Tropical cyclone Pam struck the island nation of Vanuatu dead on, only a few hours ago, and it is shaping up to be one of the biggest journalistic disasters in many years.
" 'Six known dead' - that's been the headline for over 24 hours! Where are the bodies? How can we keep the paying audience interested in a dead headline- where the photos of lines of body bags- turn out to be lines of sleeping bags, not corpses?!?" said "Katastrophe Kate", the globe-trotting specialist for Rooters SNews Service. (http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/13/asia/cyclone-pam-vanuatu/)
"It's really horrifying- we managed to milk a couple of "OMG it's all gone!" statements from a few NGO nerds huddled in hotels; but all the photos and video feeds are showing exactly the opposite! It's looking like a minor thunderstorm passed through. We just don't know how long we can keep up the pretense that this is a big deal.
"Luckily, very few of our viewers know that original local architecture is designed - from thousands of years of experience- to blow over in heavy winds, and then be rebuilt from the same materials, in a matter of days. And Vanuatu is one of the few places left where the local people still have the skills to do this. Sure, there will be a few deaths; but nothing like the 6,000 dead from Typhoon Whatsit in the Philippines a while back. And we're getting a few pics of "halfway" buildings that look messy- homes that are part native design, with "modern" bits that blew down tacked on; but the darn people keep smiling; and it's just a bit hard to sell "this poor man now has nowhere to live!" - when he's sitting on a bench under a nice roof...
"Pam is just not generating the bodies and images we need- waving palm fronds are great for a couple hours, but then we need some really good smashed up stuff; and so far, we're not getting it. The downtown areas- were pretty clearly actually built to survive typhoon winds- a couple broken windows and one piece of roofing blowing around is just not - enough.
"Thank god we can depend on the John Frum guys for really good quotes designed to bring in "relief" flights. But, there is a limit to how far that can stretch. It's a word no one wants to hear- but we're becoming seriously afraid that this disaster is just going to prove- unsustainable.
"As of today, this is shaping up to be one of the biggest disaster failures in recent history. Thank god- our audience is easily distracted from reality collapses- all we need is one good new cat video; and they'll forget the whole thing. Kat-ass Kate, reporting too live, from Port Vila; most of which is still here, dammit."
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(Ok, not trying to make fun of Vanuatu, in any way, or be skeptical about their need for help after what was definitely a bad cyclone. But. My guess is, once the information comes in from the "remote" islands- yes, their houses may have blown down- as they are designed to do; but I'm betting their elders- who are still in place- probably got most of the people into a safe place, known to them for centuries at least, to wait out the wind. We'll see. Fingers crossed, and I'm betting on the elders. And meanwhile; Tuvalu and Kiribati- nations with no mountains to provide rainwater streams and shelter- have also been hit by Pam. Harm there could be much, much larger. We hope and pray not.)
Showing posts with label journalism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label journalism. Show all posts
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Yep, they knew.
TEPCO knew about water flow two years ago
That's the headline today on NHK."A spokesperson for Tokyo Electric Power Company says the company has known for the past 2 years that a massive amount of groundwater was flowing beneath the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
"Masayuki Ono said on Friday that TEPCO experts estimated hundreds of tons of the water could reach the ocean daily.
"Ono said the estimate was based on rough records of groundwater that TEPCO workers had collected.
"Until last month, TEPCO officials had denied the possibility that contaminated groundwater was leaking into the ocean.
"Ono said he is unable to explain why it took two years to disclose this fact.
Aug. 10, 2013 - Updated 07:48 UTC"
The URL, which will only work for a few hours:
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130810_99.html
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In case you missed it- I told you here I knew this- 2 years ago. How? Based on published information about where what kinds of radioactive materials were found. Tinkerbelle does not go about creating Cesium 137 just for the fun of it- it had to come from someplace. There is no "well, we're not sure" possible.
