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| 04/13/06 | Our Volunteer's Web-site leading in Webbyawards poll - Please VOTE # |
Rick Cameron
 |
Zach and Peter's website http://www.notseennotheard.com is currently leading in the 'Student' category of the annual Webby Awards!
You can register and vote online at:
http://peoplesvoice.webbyawards.com/login.mhtml
Look in the 'Connections' category at the top of the menu page and select 'Student'
Consider leaving a comment.
The guys have done an awesome job and they deserve the recognition that winning will bring.
Peter will add a page to the site for the Gomo girls and I will post a fundable.org page to pool funds for each step of the treatment saga.
Many thanks to Lisa for her tireless efforts and for helping with Dr Laia's sat phone problem.
By the middle of next month he should be on-line at his clinic.
Things move slowly in Nias but we are moving and all of us involved know that the girls are going to get their skin graft treatment and be able to start living normal lives again.
Best
Rick
Scroll down for Zach's press release: Feel free to pass it on to anyone who might be able to take the time to vote.
From Zach today.
To all:
I have recently come across good news. Not Seen Not Heard, an online documentary on Indonesian recovery and sustainability, the project Christopher Podell and I (Zachary Shields) produced this past December has been nominated for a Webby Award for the best student web site. Below is a press release about the competition and our site ( www.notseennotheard.com). If you get a few free minutes Chris and I would both appreciate your vote for the People's Voice Award. You can register to vote at http://peoplesvoice.webbyawards.com/.
After you register to vote you will receive your password in your email. Return to the people's voice site and login. Then look in the 'Connections' category where you will find the 'Student' section. Once inside you can vote for Not Seen Not Heard.
Thank you for your support.
Zachary N Shields
NOT SEEN NOT HEARD NOMINATED FOR BEST STUDENT WEB SITE
FOR THE TENTH ANNUAL WEBBY AWARDS
Not Seen Not Heard on the Shortlist for Top International Honor for Web Sites
Indianapolis, Indiana - April 11, 2006 - The Webby Awards, the leading international honor for Web sites, today nominated Not Seen Not Heard for the Best Student Web site of 2006. The site is produced by Christopher Podell ( www.chrispodell.com) and Zachary Shields (www.cantaloupeshows.com). Winners will be announced on May 9, 2006 and honored at The Tenth Annual Webby Awards in New York City on June 12th.
Hailed as the "Online Oscars" by Time Magazine, The Webby Awards are determined by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a global organization with a membership that includes musician David Bowie, Internet inventor Vinton Cerf, Naked Chef Jamie Oliver, The Body Shop president Anita Roddick, "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser, and fashion designer Max Azria.
"The Webby Awards honors the outstanding web sites that are setting the standards for the internet," said Tiffany Shlain, founder and ambassador of The Webby Awards. "Not Seen Not Heard's Webby Award nomination is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of its creators."
As a nominee for a Webby Award, Not Seen Not Heard is also eligible to win a People's Voice Award. Voting is open to the public from April 11th to May 5th at http://peoplesvoice.webbyawards.com
The Tenth Annual Webby Awards received a record number of entries from over 40 countries and all 50 states.
Founded in 1996, The Webby Awards are known worldwide for its famous five-words-or-less acceptance speeches.
About Not Seen Not Heard
Not Seen Not Heard was conceived and produced over a five month period during the summer and fall of 2005. Zachary Shields traveled to Indonesia in July 2005 to obtain information and video footage of the earthquake and tsunami devastated islands while Christopher Podell began developing design and interface plans for a capstone project at the end of their Senior year at Indiana University (IUPUI Campus). Our hope at the least is to provide a voice for those still in need on the most remote islands of Indonesia nearly a year after the devastation. We would like to lend these stories to any humanitarian organizations in order to raise awareness and possible funding so that rehabilitation programs can continue. Even after the media blitz of a natural disaster such as the Dec. 2004 and March 2005 earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis are over, there is still a struggle to provide a standard for living in countless communities. We hope this will serve as an example of forgotten survivors, not only of natural disasters, but of poverty, sickness and hunger all around the world.
About The Webby Awards:
Called the "Oscars of the Internet" by the New York Times, the Webby is the leading international award honoring excellence in Web design, creativity, usability and functionality. Established in 1996, the 10th Annual Webby Awards received over 5,500 entries from all 50 states and over 40 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: AOL; The Creative Group; Verizon; Adweek, Brandweek and Mediaweek magazines; Fortune; OnRequest Images; IDG; iStockphoto; American Marketing Association; PricewaterhouseCoopers; 2advanced Studios; MX Interactive and Museum of the Moving Image. For more information visit www.webbyawards.com.
About the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS):
The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the creative, technical, and professional progress of the internet and interactive media. The Academy is an intellectually diverse organization that includes over 500 members consisting of leading experts in a diverse range of fields, such as musician David Bowie, Internet inventor Vinton Cerf, Naked Chef Jamie Oliver, The Body Shop president Anita Roddick, fashion designer Max Azria, "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening and Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser. The Webby Awards and The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences are registered trademarks of International Data Group. For more information, visit www.iadas.net.
IslandAid operated by ELM
450 Taraval St. San Francisco 94116, USA
+1 415 272 9100
Field Office Jl Air Manis No 8, Bukit Gado2, Padang, West Sumatra
+62-81534059018 (mobile)
+62-751-767888
Skype / AIM : elmaceh
www.island-aid.orgPost Reply Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 04/04/06 | (no subject) # |
Rick Cameron
|
Since our intensive work in Aceh in the weeks & months after the tsunami, we have agonized over the helplessness of coastal & small island villages that are located miles from any high ground. In the particular area where we spent most of our time, the death toll in some fishing communities was over 75%. Here is an extract from our ship's blog in January the day Jane discovered this isolated group of survivors.
