Go125 Essay

Kaitlyn Vermillion

Professor Contes

GO125: Natural Disasters

6 September 2014

Now: The Time to Change

Global warming is no longer a theory or an imaginary problem. It has become a very evident threat to our global state and must be addressed. Because of increases in green house gas (GHG) emissions due to the natural cycle of the earth and the immense toll humans have placed on the planet, natural disasters have become increasingly more sever and unpredictable. Because of this irreversible issue, strides must be made to protect our cities, towns, and homes. We must assess risks, propose solutions, take action, and learn so that unavoidable natural hazards do not become devastating natural disasters.

We have heard all the controversial talk about the human toll on our planet. For years we have been told that the world will soon end and no world will be left for our grandkids, hundreds of years down the road. For years we have been told that global warming is a lie, while all the evidence suggesting its reality is right in front of our faces. Regardless of what the inconvenient truth is we must avoid falling for a reassuring lie.

In Botzen and can den Bergh’s article, must is said on the subject of strategies of mitigation and preparedness. “Examples of strategies that limit the probability of suffering damage are the creation of dams for flood control, dikes, storm surge barriers and relocation of property our of hazard-prone areas. (Botzen and van den Bergh 216 (pg.9))” These strategies are very effective and the funding for them is provided by the government because they see it as a way to save money in the future. “It has been suggested that worldwide investments of USD40 billion in disaster preparedness, prevention, and mitigation would have reduced global economic losses by USD280 billion during the 1990s” (Botzen and van den Bergh 216 (pg.9)).

The focus of Botzen and van den Burgh’s essay is the goal of fixing the problem before it becomes a...