The greater question, still unasked by the media- why are our own nuclear scientists silent on this point? I'm not one; I'm an evolutionary ecologist, which means with some training in chemistry and geology and weather. But- the physicist in your university has to have known this- or is an idiot, take your pick.
What else do we know? Three reactors have melted entirely through their containers, and are likely to be still melting their way to the earth's core- or will as soon as they quit pumping sea water in to cool - and leak.
And? "Plausible deniability" is obsolete. "Implausible deniability" is now quite adequate for government purposes. Other world governments will back you up.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Pushing On Bergs- The Berg Moves...
One of the things about pushing on icebergs- when an iceberg you've been pushing on, hard, actually moves - and in the right direction- you're still never sure if your pushing is what moved it.
But. Physics being what it is- it's entirely possible that without your push, it would still be sitting there.
A Berg just moved, and in the right direction. It was a Bloomberg this time, not an iceberg- but the resemblance is actually considerable, and the Bloomberg had, in fact, been sitting immobile and unmovable for quite some time.
The basic story; the Mayor of New York City came out and endorsed Obama for re-election - because:
“Our climate is changing,” he wrote. “And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it may be — given the devastation it is wreaking — should be enough to compel all elected leaders to take immediate action.”
So; am I saying Bloomberg endorsed Obama - and climate change- because of my pushing?
I'd like to hope I'm not delusional, at least not more than other folks; (humor) but here's the thing; I WAS pushing- in exactly the right place and time- for my pushes to have added just that last bit.
Do you suppose the Mayor of New York City reads The New York Times? To keep a handle on what his city is saying? I would, in his shoes, I think- even though, yes, he kind of has his own news service (uh, you've heard of Bloomberg?)
If he was reading the NYT; the very first article they carried about a possible connection between Sandy and climate change - carried my blunt and rude comment (#9 out of 178, so...), and linked here, to We Told You So, which is even ruder and blunter. Did Bloomberg read it? We'll likely never know- but- the We Told You So post got 450 hits, the very first day - mostly from the NYT.
There are now quite a few voices saying "we told you so" - but as far as I know, they only started to speak up the next day...
And I kept pushing. With what I intended to be readable- but tough- comments, in several places;
Here: "Warnings for Years", my comment has 58 "reader recommends"- putting it high on the list:
"Hurrah!. Thank you for the plain statement- scientists saw this coming, long ago- did their duty and warned the public about it- and nothing happened.
"Journalists, and the NYT, bear some responsibility for that lack of action- by insistently presenting these warnings as doubtful; when in fact they are as certain as the fact that the San Andreas Fault- WILL - slip again some day.
"So it's grand to see this. I'm hoping the Times as a matter of policy will start to bar climate change deniers from its pages- exactly as it now bars Holocaust deniers. Deceiving the public causes very great societal harm. You can see it today- all around you.
"For the non-scientific; there's another powerful fact here: in the practice of Science, everything is constantly doubted; even peer-reviewed "truth" always carries a 5% rating of "or, we could be wrong". (That's not supposed to cause paralysis.)
"But- in the long term testing of concepts; one of the most powerful pieces of evidence is the prediction- that comes true. Einstein's theories have been tested this way multiple times, just in the last decade- and his predictions, so far, are always correct. That's powerful evidence that he understood the universe.
"This storm, and its consequences, were predicted in detail; and it has all happened. That is, formally, a powerful piece of proof that the overarching concepts of global climate change- are correct."
Rude, huh?
Finally, ending with this one- directed to the Mayor; at which time the NYT top Science article was this horror - which has no opportunity for comment with it... but did have big links on the front page...
"Hurrah for Bloomberg! Frankly, 3 words I did not ever expect to be coming out of my mouth- along with "This just makes Christie look like a bigger man!"
"Now- Mr. Mayor- can you put some pressure on the NYT editors to quit printing this "scientists aren't sure" malarky? Scientists ARE sure- it was predicted, in great detail, that such storms could happen, and how NYC would flood. And here we are- "proof" doesn't get any better than predictions that come true."