Batavia Ships Blog - 30th January 2005
No matter how much anyone does for the people of northwest Sumatra--no matter how much food and water and medicine and tools and supplies anyone brings--things can never be the same again. The coastal hamlet of SAWANG near the village of LANGUAN shows this painfully. 156 people lived in this idyllic seaside kampung. Residents lived on fish, vegetables, and fruit, and tapped their rubber trees to sell in the city of CALANG, 15 kilometers away.
The tsunami hit the village with full force. 114 of the 156 died. 42 survived: 38 men, one woman, and three children. All the surviving men lost their wives and all their children; all the surviving children lost both their parents; and the lone surviving woman lost her husband and children.
The men who survived were out fishing in deep water. It is impossible to imagine what they faced as they paddled ashore in the wake of the wave.
All of the leaders of the community died. A village elder, apparently the new spokesman, told us, "I can't think, and we don't know what to do now." Half of the villagers, out of desperation, set out yesterday on the day-long walk to the CALANG. They hope to bring back food to their village--but CALANG itself was absolutely devastated by the tsunami, which killed most of the residents of that beautiful and thriving town of 15,000.
The survivors are in great pain, and there appears to be no way out. A month after losing his parents, the three-year-old still cries almost continuously for them. Sometimes he stops to call out for his drowned father, "Ayah, Ayah," and then starts crying again.
So there they are, a group of 42 unrelated people, almost all men. Their village is now little more than an encampment; they are living in makeshift shelters on a hillside. They are several kilometers from any other sign of civilization. They subsist on coconuts, fruit from a few trees, and what's left of their vegetable garden. In some ways, they are better off than other villages: they still have tools, and a well with fresh water. But their rubber trees are not worth tapping; there is no way for them to get the latex to market. And of course, all their fishing boats and equipment are gone--washed away by the sea that has sustained them for generations....... (Island Aid Updates www.island-aid.org)
These devastated communities need urgent help in the form of new boats but equally pressing is the need for fisher villages along the South & Mid sections of the coast to implement tsunami evacuation or survival strategies.
Our 'Tsunami Ark' could save thousands of lives in hundreds of villages located miles from high ground.
There is no question that mega quakes are overdue in the central Sumatra coast and Mentawai Islands. The chances of associated tsunamis is very high and judging by historical records, almost inevitable. These communities are not prepared and Government authorities and International agencies have not suggested let alone implemented any viable solutions for these communities.
Expensive and sophisticated 'early warning' technology will not help save lives close to the epicenter of an undersea mega quake. After the quake subsides, coastal Sumatra populations will have less than 20 minutes to reach high ground. In the Mentawai Islands closest to the epicenter, tsunamis may impact less than 10 minutes after the quake. Electronic warnings may serve some purpose for more distant Indian Ocean coastlines where the quake itself will not be felt. The best strategy for Sumatra coastal residents is to seek safe refuge after they experience any quake lasting more than a minute rather than wait for warnings via radio or other electronic media.
Should the quake strike at night, people will face the terrible prospect of trying to run in the dark through the destruction that such a quake will cause in towns and villages. Power will fail, bridges will be destroyed, trees will fall and buildings collapse blocking roads. Reaching high ground will be practically impossible for many living on coastal estuaries or river banks surrounded by swamps or mangroves. The prospect of families with infants and elders who cant run unassisted being engulfed in the dark while trying to escape inspired us to develop a simple but innovative solution that can be built at low cost in the center of selected villages.
A single 'Tsunami Ark' could save between 200 and 300 people and in larger villages, several can be constructed in strategic locations to reduce the time needed for the community to reach them. With community cooperation, the structures can be built quickly and at low cost as most materials can be sourced in the surrounding area.
Designed to survive a modest tsunami (3-5m) intact, these unique structures will save many lives if our section of the coast is impacted by a 10m+ mega tsunami. The center section is designed to lift off its breakwater foundation and absorb the force of the wave by floating with it inland with its compliment of residents aboard its bamboo 'hull' like 3rd floor.
Anyone who has surfed will understand how it possible to survive a massive breaking wave by passively going with the energy and letting it carry them towards the shore. This structure has been conceived and designed by surfers who have spent 6 months in the killing fields of Aceh.
The structure's cable supported roof will float and lift soil anchors so that they drag as the wave passes. The roofing is designed to 'breath' and dampen the shock of the wave then float on its bamboo framing and support swimmers who survive the initial impact.
As the wave peaks and subsides the anchors will prevent the structure being dragged out to sea. Each Tsunami Ark can be equipped with emergency food and water as well as water proof VHF radios for post disaster rescue co-ordination.
These unique 'Tsunami Arks' will function as Training Centers for the construction of a new generation of artisanal fishboat designs and development and implementation has been combined in the following proposal.
ARTISANAL FISHBOAT PROGRAM (AFP)
This Artisanal Fishboat Program (AFP) is considered the highest priority for donor consideration.
The project will involve the construction of the Air Manis Training Centre (AM-TC) on a peninsular just South of Padang.
Training Centers
A cable braced bamboo structure will be built to provide a sheltered boat building work area and an elevated office and administration space. The structure will be designed to withstand a mega quake and a moderate scale tsunami (3-4m) and to become a floating life-raft should a larger tsunami be experienced. This structure is low cost and can be relocated should that ever prove necessary. It can also be replicated and components pre-cut and supplied to remote locations as a multipurpose shelter and tsunami refuge combined. Regardless of the actual risk of further tsunamis in the region, the security of working in a quake proof structure that can also double as a tsunami refuge will help communities to overcome the long term effects of trauma and loss of family and friends.
If the Air Manis TC is no longer required, the building can be used for a fish market, net repairs, fisher association headquarters or as a community center for sports and youth activities as deemed best by the local residents. Replicas of this building in remote villages could also be used for temporary schools or aid distribution points. The proposed buildings are far more durable than tents and more dignified. Our experience with tents leaves us convinced that they are welcome at first but prolonged use of leaky hot and cramped tents is very detrimental for community and aid provider's morale.
