Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
How to help tsunami victims
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FYI: If the Yellow River is written in roman script according to the Chinese name then it should only be written “Huang He.” If it is written “Huang He River” then it translates to Yellow River River.
Posted by kim from on 12/29 at 03:25 PM -
Thanks, Kim. Too late for me to change it in the article I’ve sent out...but I will not make that error again.
Posted by Mickey Z. from on 12/29 at 03:30 PM -
I enjoyed reading the majority of your article on the Counterpunch site, and I agree with your main points in that we should all do more to help the tsunami victims in Asia/Africa. There are a couple of points that I don’t quite agree with.
“Will it happen again? Can it happen here?”
The middle of the North Atlantic Ocean (the Atlantic Trench) is split between the North American plate on the west and the Eurasian and African plates to the east. The trench itself is a diverging plate boundary, meaning that the plates on the west and east side are moving apart very slowly. Since the N.A. plate consists of both oceanic and continental crust and since the movement is much slower than that of other plate movements there is no subduction trenches like we see off the coast of Sumatra, Japan, etc. Therefore, the likelihood of a fault break in the North Atlantic that could cause a sea floor level rise that would displace enough water to create a tsunami is highly unlikely. But earthquakes can happen virtually anywhere so it’s something that New Yorkers should take seriously. Trust me – after first hand experience with CA Northridge quake it’s better to be safe than sorry!
You also stated that, “As for man-made disasters, Hurricane Lyndon helped kill 1,000,000 or so in Indonesia in 1965.” I assume that you are referring to the Global Warming issues. The earth has been enduring warming and cooling trends that date back further than we humans can measure by our various scientific measuring techniques. Therefore, weather or not mankind has had any direct effect on the actual temperature change and weather those changes are directly related to hurricane strength and frequency is still to be determined.
I will admit that the rate of human pollution, the increase of mercury levels in marine species, the bioaccumulation of trace elements of DDT (which U.S. companies still produce for export) and other dioxins, and the fact the Bush Administration refuses to sign the Kyoto Protocol are all alarming in their different ways, there is no absolute proof that they are responsible for the rise in the earth’s temperatures. Still, weather man made or not, it doesn’t diminish the tragedy and your points about donating to charitable causes are to be admired.Posted by Steve McClure from Los Angeles on 12/30 at 05:55 AM -
It is given that the Earth goes through warming and cooling periods. This surely does not mean that humans should ignore their exacerbation of any temperature-changing trend. Given the rise in cataclysmic meteorological events that many eminent scientists see linked to the release of greenhouse gases, it is hoped that humans will not wait for “absolute proof”—something many philosophers argue doesn’t exist—until it is too late.
Posted by kim from on 12/30 at 06:27 AM -
Steve,
The Lyndon comment referred to U.S. complicity in the murder of nearly one million Indonesians in 1965 when Suharto took power.
Thanks,
MZ
Posted by Mickey Z. from on 12/30 at 07:45 AM -
Steve, anthropegenic climate change is very real. It’s not controversial. The degree of disaster we can expect is hotly debated, but both the reinsurance industry and the scientific community acknowledge our role and take the overall problem seriously.
The Kyoto Protocols are too limited, unfortunately, to do much. Their adoption would be a tiny step in the right direction, much like bitter enemies agreeing to limit the amount of killing they’ll do.
In order to cope with global warming, and the drastic climate change it’s already causing, our nation states have to cede a great deal of local authority. The fake contoversy generated by greenwashing groups and demagogues is designed to prevent that.
Posted by harry from upstate on 12/30 at 08:15 AM -
Here’s a thoughtful article on lessons that should be
drawn from this disaster:http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/dec2004-daily/30-12-2004/oped/o6.htm
I shared a flight from Paris with many French tourists headed for Thailand on Dec. 17…
Posted by sk from Islamabad, Pakistan on 12/30 at 12:11 PM -
Thanks, SK...this was valuable reading. One passage stood out:
The average natural disaster kills 63 people in Japan. But in Peru, the average toll is 2,900-46 times higher.