But. Physics being what it is- it's entirely possible that without your push, it would still be sitting there.
A Berg just moved, and in the right direction. It was a Bloomberg this time, not an iceberg- but the resemblance is actually considerable, and the Bloomberg had, in fact, been sitting immobile and unmovable for quite some time.
The basic story; the Mayor of New York City came out and endorsed Obama for re-election - because:
“Our climate is changing,” he wrote. “And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it may be — given the devastation it is wreaking — should be enough to compel all elected leaders to take immediate action.”
So; am I saying Bloomberg endorsed Obama - and climate change- because of my pushing?
I'd like to hope I'm not delusional, at least not more than other folks; (humor) but here's the thing; I WAS pushing- in exactly the right place and time- for my pushes to have added just that last bit.
Do you suppose the Mayor of New York City reads The New York Times? To keep a handle on what his city is saying? I would, in his shoes, I think- even though, yes, he kind of has his own news service (uh, you've heard of Bloomberg?)
If he was reading the NYT; the very first article they carried about a possible connection between Sandy and climate change - carried my blunt and rude comment (#9 out of 178, so...), and linked here, to We Told You So, which is even ruder and blunter. Did Bloomberg read it? We'll likely never know- but- the We Told You So post got 450 hits, the very first day - mostly from the NYT.
There are now quite a few voices saying "we told you so" - but as far as I know, they only started to speak up the next day...
And I kept pushing. With what I intended to be readable- but tough- comments, in several places;
Here: "Warnings for Years", my comment has 58 "reader recommends"- putting it high on the list:
"Hurrah!. Thank you for the plain statement- scientists saw this coming, long ago- did their duty and warned the public about it- and nothing happened.
"Journalists, and the NYT, bear some responsibility for that lack of action- by insistently presenting these warnings as doubtful; when in fact they are as certain as the fact that the San Andreas Fault- WILL - slip again some day.
"So it's grand to see this. I'm hoping the Times as a matter of policy will start to bar climate change deniers from its pages- exactly as it now bars Holocaust deniers. Deceiving the public causes very great societal harm. You can see it today- all around you.
"For the non-scientific; there's another powerful fact here: in the practice of Science, everything is constantly doubted; even peer-reviewed "truth" always carries a 5% rating of "or, we could be wrong". (That's not supposed to cause paralysis.)
"But- in the long term testing of concepts; one of the most powerful pieces of evidence is the prediction- that comes true. Einstein's theories have been tested this way multiple times, just in the last decade- and his predictions, so far, are always correct. That's powerful evidence that he understood the universe.
"This storm, and its consequences, were predicted in detail; and it has all happened. That is, formally, a powerful piece of proof that the overarching concepts of global climate change- are correct."
Rude, huh?
Finally, ending with this one- directed to the Mayor; at which time the NYT top Science article was this horror - which has no opportunity for comment with it... but did have big links on the front page...
"Hurrah for Bloomberg! Frankly, 3 words I did not ever expect to be coming out of my mouth- along with "This just makes Christie look like a bigger man!"
"Now- Mr. Mayor- can you put some pressure on the NYT editors to quit printing this "scientists aren't sure" malarky? Scientists ARE sure- it was predicted, in great detail, that such storms could happen, and how NYC would flood. And here we are- "proof" doesn't get any better than predictions that come true."
You know what? That comment again got plenty of "likes"; lots of people saw it and agreed- and if you go to the NYT right now- you have to really dig to find that "scientists not sure" article; it's place at the top of everything has been given to articles on "prescient maps" and "preparing for next time."
Not only did the Bloom berg move- the NYT editorial policy seems to have moved; and there's an iceberg for sure.
My pushing? Laughable.
Except- I did keep pushing; as hard as I could- and I was pushing at the right time, in the right place- for it just maybe maybe- to have made some difference.
