Gulf Coast Overflights for Environmental and Disaster Monitoring
Various flights with SouthWings to document Gulf Coast infrastructure and pollution.
Various flights with SouthWings to document Gulf Coast infrastructure and pollution.
Doctor Adriana Petryna holds a Ph.D in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. She holds an M.A. in Anthropology as well as a B.S. in Architecture from the University of Michigan.
“…I have investigated the cultural and political dimensions of science and medicine in eastern Europe and in the United States (with a focus on the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and on clinical research and pharmaceutical globalization). My concerns center on public and private forms of scientific knowledge production, as well as on the role of science and technology in public policy (particularly in contexts of crisis, inequality, and political transition). I probe the social nature of scientific knowledge, how populations are enrolled in scientific experimentation, and what becomes of citizenship and ethics in that process. The anthropological method involves charting the lives of individuals and institutions over time through interviews, participation-observation, and comparative analysis. It illuminates fine-grained realities that are often more nuanced than those described by policy makers or captured in controlled experiments. The anthropological scrutiny of large-scale political and medical change always entails attending to how ordinary people—often encountering bewildering and overburdened systems—cobble together resources to protect their health and citizenship.” – from the University of Pennsylvania bio.
The main argument that Sonja makes is that there does not exist any international organization with capabilities and expertise to respond to nuclear disasters. Further, with talk of forming such an organization/team since Fukushima, any international nuclear disaster strike team will need to have good relations with the communities and workers that they help as well as good communication at the international level to see the maximum effective response.
It has been cited in reports of the top polluted areas of the world. (http://www.worstpolluted.org/projects_reports/display/44)
According to Google Scholar the report was cited by 7 other papers.
In 2011 the IAEA developed the Action Plan on Nuclear Safety –a comprehensive safety plan for everything from planning a new site to response. After the Fukushima disaster, the IAEA gave a report the Fukushima Daiichi Accident, comprised of international collaboration of almost 200 experts from IAEA member states on what happened, how it happened, and what should be done moving forward. IAEA also worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN to use nuclear testing technologies to help Botswana quickly and effectively test for cattle disease.
I followed up on: the availability of medicine in 3rd world countries, the success of treating patients in less developed countries, and the complications of suspicion of western medicine in these areas.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has referenced this study in several places, namely on this powerpoint on natural disasters. (http://www.who.int/diseasecontrol_emergencies/publications/idhe_2009_london_natural_disasters.pdf).
Research Gate, a journal library, has an article entitled “Infectious diseases following natural disasters: Prevention and control measures” which also references this study. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51860057_Infectious_diseases_following_natural_disasters_Prevention_and_control_measures)
It was well received in large when it was signed into law by President Ronald Regan in 1986. The need, benefits, and issues brought about that. The only negative was the potential to cheap the system and steal from hospitals by those who are able to pay but don’t. This issue is not really a major issue because patients still get billed and there are still repercussions for not paying bills but if the need for urgent care is real it could save your life; however about 6% of hospital services are never paid for, thus not completely an unreal threat.
Several stakeholders are presented in this film. First, the families in the communities that were affected. This especially focused on Emmanuel Urey’s family who had to decide to leave some of their children behind in Liberia as they could not secure the necessary affidavits to bring them all to the US. Next, The first responders who have to deal with a public that does not trust them and does not follow health instruction. The government is the last main stakeholder presented in the film. They are trying to control the disease as well as treat those already infected which has many social issues on top of the medical issues such as starvation, water shortages, and shooting their own citizens to enforce the measures designed to protect them.
Scott Gabriel Knowles, PHD is a department head and associate professor at Drexel University in the department of history and the center for science, technology and society. Prof. Knowles specializes in the history of technology, disasters, and public policy.