Around the same time as Latur in India (1993), California (US) was hit by an earthquake which was 100 times more powerful. Only one person died in the US, while 11,000 people perished in Latur.
When Hurricane Elena hit the US in 1985, only five people died. But when a cyclone slammed Bangladesh in 1991, half a million people were killed.
Posted by Mickey Z. from on 12/30 at 12:38 PM -
I certainly don’t want to change the focus of Mickey Z’s article by debating global warming issues, especially in light of the fact that the tsunami death toll has surpassed 115,000. I was only trying to get a better understanding in what Mickey meant by linking Man-made disasters and hurricanes (which he clarified in a posting above). Let’s just say that any scientific evidence showing earth’s entire natural warming and cooling cycles and numerous sub-cycles is incomplete at best. Personally, I feel that mankind’s pollution practices have added to the rate of warming but not to the warming itself. In other words, earth is warming naturally; we just got it hotter, faster.
The real issue at hand is the perplexing question of why the Bush Administration goes around propping up its moral, Christian ideals and spends billions at the drop of a hat to destroy a country that posed no threat to us, while only spending millions on what will probably become the worst natural disaster in modern history. To me, it seems obvious that Bush is following the philosophies of Machiavelli more closely than that of any true Christian principle.
I fear that as the growing gap between elite and poor countries continues to grow and as the population trend continues to increase in the costal communities throughout the world, we will see more devastating events like this (hopefully, not to this degree) in the future.
This is why Mickey’s article is so important – we, as a society, should take it upon ourselves to donate to trustworthy charities whenever possible. Not just in times of disaster, but throughout all times of the year. Because there is no doubt that the economic policies of the ruling elite are exploiting poorer nations and people throughout the world, and we need to help those who are unable to help themselves.Posted by Steve McClure from Los Angeles on 12/30 at 05:53 PM -
A lot of the relief effort sites encourage donations via credit card. I guess it’s a simple way to donate (click, click). But don’t the credit card companies get a fee for each transaction? Better to send a check to the agency?
Also, is there really a coordinated effort? How do we know if the money gets to help those effected? Maybe things have changed, but I remember back in the mid-70’s I worked for a company which had an office in Managua. I collected blankets to help those effected by an earthquake there and sent them onto our company agent. He told me he never got them - infact, the Somoza family (the rulers of Nicaragua at the time) skimmed off a lot of the relief supplies and dollars sent from abroad. What’s to say that the same thing could happen in places like Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Somalia, India?Posted by Jay Vos from Burlington, VT, USA on 01/01 at 09:31 AM -
Interesting leader in today’s Guardian
Web to the rescue
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,3604,1381709,00.html
Posted by Jay Vos from Burlington, VT, USA on 01/01 at 09:32 AM -
Jay,
I relate to your skepticism but I think the agencies I’ve suggested in my posts are good choices.
Also, I just got this from an animal rights group:
Individual Americans have responded generously through donations to large relief organizations like Oxfam, CARE, World Vision, American Red Cross, UNICEF, and Save the Children. Although every donation helps to relieve the misery, we find it more cost-effective to bypass these large bureaucracies and deal directly with people engaged in the relief effort on the ground.
The eleven Indian vegetarian grassroots coalitions that we support through the Sabina Fund
Please help relieve this global tragedy by making a generous donation to FARM’s Emergency Relief Appeal by: giving online
The Tamil Nadu coalitions supported by the Sabina Fund are listed below:
Community Development Center
Deepalaya
Indian Social Service Institute
People’s Association for Rural Women Development
People’s Organization for Rural Education & Economic Development
Rural Interdisciplinary Development Society
Society for Community Development
Network Organization for Vegan Promotion
Society for Amelioration of the Poor and Downtrodden
Women’s Emancipation and Development Trust
Women’s Organization for Rural DevelopmentPosted by Mickey Z. from on 01/01 at 10:03 AM
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