Macondo Well-Deepwater Horizon Blowout: Lessons for Offshore Drilling Safety
The oil industry and regulators need to put more emphasis on safety at all stages of drilling, according to this report by the National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council. The report, released this week, looked at the Deepwater Horizon disaster to identify industry practices that lead to catastrophic accidents. They found the industry put too much trust in technology that had known problems, ignored signs of impending blowout, and failed to hire properly trained and educated staff. The report recommends establishing guidelines based on risk and implementing a safety systems approach to emergency planning.
Geospatial Platform
Whether you’re a GIS expert or just like to geek out with maps, Geospatial Platform has something for you. The platform marries data sets from government agencies like NOAA and the EPA with a Web-based mapping tool, so you can map anything from weather systems worldwide to Superfund sites along your vacation route. Upload and share your maps, and even join groups of users with similar mapping interests.
The Natural Hazards Collection
Need to know how an earthquake might affect a mountain slope? Or how a hurricane can wreak havoc on a wastewater system? Heck, this collection of journal articles from Routledge can even lead you to resources on how Katrina cleanup compares to post-World War II Europe. Regardless of the type of disaster article you’re looking for, this is a good place to start, with a wealth of information on how disaster affects the economy and environment. A subscription may be required to access some articles.
Cement Trust
In the United States, it’s easy to trust cement in everything from sidewalks to sewage systems, but in the developing world, concrete building blocks can be much shakier. Cement Trust makes a case for changing that—and helping to rebuild disaster stricken communities in the process. The group aims to improve concrete quality and the economy in Haiti by strengthening the concrete supply chain. Visit the website to learn more about their plan and as well as some nifty cement facts.
Changing Perception of Avian Influenza Risk, Hong Kong, 2006–2010
Hong Kong residents worry less about contracting avian flu, although they believe the likelihood of catching the disease remains the same, according to this study recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. Among the findings was that decreased risk of exposure seemed to stem from limited availability of live poultry rather than health education efforts such as hand-washing campaigns.