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Understanding Earthquakes and Their Impacts: Part II
Posted by on May 11, 2011 at 12:55 PM EDTEd. Note: This is the second of a two-part blog focusing on the science and aftermath of earthquakes. Part I focused on the science of a high-magnitude earthquake and whether one could happen in the United States.
Part II: What We Can Do About It
There is nothing we can do to stop the movement of the Earth’s plates or the associated earthquakes, and the recent earthquake in Japan is a reminder that low-probability, high-impact events can strike anytime. This situation demands that nations, communities, and individual families take steps to develop resilience to hazards generally—a process that requires the collective action of government at all levels as well as nonprofit organizations, the private sector, and individuals.
Resilience—in the form of mitigation preparedness activities and improved public understanding—can help ensure that their impacts on society are greatly reduced. Science and technology can play a critical role in the quest for disaster resilience,and scientists and engineers have much to contribute. But doing so requires effective mechanisms to translate and implement their research-derived knowledge. That is precisely the goal of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP)—an interagency endeavor involving the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and National Science Foundation.
One example of NEHRP’s value is its work translating research into the creation of building codes. Every five years the USGS updates its national seismic hazard maps, which estimate earthquake probabilities for various areas based on past frequency of large earthquakes, seismicity patterns, strain accumulation in the Earth’s crust, and other factors that are the subject of active research. This information forms the basis for FEMA-produced design maps that form the seismic provisions in model building codes adopted in earthquake-prone areas.
Building codes are crucial to mitigating the impact of earthquakes. Consider that rebuilding was the defining challenge in the wake of the devastating magnitude-7 earthquake that struck Haiti in January, while Chile weathered a magnitude-8.8 earthquake the following April with far fewer casualties and less damage, thanks to prudent investments in planning and construction.
The lessons of that contrast were reinforced at a March 2010 workshop convened by the National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction along with the State Department and United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, attended by over 100 leading geoscientists, earthquake engineers, planners, architects, emergency managers, building code officials, and a delegation of Haitian government officials and academics. Key findings from the workshop included the need to adopt and enforce international building codes, especially for construction of schools, hospitals and critical infrastructure being funded by international donors; develop cost-effective design guidelines for residential structures; and incorporate assessments of earthquake, inland flooding, and landslide hazards in the planning and rebuilding process, so that people are not put straight back into harm’s way. The findings also emphasized the central importance of building local science and engineering capabilities as the best way to sustain a more hazard-resilient approach. These recommendations were finalized in a report that was delivered to the donors participating in a major conference the following week in New York, where pledges were made for more than $8 billion in aid. These guidelines have been used to shape investment strategies for the UN, USAID, Clinton Foundation, World Bank, and many other donors.
Understanding earthquakes and their effects is of vital importance to the Nation. As the population increases, expanding urban development and construction works encroach upon areas susceptible to earthquakes. With a greater understanding of the causes and effects of earthquakes and how they impact buildings, infrastructure, and society itself, we may be able to reduce damage and loss of life from this destructive phenomenon. Progress will be slow, excruciatingly so at times, but given the extent to which resilience can benefit communities beyond just the earthquake threat, it is progress worth striving toward.
Tammy Dickinson is a Senior Policy Analyst at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
David Applegate is Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake & Geologic Hazards at the US Geological Survey
Learn more about Energy & EnvironmentChampions of Change: In the Classroom
Posted by on May 11, 2011 at 11:28 AM EDTEditor’s Note: Champions of Change is a weekly initiative to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and help our country rise to the many challenges of the 21st century.
Last month, I had the distinct honor of participating in a round table discussion with fellow teachers as a nominee for a White House “Champions of Change” award. U. S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach, Peter Cunningham, and Special Assistant to the President for Education Policy, Roberto Rodriguez, led our lively conversation. Assistant Secretary Cunningham stressed the Department’s initiative to, “strengthen and honor teachers.” Mr. Rodriguez expressed the Administration’s goals of advancing American education as an economic imperative and providing federal support for achievement at all levels.
As passionate educators, we took advantage of the opportunity to give suggestions and information to senior Administration officials who were eager to hear our ideas. We discussed the desire for more effective communication and partnerships with parents, differentiated professional development opportunities, and improved evaluation and accountability systems. As my colleague, Kristine Woleck put it, “Evaluations should be seen as part of a professional growth system…feedback should be timely and specific.”
Eric Kehn pointed out, the challenge we face as educators, at all levels, is how to balance “vision and support” with accountability in our interactions with each other. This is a good reminder that whether we are Department of Education officials or teachers talking to our students, our goals are to encourage and inspire in addition to measuring performance through tests and grades.
Learn more about EducationWorking Together to Reduce Drug Use in America
Posted by on May 11, 2011 at 11:21 AM EDTThe Bible on which I took the oath of office for Deputy Director of Demand Reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) was my grandfather’s. He was a faithful man to his family, his community, and his new country. Yet after December 7, 1941, my grandfather, who was born in Japan, was branded unworthy of the most basic trust and imprisoned because of where he was from, how he looked, and the accent with which he spoke. Federal agents took him to an undisclosed prison in North Dakota. Now, two generations later, it is the same executive branch in which his grandson now serves our Nation.