It doesn't really get any better than that, when you push on an iceberg. You'll never really know- if you made a difference.
But the fantasies are great! And I'm going to keep pushing. : - )
But the fantasies are great! And I'm going to keep pushing. : - )
Friday, July 20, 2012
And again.
We're very slow learners, us civilized folks. Here we are, with another mass shooter orgy; it will go on for weeks now.
If you have the stomach, take a look at my post from 2007; Screaming Headlines. Nothing has changed, if anything, the media have had practice now and crank out the trash faster.
I maintain now exactly what I said then: THE reason these shootings happen is; the instant celebrity, the media orgasm frenzy, the "smug-shot" photograph the killer knows will be repeated on every front page and news outlet for weeks.
If we banned such coverage- the shootings will stop. I guarantee you. Did we have these events before the media potential was realized? Sure. Once every 20 years. Crazy persons exist. Now- it's twice a year, and accelerating; and so far, not one major media outlet (The New York Times? Washington Post?) has taken the high road, and announced the will not make a celebrity of the murderer. Not one.
So what can you do? There is something. Don't watch.
And- tell the medium involved you're doing it. Here's what I do:
When the Smug Shot shows up on my screen; I immediately go to the bottom, where there's a "Contact Us!" link. I contact them. I tell them; having seen their murderous coverage, I have turned it off; and will not visit their website for the next 3 days. Actually- yeah, they lose revenue, when you don't click. You can make up a standard message, and just paste it in, repeatedly. Here's mine:
"You have chosen to make a murderer a celebrity. I choose to not read your lethal coverage. The media frenzy is unquestionably THE CAUSE of these massacres.
"I am normally a serious reader of your news; but now I have closed your site; and will not return for 3 days; I will take my traffic elsewhere.
"Stop this mindless snuff porn you are pushing. Look in the mirror. You are complicit."
If that gives one media employee a sick stomach- it's worth it. Copy that (or improve it) if you wish.
I'll check back in in 3 days; if their coverage is still "America's Favorite Home Murderers!"- I'm out of there, 3 more days. Cover the event, cover the survivors? Sure- a little; then respect their sorrow. Publicize NOTHING about the killer; not their name, photo, story- make them become a non-person.
Tell them. And put this post up on your Facebook site.
The media have shown they have the spines of jellyfish- we don't have to follow them or participate.
There is other stuff to do, and read, in the world.
Maybe if the survivors, and parents of the dead- made this their crusade, someone would listen?
If you have the stomach, take a look at my post from 2007; Screaming Headlines. Nothing has changed, if anything, the media have had practice now and crank out the trash faster.
I maintain now exactly what I said then: THE reason these shootings happen is; the instant celebrity, the media orgasm frenzy, the "smug-shot" photograph the killer knows will be repeated on every front page and news outlet for weeks.
If we banned such coverage- the shootings will stop. I guarantee you. Did we have these events before the media potential was realized? Sure. Once every 20 years. Crazy persons exist. Now- it's twice a year, and accelerating; and so far, not one major media outlet (The New York Times? Washington Post?) has taken the high road, and announced the will not make a celebrity of the murderer. Not one.
So what can you do? There is something. Don't watch.
And- tell the medium involved you're doing it. Here's what I do:
When the Smug Shot shows up on my screen; I immediately go to the bottom, where there's a "Contact Us!" link. I contact them. I tell them; having seen their murderous coverage, I have turned it off; and will not visit their website for the next 3 days. Actually- yeah, they lose revenue, when you don't click. You can make up a standard message, and just paste it in, repeatedly. Here's mine:
"You have chosen to make a murderer a celebrity. I choose to not read your lethal coverage. The media frenzy is unquestionably THE CAUSE of these massacres.
"I am normally a serious reader of your news; but now I have closed your site; and will not return for 3 days; I will take my traffic elsewhere.