Prototype Development
The AMTC will focus on the development and construction of prototype boats for the different fisheries and requirements found between Benkulu in the South and Sabang in the North. The rights to proven designs from other successful aid programs will be purchased or negotiated on a royalty basis and technical experts employed at nominal rates if site visits and travel to Padang is required.
The focus will be on building small boats in kit form that can be transported economically to target areas with the assistance of other NGOs and donors. This first wave of boats will be development prototypes to confirm that designs are acceptable to the end users. Inevitably there will be modifications and design refinements suggested after evaluation trials. Once these changes have been incorporated in the second wave of boats, production of kits for remote assembly yards can commence. A third wave of 'Production Boats' will be sold via micro credit schemes and so ongoing production will not require funding. Full funding is requested for 3 generations of each boat design and only one or two of each will be built.
Multipurpose Assembly Centers
Priority will be given to the construction of multi-purpose assembly centers in remote fisher villages. These structures will be highly visible and designed to inspire and encourage the communities they serve. Additional donor support will determine the number of these buildings that can be erected. Each assembly center will have an administration office equipped with a low altitude satellite phones (Biru PSN. The aim is to make regular communications between Island Aid's AMTC and the remote centers possible at low cost. The phones will be available to the community on a user pays basis and in most cases this telephone link will be the first and only such service available to the residents.
AFP Supplementary Programs (Not included in AFP budget - funded separately)
The availability of a public telephone link where none has ever existed, will guarantee visitation by the entire community making it easy and efficient to introduce a number of concurrent but independently funded supplementary programs aimed at enhancing the empowerment of women, the health of infants and the education of children.
Supplementary programs will include:
Sanitation - Composting Toilets
Clean Water - Aqua Box
Water Storage - Bamboo tanks
Home lighting - LED + Photovoltaic
Tsunami Refuges - Bamboo towers/ Tsunami Arks
AFP Seed Funding
The total donor funding requested is USD$275,000.
This funding will cover:
$75,000 - Site works & construction of the Training Center
$50,000 - Operational costs, field training mission costs & overheads (12 months)
$60,000 - Tools & Equipment
$40,000 - Materials for prototype construction
$50,000 - Technical assistance & Administration
$275,000 TOTAL
As an IRS 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation, ISLAND-AID (via ELM) can offer donors attractive tax concessions. Post Reply Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 01/26/06 | Director of Development and Marketing needed in Delhi # |
Christine Noke
|
Dear Friends,
There is a position opening in Delhi, are you intrested?
Position
Director of Development and Marketing
Summary
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of India seeks to advance the treatment for cystic fibrosis(CF) and improve the quality of life and life expectancy of people born with CF in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The position of Development and Marketing Director is a F/T position under the direct supervision of the Board of Directors. The selected candidate will work the Board to plan and execute resource development strategies and monitor progress of goals; cultivates and solicits major gifts and grants for individuals, corporations, foundations, government agencies and others.
A CF Working Group consisting of medical professionals working with CF patients throughout India will develop programs and the CF Foundation of India/Development Director will be responsible to facilitate programs utilizing the Foundations resources. The organization is in the first stages of development and we are looking for an individual who can visualize and conceptualize a sustainable non-profit.
Essential Functions:
Management of small office in Delhi
Development of Foundations Business Plan and Fundraising Plan
Development of public relations and marketing image of the organization
A successful candidate for this position will manage the stewardship to all donors including individuals, corporations, foundations, government agencies and individuals.
Specific duties include, but are not limited to:
Identification of prospects
Conducting research
Project development
Grant writing
Management of campaigns
Development of annuity streams
Direct mail
On-line outreach and website management
Special events
Qualifications:
This position requires training in the theory and practice of philanthropy, fund raising stewardship and marketing. Excellent speaking and writing abilities are essential. (English and Hindi is required) Experience with computers in database management for mailing and donor lists and for word processing and spreadsheet activities is required. This candidate must have a proven track record of fundraising in the nonprofit sector.
Candidate must carry a BA or BS in Marketing and Development and have a minimum of 5 years work experience.
Applications:
Submit cover letter, resume and compensation requirements to:
Christine Noke
201 Park Ave #267
Worcester, MA USA 01609
cnoke@cfww.org
The ICFF is an equal opportunity employer.
Position open until filled.
Candidate must reside in Delhi or NCR Delhi, India
Post Reply Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 10/04/05 | Unless it hurts to give, we are not giving enough - Chris Willcox # |
Rick Cameron
|
My thoughts on the detractors issue.
It could be argued that few objectors and detractors of the social/humanitarian entrepreneur are actually delivering anything to those less fortunate than themselves. The cult of envy is a powerful distraction to our mission and we need not engage in their distractions.
The morality/ethics of this issue is a personal position and as such is a very slippery sucker to get a hold of with any commonality of understanding because it is so interwoven with religious belief. And God knows there are some varied and diverse religious positions in this world. There is no one morality just as there is no one religion therefore there is no right and wrong other than what we as individuals innately understand, individually.
If so inclined to be of assistance to our fellow man, the environment or an ecosystem and in the process support our own individual survival then what moral argument can attack this simple need. The social/humanitarian entrepreneur must ensure survival in order to deliver the the aid that would not otherwise be available. I don’t hold with Nietzsches' argument that humanitarian acts are in themselves immoral. We as individuals need to survive and if in so doing can be of assistance to our fellow species then where is the immorality in that.
A truism for me has been that unless it hurts to give then we as individuals are not truly giving. How many of our/your detractors hurt to give, if they give at all. To afford to be able to give is not actually giving. We are in the business of giving aid and must be able to survive comfortably and harmoniously in order to deliver this aid. Or else we turn our back on the terrible suffering and inequality that the world delivers.
Nice to hear from you with this pithy issue. The bottom line is do we feel like we are making a difference.
