Transforming Disaster Relief

With the state the world is in today, many people forget the powerful forces of nature, thinking instead of only human caused problems. As it is with most major problems in our day and age, the only thing that makes the populous take notice of our unpreparedness is visible results, in this case, a major catastrophe. Two of the worst possible disasters in recent memory occurred in within only a year of one another, the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina, which occurred in 2005, and makes one wonder why the former disaster didn't bring attention to New Orleans glaring weaknesses in the face of storm conditions. Luckily, these disasters did bring certain problems into the light, and allowed people to work on fixing them. These new technologies at combating the issues of disaster relief efforts make up the brunt of the article, and help to give hope for more successful relief efforts in the future. Some recent advances, such as the Groove network, deal with logistical problems, such as getting information to all of the people who need it. The Groove network deals with this by setting up a peer to peer file sharing network, much like what is used by the program "Limewire", between all those who need to be kept in the loop, preventing the need for a central server. Other advances deal with infrastructure problems, since not every nation has access to wi-fi for an extremely advanced rescue team to connect to. To deal with a the destruction of or lack of infrastructure, the Netrelief Kit serves as a central hub for communications technology between relief workers. Other advances along these lines allow aid workers to stay in communication with each other and get help to those who really need it. Hopefully, once the next disaster comes along (and it's never a question of "if" but "when"), those afflicted can find some solace in the fact that disaster relief has finally mad the leap into the 21st century, and has learned from past mistakes to become faster and more effective than ever before.

- Eric

Disaster Relief

There is a great deal of things people have to worry about in the up and coming future. One of those things is the every increasing number of natural disasters. It’s not only the number of disaster but that of the tremendous power these disasters are forcing upon us. Every year the number of natural disaster increases so much it caught us with our pants down. There are many examples of this both on are country and abroad. During hurricane Katrina there was so many thing that both the government and the civilians living in the area could have done. The government could install a better early warning system. This would work with a team of civilians on the ground making sure that everyone is evacuated or is aware of the danger and up coming consciousness. Aboard there was the tsunami incident in the Pacific Ocean. Where uninformed people and a poor early warning system led to more lives to be lost then there should have been. There are people working on a solution for the problem. After each traumatic situation a new group of volunteers pop up to help there fellow man. Some of the group’s functions are to provide food or water, clothing or even a place to sleep at night. Even something as simple as a phone so they can call relatives and let them know they are alive and well. There are groups for rebuilding destroyed property, and even a group in charge of search and rescue. Some day soon I believe national disasters will no longer be such a large problem like they are today. 

James

Disaster Relief and response

As degradation of our infrastructure continues, governments and citizens alike need to attempt to be prepared as possible. The article talks about poor responses for Katrina, and how many factors built up and made the operation a complete disaster. Although we cannot predict when these disasters will occur, we can make sure an organized and prepared force is ready for action. This preparedness also includes investing in prevention, including structures such as bridges and highways. These are crucial in transporting rescue forces and getting people away from the areas effected by the disaster. Usage of new technologies is another way to ensure the most effective response to a disaster. Global positioning, using computers to make maps of areas that need rescuing or can provide aid, and using computers for instant communication can all help reduce the impact of a problem that occurs. Another big part of an operation could be corporations, which have the resources to help the masses. Tide has been at the forefront, providing laundry services to those who are not able to wash clothes. Little things like this can come through in a big way, not only helping victims but ensuring that aid will be provided when a problem strikes. The government can also increase this cause by ensuring and allocating more money for organizations like FEMA, and maybe even giving organizations money for expansion, such as the Red Cross. The other concern is always energy, and providing basic necessities to those in a disaster. The article does a good job and shows that Mobile has solved the problem. The MPS (Mobile Power Station) uses wind turbines, solar power, microturbines, batteries, and plug ins to provide over 150 kilowatts constantily. This can be dropped from helicopters and will make providing for refugees a less complicated task.
--->Steve