India Being A Disaster Prone Country Has Been Regularly Affected By Earthquakes On One Side, Severe Droughts And Floods On Another Side, Landslides, Cyclones, Tsunami All Leading To Mass Destruction Of Loss Of Life And Property. With Very Little Resources Available With The Administration And Lack Of Coordination Being The Main Road Block, It Is Left To Each Individual To Take Steps To Save Himself.
An earthquake shatters Haiti and a hurricane slices through Texas. We hear that nature runs rampant, seeking to destroy us through these 'natural disasters'. Science recounts a different story, however: disasters are not the consequence of natural causes; they are the consequence of human choices and decisions. we put ourselves in harm's way; we fail to take measures which we know would prevent disasters, no matter what the environment does. This can be both hard to accept, and hard to unravel. A complex of factors shape disasters. They arise from the political processes dictating where and what we build, and from social circumstances which create and perpetuate poverty and discrimination. They develop from the social preference to blame nature for the damage wrought, when in fact events such as earthquakes and storms are entirely commonplace environmental processes We feel the need to fight natural forces, to reclaim what we assume is ours, and to protect ourselves from what we perceive to be wrath from outside our communities. This attitude distracts us from the real causes of disasters: humanity's decisions, as societies and as individuals. It stops us accepting the real solutions to disasters: making better decisions. This book explores stories of some of our worst disasters to show how we can and should act to stop people dying when nature unleashes its energies. The disaster is not the tornado, the volcanic eruption, or climate change, but the deaths and injuries, the loss of irreplaceable property, and the lack and even denial of support to affected people, so that a short-term interruption becomes a long-term recovery nightmare. But we can combat this, as Kelman shows, describing inspiring examples of effective human action that limits damage, such as managing flooding in Toronto and villages in Bangladesh, or wildfire in Colorado. Throughout, his message is clear: there is no such thing as a natural disaster. The disaster lies in our inability to deal with the environment and with ourselves.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NATIONAL BESTSELLER In this urgent, singularly authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical--and accessible--plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid an irreversible climate catastrophe. Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help and guidance of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science and finance, he has focused on exactly what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide toward certain environmental disaster. In this book, he not only gathers together all the information we need to fully grasp how important it is that we work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases but also details exactly what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal. He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face. He describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions; where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively; where breakthrough technologies are needed, and who is working on these essential innovations. Finally, he lays out a concrete plan for achieving the goal of zero emissions--suggesting not only policies that governments should adopt, but what we as individuals can do to keep our government, our employers and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise. As Bill Gates makes clear, achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do, but by following the guidelines he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.
The author of Men Explain Things to Me explores the moments of altruism and generosity that arise in the aftermath of disaster Why is it that in the aftermath of a disaster? whether manmade or natural?people suddenly become altruistic, resourceful, and brave? What makes the newfound communities and purpose many find in the ruins and crises after disaster so joyous? And what does this joy reveal about ordinarily unmet social desires and possibilities? In A Paradise Built in Hell, award-winning author Rebecca Solnit explores these phenomena, looking at major calamities from the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco through the 1917 explosion that tore up Halifax, Nova Scotia, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. She examines how disaster throws people into a temporary utopia of changed states of mind and social possibilities, as well as looking at the cost of the widespread myths and rarer real cases of social deterioration during crisis. This is a timely and important book from an acclaimed author whose work consistently locates unseen patterns and meanings in broad cultural histories.
Initial priorities for U.S. participation in the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, declared by the United Nations, are contained in this volume. It focuses on seven issues: hazard and risk assessment; awareness and education; mitigation; preparedness for emergency response; recovery and reconstruction; prediction and warning; learning from disasters; and U.S. participation internationally. The committee presents its philosophy of calls for broad public and private participation to reduce the toll of disasters.
Love him or loath him, these explorations, insights and antidotes into Rush Limbaugh, America's leading radio talker claiming conservatism, are for you whether: 1. You think hes a hero and telling it like it is. 2. You realize hes wrong but cant express why and dont know what to do about it. 3. You listen, think hes sometimes funny but are ambivalent about his views. 4. Or as Rush Limbaugh intones, you have "THE COURAGE TO FACE THE TRUTH." There's no competing national media source analyzing what is presented by him three hours a day on over 600 radio stations. This book presents Limbaugh over time--two decades of monitoring him and investigating his statements. It covers every key issue, among them: politics, the environment, health care, national defense, human rights, racism, conservatism, liberalism, the media. After each topic chapter there are sources and projects to further understand Rush Limbaugh and the issues he addresses, a 14 Step Truth Detection Program.
The pitfalls of throwing a boomerang, the world’s first feature film (1906), the largest coral reef in the world — these are just some of the subjects in this lively fact book sampling every aspect of Australian culture. Answers to such pesky questions as "Who holds the Australian Test Cricket team in-flight beer drinking record?" and "How do you play a didgeridoo?" provide hours of fun for tourists and armchair travelers.
All You Need to Know About the Music Business by veteran music lawyer Don Passman—dubbed “the industry bible” by the Los Angeles Times—is now updated to address the biggest transformation of the music industry yet: streaming. For more than twenty-five years, All You Need to Know About the Music Business has been universally regarded as the definitive guide to the music industry. Now in its tenth edition, Donald Passman leads novices and experts alike through what has been the most profound change in the music business since the days of wax cylinders and piano rolls. For the first time in history, music is no longer monetized by selling something—it’s monetized by how many times listeners stream a song. And that completely changes the ecosystem of the business, as Passman explains in detail. Since the advent of file-sharing technology in the late 1990s to the creation of the iPod, the music industry has been teetering on the brink of a major transformation—and with the newest switch to streaming music, this change has finally come to pass. Passman’s comprehensive guide offers timely, authoritative information from how to select and hire a winning team of advisors and structure their commissions and fees; navigate the ins and outs of record deals, songwriting, publishing, and copyrights; maximize concert, touring, and merchandising deals; and how the game is played in a streaming world. “If you want to be in music, you have to read this book,” says Adam Levine, lead singer and guitarist of Maroon 5. With its proven track record, this updated edition of All You Need to Know About the Music Business is more essential than ever for musicians, songwriters, lawyers, agents, promoters, publishers, executives, and managers—anyone trying to navigate the rapid transformation of the industry.
The rental process is complicated, but your journey to finding a home doesn’t have to be dominated by confusion and frustration. Everything You Need to Know about Renting but Didn’t Know to Ask gives you the information and confidence you need to seek, secure, and flourish in your new home. With more than 20 years of experience in the rental industry as a renter, landlord, property manager, and now founder of Dwellsy, the largest US rental marketplace, Jonas Bordo has compiled a comprehensive and practical guide to help you: Prepare for the rental search Find the best place for you Avoid scams Succeed in the application process and get the place you want Make the most of your new home Get your security deposit back when you leave your rental Whether you’re a first-time renter or hoping to make your next rental process smoother than the last, Everything You Need to Know about Renting but Didn’t Know to Ask will help you navigate the entire process. You’ll find tips on determining your price range, touring options in person or from afar, negotiating your lease, bringing your pet with you, moving in and moving out, being a good neighbor, and much more. With this book as your companion, eliminate surprises and leave frustration behind as you find your next home with confidence and ease.
