Cure for Catastrophe (eBook)

How We Can Stop Manufacturing Natural Disasters

Robert Muir-Wood (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2016 | Digital Only
352 Seiten
Oneworld Publications (Verlag)
978-1-78607-006-7 (ISBN)

Infos

Hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons we watch in horror before springing into action with aid and support, shocked again and again by the destructive power of the earth. Except these disasters aren't only the earth's doing, they are ours too. Why did no one consider that a tsunami could disable the nuclear power plants in Fukushima? Why did so many die when Katrina flooded New Orleans? Not so long ago we could only focus on rescuing and sheltering survivors now we can anticipate many natural disasters and plan for them. In dozens of cities around the world, we're able to identify the specific buildings that will be shaken apart, blown down or reduced to rubble. Yet every year, thanks to politics and inertia, we fail to act. Traversing continents and history, Robert Muir-Wood blends gripping storytelling with scientific insights to detail our efforts to tame the most extreme forces of nature. At the frontlines, the predictive powers of new technologies mean we can foresee a future where there is an end to the pain and destruction wrought by these devastating cataclysms. As The Cure for Catastrophe makes clear, we have an extraordinary opportunity before us to make the decisions about what we build, where we live and how warnings are communicated that could save millions of lives.

Autor

Robert Muir-Wood is head of research at the world’s largest catastrophe modelling company, RMS, and a visiting professor at UCL’s Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction. A lead author on climate and catastrophe risk for two IPCC reports, including the Nobel Peace Prize-winning 4th Assessment, his expertise is sought worldwide. He has also written six previous books for adults and children, including On the Rocks, to accompany a BBC series of the same name, which sold more than 60,000 copies. He lives in London.

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 1.9.2016
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Ökologie / Naturschutz
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geologie
• ISBN-10: 1-78607-006-5 / 1786070065
• ISBN-13: 978-1-78607-006-7 / 9781786070067