Kind Regards
Chris Post Reply Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 10/04/05 | Are Humanitarian Entrepreneurs capable of Making a Difference? # |
Rick Cameron
|
Massaged and derived from the musings of an un-named supporter:
There are some who object to the concept of humanitarian entrepreneurship. Objections are frequently expressed in moral and ethical tones. The objector often pretends to some moral high ground rather than expressing any real or fervent concerns.
Dismissing the objector does not disarm the objection. Engage them in a friendly & private debate if you hope to change their way of thinking. You are going to embarrass them if you say these things to them in front of a crowd.
Three common variations of the ethical objection are:
1. "I don't believe it's moral to make money from other peoples' misery"
2. "No one who engages in humanitarian work for a profit can have a pure motive."
3. Or just the more direct but unfocused "Social entrepreneurship is unethical."
It is definitely not ethical to seek to profit from other peoples' misery: that's why I don't own a casino, I don't use child labour and I don't manufacture cigarettes or sell them.
Ask the person who objects if they have ever met a social or humanitarian entrepreneur who sought to profit from the pain of others, and if so, who, and exactly how. They will probably be silent.
Just as good doctors and nurses attempt to cure disease, and alleviate human pain and suffering, social & humanitarian entrepreneurs attempt to solve social and humanitarian problems, and in turn alleviate the pain these unsolved social and humanitarian problems create.
However, unlike doctors and nurses, social or humanitarian entrepreneurs are paid for results produced rather than efforts made.
It is only by creating social goods that social/humanitarian entrepreneurs make an income to support their own families.
Entrepreneurs dont get paid by the Government or their boss. They are creative risk takers who, like doctors and nurses, have chosen to service to humanity. Those of us attracted to social & humanitarian entrepreneurship typically want to earn our keep by making the world a better place.
We measure our success in terms of a double bottom line:
A. mission results (the production of social and humanitarian good) and
B. income earned.
Humanitarian / social entrepreneurs no more earn their living off of the suffering of others, than do doctors and nurses.
As for what motivates a humanitarian or social entrepreneur, I am not psychic and motivation can be triggered on what I describe as 4 planes.
1. My survival. I live or die..... or in terms of motivation. What's in it for me?
2. The survival of my genes. Protection of my spouse and my children.
3. My communities survival. I might die for my country or defending my tribe because defeat by an outside force may terminate my community and tribes survival.
4. Survival of my species as part of this planet ecosystem and part of the universe/cosmos. I will defend my environment and tackle global problems that threaten life as we know it.
Humanitarian or social entrepreneurs are focused on evolving towards operating on the 4th plane but they cant get there if they are distracted by threats to 1, 2 & 3.
My motives are hopelessly mixed. I find the starvation of children anywhere in the world an outrage. Although we have the resource to bring this outrage to an end, after 50 years of sincere, but mostly ineffectual efforts by governments and aid organisations, 15,000 children under the age of five still perish/starve each and every day.
I'm sure you want to see this problem solved, but you will not deny you own family food, shelter, clothing or any other normal amenity that people in your country expect. Is this selfish? Will hungry children be better off if you are not able to pay your bills? Would the families we help really be better off if you put off the day you start working to feed them until you become a true selfless guru beyond worldly needs?
We can all volunteer some of our time for a good cause but the full time employees of traditional humanitarian organisations need a salary and to get the best people, organisations pay highly competitive rates. You don't have to be a saint to get a job with the Red Cross. The Red Cross paid their former president director Elizabeth Dole $200k per year..... the Red Cross wanted someone who could raise a lot more money than she cost. Humanitarian entrepreneurs work exactly the same way. They raise many times more money than they are paid and the more they raise the more they are paid. Sound familiar?
Moral and ethical objections are often raised, but in part this is because most people don't bother to examine their own mixed up notions about morality, ethics, and right and wrong. Many when pressed will say that "they just know it is so....". This moral certitude, confirmed by beliefs and prejudice may be comfortable, but is it sane and coherent?
We might start by asking those who object to social entrepreneurship on moral and ethical grounds to be a little more specific.
In most cases I think the claim that social entrepreneurship is inherently unethical is rooted in the belief that the profit the social entrepreneur earns, is earned at the expense of the intended recipient (e.g. starving orphans in Africa). These same detractors must then feel that the existing establishment aid is well run and the only way to do the job. Invariably these are people who have not experienced working behind the scenes in the aid world.
Insiders know that conventional mainstream aid can be criminally inefficient.
That is not to say that all social entrepreneurs are supremely efficient, but rather that the free market does not favour inefficient, high cost, low quality providers. In time business models that are inefficient and aid providers who are wasteful, fail and are replaced by something better.
The administrative inefficiencies of these entrepreneurial providers, however, pales in comparison with the inefficiencies of many governmental and non-profit providers of social and humanitarian goods. I suspect there is often a latent assumption that non-profit means no or low cost. It does not mean that at all.
When I worked for UNIDO some of my contemporaries conducted a secret audit. They found that for one dollar to reach the "ground" in the target community, a total of $13.85 was needed from donor countries! Many large non-government organisations today run at less than 50% efficiency but they have clever accountants who put airfares, insurance and salaries for foreign field experts into "program expenses" and so they don't count towards the cost of administration.
It is hard to imagine any social entrepreneur operating at these levels of administrative inefficiency, and remaining in business for long. Business and entrepreneurial incentives, when properly applied, help to eliminate inefficiencies, and to bring more and better products and services to those who require them.
The Indonesian telecommunication network is run by a government regulated oligopoly. Up till recently we feared the arrival of our unitemised phone bill. As an Australian expat with donors and volunteers in many countries I made a fair number of international calls. Under the old quasi state system our bills frequently exceeded $600 a month.
Our new VoIP carrier offers free calls to the States, Canada and Australia. As a result our phone bill now drop to about $60. The old system impoverished us (literally). The new system leaves money on our table. The efforts of profit driven telecom entrepreneurs have benefited everyone who can get to a computer and log on. That leaves a lot of people out in the cold but it opens doors for us to set up internet cafes in remote places like Gomo where a satellite phone is the only option at the moment.
