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Rhetoric Team Description

Ian Ferris describes the methods and focus of the Rhetoric Field Team of the Austin Anthropocene Field Campus.

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I looked into Underwriter Laboratories, as the work that they do is both interesting and important in mitigating future disasters.

The article did not give a definitive answer as to the decided cause of the towers collapse, so I researched the prominent theories. There still exists some controversy on the subject but it is largely believed that a combination of the direction the plane faced upon impact, which allowed the keel beam to destroy several support columns of the building, and the heat form the fire causing thermal expansion of the remaining steel reinforcements, overtaxed the supports which led to a systematic failure of supports on each lower floor.

Finally, I looked at the legal changes after 9/11 to see if there were any laws put into place defining the responsibility and authority of government agencies in the aftermath of a disaster. The laws passed directly in response to 9/11 however only seem to be relating to search, seizure, and detention of suspected terrorists.

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The system was built to serve organizations and individuals with humanitarian goals. The system gathers data from report, reviews, and users and compiles it into comprehensible information to help inform decision-making for humanitarian concerns. Portions of the app also focus on education and technical support for field researchers looking to collect large quantities of data.

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The article uses historical statistics to support the claims of physical displacement and the psychological feelings of displacement, as well as accounts of the government programs that were put in place and the public’s lack of faith in the ability of these programs.

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The main argument is supported through several methods, first the use of demographic statistics on the patients suffering from mental illness after several significant disasters. The experiences of patients with severe mental illness are also presented as supporting evidence of the complicated causes of disaster related mental illness. Finally the article includes data and theories presented in several other papers to provide a basis for the claims of the authors regarding the future studies of mental illness and the support systems that would be ideal in minimizing the trauma of a disaster.

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erin_tuttle
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The group works within the US community, where there is a strong sense of pride for the military and respect for the sacrifice of those serving. This translates to the thinking of the organization which includes free care to those in need, an attempt to form a strong sense of community among its members, and honorable burial for veterans.

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erin_tuttle
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The study does not directly address vulnerable populations, but rather focuses on including all relevant populations involved in a disaster including those reluctant to take surveys or be interviewed, or communities that are not often studies or may have had little to no exposure in order to maintain the proper control group.