"Stop this mindless snuff porn you are pushing. Look in the mirror. You are complicit."
If that gives one media employee a sick stomach- it's worth it. Copy that (or improve it) if you wish.
I'll check back in in 3 days; if their coverage is still "America's Favorite Home Murderers!"- I'm out of there, 3 more days. Cover the event, cover the survivors? Sure- a little; then respect their sorrow. Publicize NOTHING about the killer; not their name, photo, story- make them become a non-person.
Tell them. And put this post up on your Facebook site.
The media have shown they have the spines of jellyfish- we don't have to follow them or participate.
There is other stuff to do, and read, in the world.
Maybe if the survivors, and parents of the dead- made this their crusade, someone would listen?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Slippery news
One of the things needed, if you're going to strive for rationality- is "facts" that have some chance of being real. And it's getting harder to get hold of those, or to keep them where everyone can see.
One of the news sources I regularly scan is the NHK World feed; the Japanese version of National Public Television.
For reasons that are fascinating to speculate about, this news source often seems to be almost "unfiltered" - they just blurt out the truth, as they record it from first hand sources.
Like this; for instance, in toto:
-----------------------------------------------------------
"40% of residents' exposure tops annual limit"
"More than 40 percent of the people surveyed in 3 municipalities near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were exposed to radioactivity levels above the annual safety limit in the 4 months after the disaster.
"Fukushima Prefecture released on Monday the results of its survey of external radioactive exposure among some 9,750 residents of 2 towns and a village after the accident last March. This number excluded people working in places with high radioactivity, such as a nuclear plant.
"Participants were asked about their behavior over a 4-month period immediately following the nuclear accident in order to estimate their external exposure.
"Forty-two percent of the respondents are estimated to have received more than one millisievert --- the annual limit for the general public --- in the 4 months following the disaster.
"Estimated exposure exceeded 10 millisieverts for 71 people. The highest dose was 23 millisieverts for an adult woman.
"Among young people under the age of 20 at the time of the accident, the highest exposure was 18.1 millisieverts over 4 months.
"The prefecture is conducting the survey on all its 2 million residents.
Monday, February 20, 2012 19:28 +0900 (JST)"
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The thing is- the next day; you can't find that story anywhere. I'm pretty sure the "filters" kicked in. The original link does still work, one day later; but my experience is that in several days, they stop working; hence my in toto quote.
Do you suppose it would be news, of international interest, that where 1 millisievert per year is the "allowed" dose, they were finding numerous people with 10 millisieverts - accumulated in 4 months? And some up to 20?
Nah. Haven't seen anyone pick it up, yet.
Then; today's fun story from them:
---------------------------------------------------------
"Survey: 95% of disaster debris not yet disposed of
"The Japanese Environment Ministry says 95 percent of debris from last year's disaster in northeastern Japan has yet to be disposed of more than 11 months on.
"The March 11 quake and tsunami created more than 22 million tons of debris on the coasts of hardest-hit Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures alone.
"The ministry said on Tuesday that just over one million tons, or 5 percent, of debris has been either incinerated or buried. 72 percent is still stored at temporary sites.
"The ministry says many of the incinerators planned for disaster-stricken municipalities have yet to enter operation. It cites the difficulty in finding sites for new incinerators.
"The ministry also says disposal in other areas of Japan, expected to shoulder 4 million tons of debris, has hardly begun.
"Environment Minister Goshi Hosono told reporters the ministry's goal of completing disposal by the end of March, 2014 is unrealistic.
"He asked municipalities outside the disaster-affected region to help, noting that delays are greatly hampering reconstruction.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 13:25 +0900 (JST)"
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The link for that is here.
Hey, I just wouldn't want you all to be worrying about Greece today, and forget that the problems in Japan are - pretty much entirely not dealt with. At all.
But hey- Technology will certainly come to our rescue; the free-market system guarantees it!
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