Today entrepreneurs are working to produce similar results in a variety of social and humanitarian fields. Indeed, we might well ask given the obvious failure of established governmental and non-profit efforts to eradicate humanitarian problems, we should ask if it is moral and ethical to advocate the continuance of these ineffectual, resource draining, high cost programmes.
By Einstein's measure it is slightly insane to advocate doing the same thing over and over, and yet expecting a different (better) result. In my opinion, it's time for the objectors to reconsider the morality of their opposition to an inherently more efficient solutions for empowering isolated communities or nourishing children who are at risk.
END
FYI, found this online:
We might start by asking those who object to social entrepreneurship on moral and ethical grounds to be a little more specific. Are their objections deontological? consequentialist? Virtue based? Teleological? Does the objector hold, as does J. R. Searle, that "ought" can be derived from "is"? Or, does the objector follow Hume, and argue that "ought" cannot be derived from "is"? When evaluating a moral issue which is primary, the act, the motive or the consequence? Perhaps the objector agrees with the German theologian DietrichBonhoeffer's http://www.dbonhoeffer.org position in his Ethics, and believes that the attempt to gain a knowledge of "good" and "evil" is the root cause of all inhumanity, and that we should seek out the will of God rather than seeking to try to distinguish between right and wrong. Or maybe the objector follows Nietzsche http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nietzsche/ and a few other existentialist philosophers and holds that humanitarian acts are in themselves immoral. How we might best respond depends on what the objector considers immoral and unethical.Post Reply Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 09/16/05 | Old News but Worth Revisiting - McCloskey's 15-20 min now looking like 8-9 min # |
Rick Cameron
|
Quake may be 'imminent' warns tsunami expert By Richard Macey June 9, 2005 - 6:04AM A scientist who predicted the second Indonesian earthquake fears a third devastating jolt, powerful enough to cause another major tsunami, is "imminent".
The waves could sweep north-western Australia, reaching as far as Perth. John McCloskey, of the University of Ulster, said building the Indian Ocean tsunami warning system was "an urgent priority". "Don't take the foot off the gas. This is very urgent work."
In mid March, Professor McCloskey warned that the Boxing Day quake, which triggered the tsunami that killed 300,000 people, had shifted tectonic stresses to another spot on Sumatra's geological fault line. He predicted a second strong quake, noting many did not believe lightning could strike twice. "But with earthquakes it's exactly the opposite ... I quite honestly hope we're completely wrong." He wasn't.
The second quake, measuring 8.3, struck on March 28 near the Simeulue and Nias islands, killing 2000 people. In a new study, published in Nature, Professor McCloskey's team reports that "stresses imposed by the second rupture have brought closer to failure" another zone "immediately to the south, under the Batu and Mentawai islands".
"The historical record and the experience of the Sumatra-Andaman and Simeulue-Nias events indicate that a tsunami could be a possibility." Professor McCloskey told the Herald it would likely strike near the Mentawai islands, triggering a repeat performance of the 8.5 quake of 1833. "The 1833 earthquake is probably a reasonable model. It did trigger a tsunami and there were many casualties.
That's the type of earthquake we fear it definitely could be." Professor McCloskey noted that the 1833 tsunami reached north-western Australia. Next time "the waves would be felt in Perth," he said, adding he could not say how strong they would be.
It was impossible to say when it would happen, but the evidence, including historical data, showed it could be within 30 years, following the pattern of the 1833 and 1861 Sumatra quakes. "It may be sooner. We must assume it's imminent and behave accordingly. We can't bury our heads in the sand."
Commenting on his last prediction, Professor McCloskey said: "I've very mixed feelings." He had "a sense of professional satisfaction that our science has started to understand well" earthquakes. "I hope I am wrong this time, but I don't think so. It's not something you get any pleasure out of ... even though with the last one we were very accurate." While a "high tech" warning system would protect people around the Indian Ocean, there would be no time to alert Sumatra.
A program was needed to teach them how to save themselves. "People need to plan what to do in Sumatra when they feel the earth shake. You have 15 to 20 minutes to get yourself into a position safe from the tsunami." Post Reply Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 09/16/05 | Singing - First Responders Tool in Face of Disaster Crowds # |
Rick Cameron
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Birdie wrote earlier today: I am in Los Angeles, working at Paramount Studios (the MTV/VH-1 Katrina benefit was staged there yesterday). A few days after Katrina ROARED in the Gulf Coast.... I was at my desk at Paramount, and I had the transmission feed on, coming from the stage where they tape "The Insider" an Entertainment Tonight spin-off show. I saw footage of Harry Connic! k, Jr come on - and he was walking down an abandoned Canal Street in New Orleans. It was either Wednesday or Thursday. The thousands of people who had been asked to evac to the Convention Center in downtown N.O, were now VERY hungry and thirsty and had been promised over and over that help was coming and yet, no one was showing up. They were starting to get agitated and were chanting "We Need Help!!" I knew that there were buses getting people out of the Superdome and they COULD send buses there - but - they weren't.....I surveyed the crowd....old, women, disabled, children, hippies, mostly black and/or poor. I quickly put it together that "the authorities" were afraid of mob scenes breaking out over anyone coming in with food/water or transport and put all on hold until they had armed escorts. Remember the scene on - wasn't it western Nias - when, because they had been ignored for so long, the villagers were extra anxious to get suppli! es and a few of the men had been drinking Palm Wine - crea ting a bad mix - desperate and unruly? Well....I remembered it and my attention returned to Harry Connick, jr famed New Orleans singer/performer....now alking the streets of N. O with a camera crew. I picked up the phone and got a line right to one of the producers for "The Insider" - I told her I had just seen the Harry Connick, Jr feed come in - that I needed to get a message to him and the media crew on the ground with him. I relayed the story about the "unruly mob" in Nias, which sent the relief workers into retreat and how