Online Conference, April 2021: COVID-19 As Revelatory Pandemic in Latin America?
Digital collection for onliine conference, "A Revelatory Pandemic?
Digital collection for onliine conference, "A Revelatory Pandemic?
Photo essay curating insights from critical disaster studies for the transnational disaster STS COVID-19 project.
Cover image for text on COVID and disaster.
Digital collection supporting a Transnational Disaster STS COVID-19 Collaboration Call, Thursday, July 9, 2020.
In New Orleans, African American communities were not only hit hard by Katrina's floods, but also by violent policing during the catastrophe and a disaster "recovery" effort that was fundamentally Anti-Black (closing of publich housing and the privatization of schools and health care). Recovery efforts were not organized along ideals of racial justice that would have addressed gaps in educational and health care resources. Instead, they were imagined along neoliberal principles that systematically excluded the city's Black population. I am interested in looking into how the Anti-Blackness of Katrina "recovery" set the stage for the virulent way COVID 19 is affecting New Orleans' African American communities.
In the US Virgin Islands, Hurricanes Maria and Irma decimated what were already decrepit public school and public health systems. Public schools and hospitals had not been property repaired and remained under-supported as of early March 2020. In places like the Island of St. Croix, residents reported the hospital having only one physicial on staff, and indicated fear of misdiagnosis and prolonged waiting times kept them from seeking health care there. The clientelle of the public health system is predominantly Afro and Hispanic Caribbean. Meanwhile, US "mainlanders" (who are predominantly white) are reported to seek their healthcare off island, something only those with ample financial resources can do. Infection rates and fatality rates for the USVI seem rather low from official reports, but it is important to find out if this is because testing itself is not readily avialable in the territory.
Media coverage from hard-hit cities suggests there is a disproportionate number of arrests and citations related to enforcement of social distancing among racial minorities.
Also, police response seems to have followed very different patterns in the case of "re-open" protests and anti-police brutality protests.
The EPA has a large impact to help minimize the hazard. one of the few things that they are doing is provinding the "critical science to develop and implement outdoor air regulations under the Clean Air Act and puts new tools and information in the hands of air quality managers and regulators to protect the air we breathe." also, the EPa designated areas that meet and dont meet the the standards for the PM standards and ozone standards.
Newark recommends to have things like handy in case they are needed:
they also recommend to put these things in a room that you deem safe along with a battery operated tv/radio, charge all your electronics and turn all the propane tanks in your possession off before the storm
In this article, It talks mainly about New Jerseys CSO communities and how the CSO's are and have been making steps towards reducing overflow and even though the current solutions being used right now is a way to help reduce the overflow, these systems are also major sources of water pollution. however, CSO's plan to help reduce overflow and help prevent extensive damage from hurricanes will, be beneficial to the public even though it may take a few years for it to be completed and be of use to the public.
Conference program:
A Revelatory Pandemic? Disaster Social Science and COVID 19 in Latin America
April 20 and 27, 2021