Monthly Archives: August, 2013
Complex Emergencies R Us (Part 1)
The recent deadly riots in Cairo. Egypt during August have been shocking. Equally alarming have been other conflicts, such as Syria, with the alleged use of nerve gas on civilians. It is debatable whether the greater tragedy is the killing itself or the paralysis of the international community to stop the carnage. The world seems […]
The Season of Wildfires
All of us were shocked and saddened by news of an elite crew of firefighters in Arizona who died on July 2 when the wind suddenly changed and they were trapped. It is a reminder of the deadly danger that wildfires pose, and the risk that is taken by both homeowners and those battling the flames. Virtually every summer, […]
Food Security and Emergency Prep (Part 2)
On an earlier blog, I made a case for local vegetable gardens as an important step toward food security after a disaster. They resemble WWII ‘victory gardens’, since food was rationed during the war. Productive soil is the key to localizing food security. A 5m x 5m plot is more easily accessible than a large plot, especially […]
Evacuation with your Pet
I stood at the water’s edge in the Ninth Ward of downtown New Orleans. This was several days after Hurricane Katrina had caused its havoc along the Gulf Coast. Before me was a flotilla of small boats, all with one purpose. The “Pet Rescue” was in full swing. I had never witnessed this before, despite […]
Food Security and Emergency Prep (Part 1)
An immediate human need after a disaster event is availability of food. We can’t live long without it. I live off the Pacific Coast, on Vancouver Island, where the vast majority of food is imported. This is true in almost all metro areas of North America, but is accentuated because of the water barrier to […]
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