they were able to come back and get the villagers to sit down, and start singing their traditional songs - and that it calmed them down, and then, they were able to come back and get the aid delivered, in a orderly fashion. She asked if the group was "Surf Aid International" and I said no, but that SAI had stayed with my friend, Rick (at ELM headquarters) and that they were involved with the same over-all group of surfers. S! he could have been a surfer. Anyway..... I said that I needed Harry to get people to start singing....at The Convention Center, on the buses, at the hospitals....and she said like what? "America the beautiful?" and I said "No, "AMAZING GRACE" or traditional New Orleans songs.... Anyway, the two of us composed an email on the spot and whoosh......off it went to the team in N.O. I was so grateful I had connected with such a SMART AWARE producer!!! She totally got that it could help save lives....getting everyone to SIT DOWN and SING. It would calm the crowd down but also....make them look completely non-threatening to obviously freaked out overwhelmed first responders who were hearing about gunfire, snipers, looting.....and a very large anxious crowd. The message did get to Harry....and the media crews wound up finding nurses singing at Charity Hospital "we love you, we need you to survive" who had been tending to pa! tients around the clock for over 5 days with power, plumbi ng and supplies....UNBELIEVABLE. But more importantly, I want you all to know that "The Insider" got Aaron Neville to sing "AMAZING GRACE" as an exclusive, the very next night, and.....he performed it on the Hurricane Relief show that Harry Connick, Jr organized - as the closing song... the next day, MSNBC had a whole montage of clips that ran to Aaron's recorded version of "Amazing Grace"....and there was footage of people standing, where their church once was, maybe it was at Waveland (it was just a slab of concrete)....singing "Amazing Grace".... A few more days went by....Faith Hill (country singer) was on the ground at a shelter and one of the evac's asked her to sing...."AMAZING GRACE" and it was run on "The Oprah" show. I've been digging through my mails trying to find the original mails from Rick regarding the crowds in Nias and how that was handled....with the singing. I have to tell you guys that the SIT DOWN and SING tactic NEEDS to be taught to FIRST RESPONDERS.... EVERYWHERE. Often, that is LOCAL Law Enforcement, Red Cross, and FEMA. But, I think that the Red Cross needs to take up the charge, and, be in-charge of training not only their staff but to get the word out to police, hospital, church, and other community groups that can be in the position of being first responders. I was only able to get through to the media and performers. At this point....crowd control is no longer an issue, and I want to stay out of the way of what needs to be dealt with NOW... But, I am mulling over how to proceed, in terms of getting the word out to the first responder community....maybe a call to Larry King on CNN...calls to the Red Cross.... I cannot express HOW important a TOOL for first responders this is.... Rick - if you have the original mails or more to add - please provide them s! o that I can forward them. Your story needs to get to the Red Cross and FEMA.... Birdie Thanks Birdie - (have edited your text slightly for clarity). YOU made this happen and you probably saved a bunch of lives and a lot of pain. Amazing! See Associated Press carried a story about volunteers with bullhorns singing "Amazing Grace" to crowds waiting for transport this morning! http://www.wired.com/news/hurricane/0,2904,68833,00.html?tw=wn_story_top5 Rick Post Reply Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 09/15/05 | Mobile Phones as Key Component in Early Warning System # |
Rick Cameron
|
A message from Michael C. Pousti
Chairman and CEO, SMS.ac, Inc.
October 2005
The world grieves at the tremendous loss of life and property that occurred in the wake of Hurricane Katrina—the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. Those of us at SMS.ac offer our wishes and prayers for all those that are affected.
Watching the news coverage of Katrina on television, I was struck that mobile phones had, and continue to have, such a huge impact in communications following any emergency. Tearful reunions occurred between family members, government officials raced to orchestrate urgent relief efforts, expectant mothers phoned for assistance and even the media were dependent upon their mobile handsets to coordinate news stories.
What’s missing here is that mobile phones should also be playing a major role before tragedies strike. SMS.ac has been an advocate for establishing a mobile-based early warning system and this latest calamity makes it all the more clear that a concerted effort must be made to utilize mobile phones to save lives. Take tsunamis and hurricanes, for instance. Sirens have proved to be largely ineffective. Warnings delivered via radio, television and even over the computer are, except in limited circumstances also undependable.
Particularly in third-world countries, not everyone has a television or radio… certainly not a computer. But, you’d be surprised that nearly everyone has a mobile phone. Unlike the previously mentioned devices, mobile phones are always with us and they are always powered-on. What an awesome opportunity to harness the power of mobile communications to reach people, not just in the aftermath of an emergency, but prior to an approaching event, any time and anywhere. We believe that mobile phones can save lives. And for that reason, you’ll be hearing more news in coming months of SMS.ac’s efforts to establish a mobile-based alerts system, domestically and abroad. Our friends at the CTIA are pioneers in this endeavor, as was evidenced with their own Amber Alert and Katrina announcements. This is a movement that is gaining momentum.
Please visit SMS.ac’s corporate site frequently for the latest on developments in your wireless world.
Thank you,
Michael PoustiPost Reply Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 09/15/05 | Global Warming Said to Increase Hurricane Intensity # |
Rick Cameron
|
As the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina continues to mount, the debate over the role of global warming has grown apace. Climate scientists have not established any link between global warming and the frequency of storms, but a persuasive body of evidence indicates that warming is having a considerable impact on the intensity of hurricanes, adding greatly to their destructive force.
Indeed, a study just published in the journal Nature reports that the power--and hence the destructive force--of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean has more than doubled in the past 30 years, with an unusually strong spike since 1995. "The large upswing is unprecedented and probably reflects the effect of global warming," said MIT climate scientist Kerry Emmanuel, who conducted the study.
