those people felt like they survived a war. They lost their loved ones, their pets died, they lost their lively hood, and all their possessions. Many went to other states, but they never recouped their live styles. And they will probably stay at a poverty level for the rest of their lives.
These peoples in these type of disasters, where it is here or somewhere else in the world: well insurance doesn't mostly cover those type of things! They have no choice, if they stay or go, they are doomed. In over seas areas we try to dominate our belief system on them when we go into help them. Many times they have to struggle to bearly surviving just their normal existence. So, life is always extremely hard. If you are lucky enough to have family that can take you in, well you are grateful. But in most of these cases, they are destroyed also. The relief funds get so filtered down, that not enough of it goes to where it needs to go. Or there just isn't enough funds to go around. The poorest American is richer than many of the poor thru out the world, even without disasters happening. All we can do is try to help in some way, and pray.

GENRE009 SparkPoints: (23,355)
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9/27/13 2:05 A

I don't know if your dad is my age, or older. Remember we still have a generation that survived world war II. I am not a doom and gloom type person. But I feel that we as humans are ruining the earth. Noticing all the weather patterns hitting the U.S.A. . lately from cutting down the trees in south America! That is real evidence for why! If the water gets polluted, whose fault is that? Ours. I can't save the world. But I try to do my part , a very small part in recycling. But I do know that in that area we still don't take things seriously enough. And yes we all pretend that our little space in the world isn't affected by other's stupidity! So, like a milk horse I go thru this world with blinders on, and try to pretend that nothing will happen in my life time, I hope. Otherwise, I am ready at any given time to meet my maker.

GENRE009 SparkPoints: (23,355)
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9/27/13 1:56 A

My mom was from Russia, and they were afraid that the Chinese would take over the world by over populating it. I asked her once, "why she came up with that idea?" She said it was because they were powerful, and already lived on the water! So, there is always something that people fear! Sometimes it is based on reality, and other times its not. Remember we are a species of humans that expect Jesus to save us twice, in the second coming too!

KAZZIE531 SparkPoints: (43,393)
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9/21/13 6:11 P

We're all doomed

KKKAREN SparkPoints: (216,849)
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9/16/13 11:21 A

My Dad, and we do love him, believes it's happening because of the coming of a second sun. We can't see it yet because it is behind our current sun. It will be here between 3 and 10 years but while it's coming we will have increasingly more catastrophes. Last week it was asteroids coming and the week before it was another planet. He does not follow classic news and scientists but extreme fringe organizations. I get so tired of hearing about it all but he insists we listen so we can be prepared! I myself live each day fully and with happiness and don't dwell on the catastrophes, although I do feel sorry for those that have experienced them.

SHERYLDS Posts: 12,182
9/15/13 4:48 P

I agree that mass media is becoming better and better at reporting the news.
I just wonder at what goes on after a catastrophe...
How they choose to rebuild in some of these areas repeated affected by some of these natural disasters.
How they handle the disaster relief funds..
How they try to prevent or prepare for the next one.

In both natural disasters and man made catastrophes ... most families still don't have a game plan they share with their loved ones. It's always good to know what to do just in case.
And for pity sake...
I hope people stop risking their lives to record the video on their cell phones.

BLUENOSE63 SparkPoints: (101,558)
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9/15/13 4:10 P

Mass media brings us more information than we have had in the past. I agree with ONELINEASLOU's post!

LADYCJM SparkPoints: (34,765)
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9/15/13 12:51 P

I agree that with the media and the increase in population it seems like we have more disasters. Throw in more people living in high risk areas along with 24/7 news coverage and it seems like the world is crashing down around us.

Edited to add:

My curiosity lead me to search disasters. Not surprisingly the answer to are we having more disasters depends on the point of view of the author.

IF we look at dollar amounts of damage the toll is much higher.
IF we look at deaths the floods in China hundreds of years ago were more deadly.
The above link goes to lists of disasters, date occurred and death toll. Very interesting reading.

Edited by: LADYCJM at: 9/15/2013 (13:03)
ONLINEASLLOU SparkPoints: (50,497)
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9/15/13 12:47 P

I also do NOT believe we are having more weather problems (or other natural catastrophies) than in the past. In fact, I saw a scientific analysis of that belief on TV in the not-so-distant past. It just seems that way to some people because:

1. Mass communication, easy travel, and a more mobile population have increased our attention onto distant events more so than in the past. The world seems "smaller" than it did in the past.
2. There are more people and more elaborate, expensive structures than in the past. When an event happens, there are larger numbers of people affected and the physical damage to structures, etc. is more dramatic. For example, if a little village with 50 people gets destroyed, it's a trajedy ... but not as dramatic a news story or as expensive to clean up than a large city of a million people having their city destroyed. But the storm, earthquake, etc. that destroyed might be equal.

Between the 2 factors above, it seems we are having a larger increase in catastrophic events than we actually are. However, most scientists do believe we are seeing some changes in our weather patterns cause more volatility due to global warming. But while those changes may be catastrophic for us all over time, they are now relatively small and not yet a big dramatic increase like the OP is talking about.

The "truth" is probably somewhere in the middle.

EMPRESSAMQ Posts: 5,077
9/15/13 12:26 P

There have always been catastrophes all over the globe. I personally don't believe there is any data that proves there are more catastrophes now than ever before, we are just aware of the ones that happen in our time. News media and communications are also more sophisticated and widespread than in ages past, so we all hear about things at the same time.

GENRE009 SparkPoints: (23,355)
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9/15/13 12:01 P

Just in the last five years I have really been aware of the U.S. having a lot of weather catastrophes! It is really mind blowing. Yet some people don't relate to them, because it hasn't happened to them yet? The people in New Orleans are probably still feeling like they went thru a war. Yet their struggles were because of the politicians neglect of there sewer systems & pipe lines of water. Any idea why we are being so hit hard? I believe it's because we now have no protection from wind patterns. The more they cut down trees in South America, the more the patterns will change. It seems like every time you turn on the news, there is another catastrophe some where. Economically we won't be able to survive the many rebuilds we need to do to stay a strong nation. After the susnamies, and that radiation plant, we seem to be getting hit more. Any ideas?

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