Notes

Natural Disasters Provide People with a Greater Respect & Appreciation for Nature
example; In may 31, 1970, perhaps the worst modern earthquake in the western hemisphere that occurred in Peru, killing an estimated 70,000 people and leaving over half a million people homeless. for those people who survived this disaster have ritualized their respect of nature into their culture, natural disasters can also build cultural bonds through a shared experience, and consequently therefore strengthen community ties and heritage.

potentially positive aspect to natural disasters, it’s hard not to think of New Orleans, Louisiana, and other places in the American South that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. there were countless opportunities that were presented after Katrina to do things like rebuild shoddy homes, provide new jobs and health services to impovering communities, and natural, ecological buffers so that a disaster on this scale could not happen again.
example; In Huaraz, Peru after the 1970 earthquake, buildings were constructed with a greater emphasis on anti-seismic measures. The adobe buildings that typified Huaraz prior to the earthquake did not tend to survive the earth’s movements. Now in Huaraz, beauty takes a backseat to safety, as the buildings and city are not extremely attractive. But these improvements to buildings show that the people of Huaraz have re-prioritized their own safety over aesthetics.

Did you know that hurricanes and tropical storms help distribute the Earth’s heat? Without the transfer of this heat from the Tropics to the Earth’s poles, climates might get totally out of whack. Large storms and the tremendous amounts of rainfall they bring with them are also beneficial to ecosystems and human agricultural needs. Researchers from Duke University’s School of Environment and Earth Sciences also say that without hurricanes, barrier islands on coast lines and their ecosystems would not survive. Of course while these are some positive benefits, it should be noted that hurricanes and the flooding they can cause might affect ecosystems negatively


( 1. people gaining greater appreciation for nature, 2. the chance to rebuild communities positively and re-prioritize needs and 3. the potential benefits to ecosystems)