Emmanuel's findings echo a 2004 study conducted by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) of the U.S. Department of Commerce. NOAA found that "greenhouse-gas induced warming may lead to a gradually increasing risk in the occurrence of highly destructive category-5 storms." It added that, "The strongest hurricanes in the present climate may be upstaged by even more intense hurricanes over the next century as the earth's climate is warmed by increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere." NOAA has also reported that hurricane activity in the Atlantic has been higher than normal for 9 of the past 11 years, and that this year could see as many as 11 hurricanes there, in contrast to the typical six. [1]
The growing consensus on a link between warmer oceans and stronger hurricanes has led to renewed criticism of the Bush administration's refusal to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. President Bush stated in June, 2001 that "My administration's climate policy will be science based."
But one year later Mr. Bush ridiculed a new study by his own EPA as "a report put out by the bureaucracy," and removed it from a submission to the United Nations. When a 2003 EPA report stated that "Climate change has global consequences for human health and the environment," the White House removed the sentence.
This week the chief of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Dr. John Marburger, told Greenwire that there is no need for the administration to change its policies on global warming. [2]
In contrast, Sir David King, chief science advisor for the British government, said flatly two weeks ago that "The increased intensity of hurricanes is associated with global warming. We have known since 1987 the intensity of hurricanes is related to surface sea temperature..."
Likewise, five leading climate scientists writing on the blog RealClimate.org noted last week that "The available scientific evidence indicates that it is likely that global warming will make--and possibly is making--those hurricanes that form more destructive than they otherwise would have been."
Boding ill for the coastlines of the U.S. and many other parts of the world, Princeton University geosciences professor Michael Oppenheimer said in an Environmental Media Services teleconference this week that there is a consensus among scientists that "greenhouse gases bear most of the responsibility" for the current warming of the earth, and that scientists expect to see a sea level rise of between six inches and three feet over this century.
Most upsetting in the eyes of many experts is the recent energy bill passed by Congress and signed by the president. It includes some $13.1 billion in tax breaks for greenhouse gas emitting industries, including $4 billion for an oil industry that is already enjoying multi-billion dollar profits. [3]
###
SOURCES:
[1] "Global warming and hurricanes," Geophysical Fluid Dynamic Laboratory.
[2] "U.S. policies sufficient to address hurricane threats, Bush's science adviser says," Greenwire, Sept. 12, 2005.
[3] US PIRG press release, Aug. 8, 2005. Post Reply Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 09/15/05 | re: disaster management & politique # |
Rick Cameron
|
Romain,
I found this on Kerry Seih's website:
"One test of whether humanity acts differently in the next millennium is this: Can we marshal the visionary persistence needed to take charge of our future? Or will we carry on as we did throughout most of the past—simply reacting to tragedies as they happen?"
That says it clearly.
What choice do we have?
Rick
> romain wrote:
> I would like to comment on the recent ELM mailing list debate concerning political involvement in disaster management.
>
>For disaster management, prevention is obviously a better choice than protection (preventing the disaster to happen instead of protecting the population and natural resources that will suffer from it). Unfortunately in recent cases not even protection system was implemented or appropriated. For example, people had to rely on rescue effort by NGO.
>
>In order to have an appropriate prevention system, protection system and rescue system one needs to have strategy, resources, man power, expertise, top ranking support/participation and plans as such.
>
>How can such systems be found without political involvement? So the debate should not be ‘we are here to heal and let’s take Michael Moore crap out’ but accept the fact that there are inevitable political/economical issues that need to be taken into consideration and determine which one is the most suitable for the prevention / protection / rescue of a disaster.
>
>Next is a recent article from worldwatch Institute ( independent research organization www.worldwatch.org) Connection can be made with the Tsunami where in Malaysia by example, area with mangrove had suffered much less compared with area that has been deforested for promoters or prawn farming.
>
>
>UNNATURAL DISASTER: THE LESSONS OF KATRINA
>Worldwatch Projects Catastrophe Will Be Most Costly Weather-Related Disaster in History
>Washington, D.C. – The overwhelming human and financial impacts of Hurricane Katrina are powerful evidence that political and economic decisions made in the United States and other countries have failed to account for our dependence on a healthy resource base, according to an assessment released today by the Worldwatch Institute.
>Alteration of the Mississippi River and the destruction of wetlands at its mouth have left the area around New Orleans abnormally vulnerable to the forces of nature. According to many scientists, the early results of global warming—90 degree Fahrenheit water temperatures in the Gulf and rising sea levels—may have exacerbated the destructive power of Katrina.
>“The catastrophe now unfolding along the U.S. Gulf Coast is a wake-up call for decision makers around the globe,” says Worldwatch President Christopher Flavin. “If the world continues on its current course—massively altering the natural world and further increasing fossil fuel consumption—future generations may face a chain of disasters that make Katrina-scale catastrophes a common feature of life in the 21st century.”
>“The appalling images from New Orleans demonstrate that the world’s richest country is not immune from the need to respect natural systems and to invest in their protection,” continued Flavin. "This will likely be the most expensive weather-related disaster the world has ever faced."
>According to an assessment by Worldwatch researchers, the long-term lessons of Katrina include:
>
>1. Maintaining the integrity of natural ecosystems should be a priority: Indiscriminate economic development and ecologically destructive policies have left many communities more vulnerable to disasters than they realize. This, together with rapid population growth in vulnerable areas, has contributed to worldwide economic losses from weather-related catastrophes totaling $567 billion over the last 10 years, exceeding the combined losses from 1950 through 1989. Losses in 2004 exceeded $100 billion for the second time ever, and a new record will almost certainly be set this year once Katrina’s damages are totaled.
>
>2. Short-term thinking is a dangerous approach to policy: During the past few years, the U.S government has diverted funding from disaster preparedness to help finance the Iraq War, and has reduced protections for wetlands in order to spur economic development. Both decisions are now exacting costs that far exceed the money saved. Natural ecosystems such as wetlands and forests are often more valuable when left intact so as to protect communities from floods, landslides, drought, and other natural occurrences. Failure to protect ecosystems contributed to the massive loss of life when the tsunamis swept across the Indian Ocean last year and when Hurricane Mitch killed 10,000 people in Central America in 1998.
