Social Media and Hurricanes
Hurricane season is upon us and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has whipped up a handy trove of hurricane-related media for you to share. With offerings of widgets, RSS and Twitter feeds, e-cards, and old-fashioned e-mail updates, there’s no reason any self-respecting website should be mum on how readers can get ready for the season.
OpenQuake
This up and coming software will help users calculate earthquake hazard, risk, and socioeconomic impact on a variety of scales. Although still in development, the open source code is available for those that might want to customize it for their organization. Not a techie? Hold your breath. The Global Earthquake Model hopes to have user interfaces available by 2013.
Hazard Mitigation Planning Projects
Wonder what the next generation of hazards researchers makes of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000? Cruise over to Western Washington University’s Resilience Institute and find out. Students at the institute examined the act and created websites critiquing its implementation in 10 states. Whether you’re a hardened planner or just want to know more, it never hurts to get fresh eyes on an old topic.
Health Implications of the Gulf Oil Spill
A year after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the University of Michigan Risk Science Center brought together a panel of experts in medicine, law, occupational safety, and environmental health to discuss what had been learned. For those who missed it, the video and transcript are available online, along with panelist information and spill resources.