EiJ Hazards
Digital collection focused on environmental injustice hazards.
Digital collection focused on environmental injustice hazards.
There are numerous methods utilized to support the claims in this paper. Research workshops were analyzed and discussed and the conclusions and discussions of experts were examine and presented. There was also an ample amount of expert interviews that were discussed and analyzed. The authors' expert opinions as well as analysis of current data can be seen throughout the paper, but also an analysis of the lack of health specific data.
After looking up the bibliography, many of the citations found were government agencies or studies performed on bioterrorism, biological weapons and disease security, all from reputable sources and agencies. This shows that a lot of work and investigation went into this paper and it is valid and accurate research.
"... it remains to be seen whether the 'nuclear village' [of STS scholars] is ready to collaborate in the international governance of nuclear emergencies" (Schmid, 207)
"... nuclear emergency preparedness has hardly gained traction." (Schmid, 200)
"In high-risk industries... safety sometimes gets pitted against profitability..." (Schmid, 199)
The data is mainly visualized in report form. There is also a section of the site where data and statistics that have been confirmed are written out separated by disease/disorder type. So in the "what we know" tab PTSD, depression, tobacco use, asthma, lung function, respiratory issues, heart disease and adolescent health are separated into different sections with confirmed disease rates, correlations and numbers listed beneath each section. The same group that runs this registry in terms of research, called the 'WTC Medical Working Group' also provides links to other current studies on the matter, some of which they have partaken in.
The authors pulled information from a variety of sources and tools. They pulled from information procured by their non-profit, Partners in Health as well as from other research articles. Some of them are also on the ground level, treating and interacting with patients who are symptoms of their structural violence argument. These patients are able to provide first-hand information to the authors.
"The crumbling infrastructure at Rikers leads to more than flooding. The majority of weapons found on the island (about 79 percent in 2014) are fashioned out of building materials at hand, and not smuggled in."
"In my cell, it feels like it’s 104 degrees in my cell when it’s 94 degrees outside. I feel like I’m dying in the cell. I have a heart murmur and my heart will start pumping hard. I get dizzy and get migraine headaches from the heat.”
"The landfill underneath burps methane, a noxious gas, as the garbage decomposes naturally. Less than a mile away in Queens sit five power plants that spew volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide, a pollutant. The Poletti power plant, infamous for being the biggest polluter in New York, sat within a mile of Rikers and operated until 2010"
Andrew Lakoff is an associate professor of anthropology, sociology, and communication at the University of Southern California, Berkeley. He expertise lies in the anthropology of science and medicine and the implications of biomedical innovations. He does not appear to be professionally situated in emergency response. He has only written on book on a macro scale titled, "Disaster and the Politics of Intervention," but he appears to have no further association or expertise in the field.
Stephen J. Collier is the chair of the Graduate Program in International Affairs at the New School in New York City. He is an expert in economic regulation, social welfare, and emergency management in Russia, the Republic of Georgia, and in the United States. He is currently researching the emergence of vital systems security in disaster policy, homeland security, and infrastructure protection. In this manner, he is related with emergency response. He also has a number of publications listed on his CV in relation to disaster response.
The arguments were supported through providing data and statistics on the amount of those suffering still and providing background and input from numerous government agencies on the topic. Interviews with survivors were also used to support the argument and provide first person experience about the conditions in which they live and hardships they face.The interviews recount what occurred and was experienced during the disaster, as well. Ben, a 42 year old carpenter, Muriel and many others are quoted and provide testimony to the adversities they faced- physiologically, psychologically and emotionally during and post Katrina. The article then discusses the roles government agencies have in recovery after the disaster.
They have produced a number of articles which can be found here: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/our-work/medical-research
A few of the recent highlights are articles that discuss the impacts of masss vaccination campaigns, how to care for victims of sexual violence, and what effect ready to use food can offer in a nutritional emergency.