>
>3. The links between climate change and weather-related catastrophes need to be addressed by decision makers: Although no specific storm can be definitively linked to climate change, scientists agree that warm water is the fuel that increases the intensity of such storms and that tropical seas have increased in temperature by up to 2 degrees Fahrenheit over the past century. (Katrina transformed rapidly from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane when it passed from the Atlantic Ocean to the much warmer Gulf of Mexico.) In the next few decades, water temperatures and sea levels will continue to rise, greatly increasing the vulnerability of many communities. Global warming and its anticipated effects on the hydrological cycle will make some areas more vulnerable as storms, floods, and droughts increase in frequency and intensity.
>
>4. There is an urgent need to diversify energy supplies: The national and global economic impact of Hurricane Katrina is growing by the day, with consumers around the world now paying significantly more for energy than they were a week ago. Decades of failure to invest in new energy options has left the world dependent on oil and natural gas that are concentrated in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions—the U.S. Gulf Coast, the Persian Gulf, and the Niger Delta in Africa. Biofuels and other renewable resources now represent viable alternatives to fossil fuels, which are not only vulnerable to natural disasters but could have a big impact on the severity of future disasters.
>Post Reply Reply by Private Message (new win) |
| 09/14/05 | disaster management & politique # |
romain
|
I would like to comment on the recent ELM mailing list debate concerning political involvement in disaster management.
For disaster management, prevention is obviously a better choice than protection (preventing the disaster to happen instead of protecting the population and natural resources that will suffer from it). Unfortunately in recent cases not even protection system was implemented or appropriated. For example, people had to rely on rescue effort by NGO.
In order to have an appropriate prevention system, protection system and rescue system one needs to have strategy, resources, man power, expertise, top ranking support/participation and plans as such.
How can such systems be found without political involvement? So the debate should not be ‘we are here to heal and let’s take Michael Moore crap out’ but accept the fact that there are inevitable political/economical issues that need to be taken into consideration and determine which one is the most suitable for the prevention / protection / rescue of a disaster.
Next is a recent article from worldwatch Institute ( independent research organization www.worldwatch.org) Connection can be made with the Tsunami where in Malaysia by example, area with mangrove had suffered much less compared with area that has been deforested for promoters or prawn farming.
UNNATURAL DISASTER: THE LESSONS OF KATRINA
Worldwatch Projects Catastrophe Will Be Most Costly Weather-Related Disaster in History
Washington, D.C. – The overwhelming human and financial impacts of Hurricane Katrina are powerful evidence that political and economic decisions made in the United States and other countries have failed to account for our dependence on a healthy resource base, according to an assessment released today by the Worldwatch Institute.
Alteration of the Mississippi River and the destruction of wetlands at its mouth have left the area around New Orleans abnormally vulnerable to the forces of nature. According to many scientists, the early results of global warming—90 degree Fahrenheit water temperatures in the Gulf and rising sea levels—may have exacerbated the destructive power of Katrina.
“The catastrophe now unfolding along the U.S. Gulf Coast is a wake-up call for decision makers around the globe,” says Worldwatch President Christopher Flavin. “If the world continues on its current course—massively altering the natural world and further increasing fossil fuel consumption—future generations may face a chain of disasters that make Katrina-scale catastrophes a common feature of life in the 21st century.”
“The appalling images from New Orleans demonstrate that the world’s richest country is not immune from the need to respect natural systems and to invest in their protection,” continued Flavin. "This will likely be the most expensive weather-related disaster the world has ever faced."
According to an assessment by Worldwatch researchers, the long-term lessons of Katrina include:
1. Maintaining the integrity of natural ecosystems should be a priority: Indiscriminate economic development and ecologically destructive policies have left many communities more vulnerable to disasters than they realize. This, together with rapid population growth in vulnerable areas, has contributed to worldwide economic losses from weather-related catastrophes totaling $567 billion over the last 10 years, exceeding the combined losses from 1950 through 1989. Losses in 2004 exceeded $100 billion for the second time ever, and a new record will almost certainly be set this year once Katrina’s damages are totaled.
2. Short-term thinking is a dangerous approach to policy: During the past few years, the U.S government has diverted funding from disaster preparedness to help finance the Iraq War, and has reduced protections for wetlands in order to spur economic development. Both decisions are now exacting costs that far exceed the money saved. Natural ecosystems such as wetlands and forests are often more valuable when left intact so as to protect communities from floods, landslides, drought, and other natural occurrences. Failure to protect ecosystems contributed to the massive loss of life when the tsunamis swept across the Indian Ocean last year and when Hurricane Mitch killed 10,000 people in Central America in 1998.
3. The links between climate change and weather-related catastrophes need to be addressed by decision makers: Although no specific storm can be definitively linked to climate change, scientists agree that warm water is the fuel that increases the intensity of such storms and that tropical seas have increased in temperature by up to 2 degrees Fahrenheit over the past century. (Katrina transformed rapidly from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane when it passed from the Atlantic Ocean to the much warmer Gulf of Mexico.) In the next few decades, water temperatures and sea levels will continue to rise, greatly increasing the vulnerability of many communities. Global warming and its anticipated effects on the hydrological cycle will make some areas more vulnerable as storms, floods, and droughts increase in frequency and intensity.
4. There is an urgent need to diversify energy supplies: The national and global economic impact of Hurricane Katrina is growing by the day, with consumers around the world now paying significantly more for energy than they were a week ago. Decades of failure to invest in new energy options has left the world dependent on oil and natural gas that are concentrated in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions—the U.S. Gulf Coast, the Persian Gulf, and the Niger Delta in Africa. Biofuels and other renewable resources now represent viable alternatives to fossil fuels, which are not only vulnerable to natural disasters but could have a big impact on the severity of future disasters.
Post Reply Reply by Private Message (new win) |
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