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I'm interested in better understanding the ongoing geological processes that shape St. Louis and the Mississippi Valley region. So far, I've been looking into the history of seismicity in the region, focusing on the fascinating but little known history of the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 -- the most devastating earthquakes to have hit the US east of the Rockies. I've also been exploring how St. Louis and surrounding areas are dealing with the possibility of another earthquake occurring in the future. According to one article I read, one of the biggest uncertainties is what would happen to the heavily engineered Mississippi River in the case of another major tremblor. The shaking could break the levees, flooding wide areas along the river and creating cascading effects. The flow of the river might also reverse completely, as occurred during the New Madrid earthquakes.

On these possibilities and the lack of scientific consensus surrounding intraplate seismicity in this zone, see this article in The Atlantic.

On current efforts to create earthquake hazard maps in St. Louis, see this overview on the US Geological Survey site.

For a deeper dive into the history of the New Madrid earthquakes, see this book by historian of science Conevery Bolton Valencius. 

1) "It is important to note that these changes that incorporated gender-based violence into the human rights realm also brought the law to bear as a primary instrument of change and struggle. Calling this ‘governance feminism’, Janet Halley argues that this was the work of a certain group of feminists who came together in the 1990s, taking criminal law as a primary instrument of reform, and working in a top-down fashion to institute punishment for a global war against women."

2) "This approach inherently limits the mode of intervention. The mandate of humanitarianism – again, as defined by the new wave of ‘sans frontiere-ism’ exemplified by ` MSF – is not to reform or improve the kind of life one lives, only to preserve life itself. And yet gender-based violence is about the kind of life one lives. Under the rubric of human rights, freedom from gender-based violence is part of a parcel of rights that define what it means to be human in ways that include the right to be free from violence, the right to equality and the right to dignity"

3) "In MSF’s General Assembly debate, Rony Brauman, the former president of MSF, suggested that rather than descending into politics, humanitarians should make a distinction between describing what one witnesses, and qualifying it, which entails making a judgement. He asked one of the MSF Holland representatives, ‘How do you know the women were raped? Did you see it happening?’ Brauman proposed sticking close to what one sees, and letting others take it from there – he felt strongly that MSF should not have called for action. For him, and many others, humanitarianism is not about justice, politics or taking sides. The MSF Holland representative responded that there was a slippery slope between political neutrality and irresponsibility, and a fierce debate ensued"

The study was funded by the WHO Country Office for Sierra leone.

1) EPA: what are the exact duties and responsibilities of the EPA after a disaster? While we mostly consider it to focus on pollutants and environmental conservation, both this article and FEMA training seem to indicate it holds a much larger role in emergency situations.

2) Christie Whitman: a former governor of New Jersey and Administrator of the EPA from 2001-2003, Whitman served during the 9/11 attacks. Despite pointed personal criticism about her time in the EPA (including legal action), Whitman historical demonstrated a pattern of moderatism, often putting her at odds with the administration she served. It would be interesting to see where in the 9/11 lapse emerged-- whether it be from judgement, misinformation, or disinterest.

3) 9/11 Health Effects: The release of millions of asbestos and concrete particles into the air certainly increases the odds of chronic respiratory issues for NYC populations. I would be interested in whether any other chronic issues or epidemics have been noted as a result of pollution from the Towers' collapse

As mentioned earlier, this group is heavily experienced in dealing with traumatic injuries and responding to larger scenes. I imagine the hardest challenge they face is funding; they typically run on a budget made of a few hundred thousand dollars. This encompasses salaries for some personnel (although the vast majority are voluntary), classes for CPR, EMT, First aid certification, and supplies. With such a large call volume of complex cases (think of all the resources needed to treat an individual with multiple gun shots to the chest or someone who has been stabbed several times), this is quite extraordinary that they can function adequately with such little funding.

This act provides ongoing support to the first responders and other professionals involved in the rescue efforts of 9/11/2001. The adverse health affects are still being discovered 15 years after the attacks, and the EMS community is still in need of the support provided. This policy also outlines a precedent for future attacks. In the event of another large-scale act of terrorism, the responders would likely receive similar support and "compensation" for the affects that might have them. 

The program has two primary targets: incarcerated offenders and the public. It was founded, first and foremost, as a way to treat prisoners in the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institution. The goal of providing these offenders with basic health care, treatment, and interventions remains at the forefront. Such projects include management of LGBQT youth in correctional facilities, HIV/AIDs prevention/treatment, and substance abuse clinics. More than anything, the program targets inmates who suffer from mismanaged health problem-- often times leading to their incarceration. The secondary goal of the Center is to provide the public and policy makers with their findings, and showcase how human health and imprisonment are linked. This dual-prong approach allows for treatment of both the immediate issue and the causative agent.

The main theme of this article is the conditions leading up to, during, and following a policy passed in France in 1998. The policy allowed residency to "any foreigner habitually resident in France and suffering from a serious medical condition requiring medical treatment, and for whom deportation would result in exceptionally serious consequences, provided that he or she would be unable to receive appropriate treatment in the country to which he or she is returned" The author likens the poicy to "compassion protocol" or palliative care. The law should only apply in extreme circumstances and is based on an emotional response to pain/suffering. 

This policy had good intentions, but led to a number of resulting issues, such as disparity in care due to ambiguity in the law. For the enforcers of the law, there was much interpretation which allowed for individuals to exercise "humanitarian reason" and decide what conditions were a "serious medical condition" and what was not. This politicized medical care for foreigners/immigrants, as medical proffessionals no longer diagnosed based on symptoms, but socioeconomic status as well. 

The web platform is supported by the organization Land of Opportunity. Land of Opportunity partners with several sponsors, including a local organization called NOVAC (New Orleans Video Access Center). Other partners include Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, Center for Social Media, Louisiana Justice Institute, PATOIS, Survivors Village, New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice, and Video Veracity. These organizations represent funding and on-the-ground workers for Land of Opportunity

This article presents some statistics on common psychological issues post- disaster. PTSD and Major Depression are the two most commonly studied issues in realtion to post-disaster. A realtively new term "resilience" has been brought to the table, defining the ability of people to "bounce-back" after disasters. Substance abuse is another studied issue, with some reporting an increase in substance use following disasters. However, it is noted that the post-disaster abuse of substances is highest in those already using or abusing these ubstances. Other conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, and other stress disorders are studied and have links to disaster experience.

The article also discusses some risk factors for post-disaster psychological disorders. Prior to disasters, women tend to be less resilient, and more suscpetible to disorders, excepting substance abuse. Children are especially vulnerable to issues. Socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and community support are also factors in the outcome of a person's mental state post-disaster. During a disaster, the degree of exposure to the incident is the greatest factor in outcome. After a disaster, support network and ongoing life stressors play a large rold in the outcome. The biggests steps to preventing poor outcome post-disaster are prepartion and anticipation of the disaster, and recognition/prevention of mental illness. 

Generally, only a small percentage of victims seek help from services provided for mental health disorders. This makes it difficult to accurately research the affects and prevalence of mental health disorders.