For 14 years before joining the Obama Administration, I worked for Asian American Recovery Services whose first mission almost three decades ago was to address the tragic impact of prescription drug abuse that ravaged San Francisco’s Asian American community. At the time, culturally tailored drug treatment services were not readily available for the scores of addicted young adults in the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Witnessing the tragic impact of this threat on our friends and family, our community came together to create a non-profit organization that would help this vulnerable population.
Those of us working at ONDCP continue to work to make America healthier and safer by working with communities like these across the Nation to reduce illegal drug use. Under the President’s leadership, we’ve outlined a National Drug Control Strategy that connects Federal, state, and local governments with community leaders who are working each day to keep dangerous drugs out of the hands of young people.
As a former community organizer myself, I’m so proud to be a member of President Obama’s leadership team at ONDCP. My experience working at the local level has made my contributions to the Federal Government possible, and I am proud of the work we are doing today to help us win the future by preventing and treating substance abuse.
As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, our office is proud to count the AAPI community as partners in our National Drug Control Strategy and celebrates the legacy and achievements of AAPIs.
David K. Mineta is the Deputy Director of Demand Reduction for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
A Celebration of American Poetry at the White House
Posted by on May 11, 2011 at 11:00 AM EDTThe President and First Lady are welcoming accomplished poets, musicians, artists and students from across the country to the White House today for a celebration of American poetry and prose. Mrs. Obama kicked off the White House Music Series in 2009 with a Jazz Studio, and has since hosted events to promote music and arts education through the celebration of Country, Classical, Motown, a Fiesta Latina, a salute to Broadway, Music of the Civil Rights Movement and a dance tribute to Judith Jamison.
Learn more about Education“Boulder is for Startups"
Posted by on May 11, 2011 at 9:06 AM EDTOn Monday, I had the pleasure of travelling to Boulder, CO, to participate, along with a number of other Administration officials, in the seventh of eight stops that are a part of the Startup America Roadshow. The local newspaper captured some of the high points in this article. Before touching on my observations from the event, let me first answer the question, “Why Boulder?”
Fifteen years ago, Boulder was considered a sleepy college town known mostly for its great rock-climbing. Today, Boulder is home to one of the strongest entrepreneurial communities in the country, with close to 200 fledgling tech companies and a city campaign that proclaims “Boulder is for startups.” In fact, last year BusinessWeek named Boulder America’s best town for startups, and it was featured in The New York Times for its entrepreneurial scene. Part of its success rests on the fact that Boulder has the highest U.S. concentration of software engineers and PhDs per capita. It is second only to Silicon Valley in percentage of workers employed in the technology sector.
Learn more about Innovations, Startup AmericaPresident Obama on Fixing Our Broken Immigration System: "E Pluribus, Unum"
Posted by on May 10, 2011 at 5:52 PM EDTEditor's Note: Join the conversation on how we can fix our immigration system for America's 21st century economy.
In a debate where the participants on all sides are too often portrayed as caricatures, the President sought to break through the stalemate by reminding us all that it is a debate about real people. Speaking in El Paso, Texas, he talked about the graduates from 181 countries at Miami Dade Community College, who erupted with applause as the American flag came out before the President’s commencement address there recently. He talked about a Marine who came from Papua New Guinea and deployed to Iraq three times – when asked about becoming an American citizen, he said, “I might as well. I love this country already.”
He was also up front about the legitimate frustrations that American citizens, including those who immigrated legally, can feel:
Others avoid immigration laws by overstaying their visas. Regardless of how they came, the overwhelming majority of these folks are just trying to earn a living and provide for their families. (Applause.) But we have to acknowledge they’ve broken the rules. They’ve cut in front of the line. And what is also true is that the presence of so many illegal immigrants makes a mockery of all those who are trying to immigrate legally.
President Barack Obama shakes hands with people in the crowd following remarks on immigration reform at Chamizal National Memorial Park in El Paso, Texas, May 10, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Perhaps his central argument for fixing an immigration system that we all know is broken, however, was that it’s an integral part of America winning the future and creating a stronger economy for our kids:
Learn more about ImmigrationAnd the Winner of the 2011 Commencement Challenge Is…
Posted by on May 10, 2011 at 5:44 PM EDTToday, Vice President Joe Biden called Principal Alisha Kiner of Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis Tennessee to tell her that her school had won the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge! President Obama will travel to Memphis on Monday, May 16th to deliver the commencement for the class of 2011.
Check out Booker T. Washington High School’s finalist video:
The Race to the Top Commencement Challenge invited the nation’s public high schools to submit applications that demonstrate their commitment to preparing students for college and a career. Hundreds of applications were received and were judged based on the schools’ performance, essay questions and supplemental data. The six finalists were selected for their creativity in engaging and supporting students, academic results, and progress in preparing students to graduate college and career ready.
Congratulations to Booker T. Washington High School and all the finalists in the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge!
Learn more about EducationHow Tough Love Averted Catastrophe & Led to 4,200 New American Jobs
Posted by on May 10, 2011 at 3:30 PM EDTToday brings word of more good news for the American auto industry. GM announced that it would hire 4,200 workers at seventeen of its plants around the country.
President Obama took office amidst the worst recession in a generation and nowhere was this devastion felt harder than in the American auto industry and the communities it has supported for decades. In the year before GM and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy, the auto industry shed over 400,000 jobs.
Facing this situation head on, the President made a bold and, at the time, politically unpopular choice: Despite calls from critics to simply let these companies – and the entire American auto industry – crumble, he refused to allow these companies to fail. Had the Administration failed to intervene, conservative estimates suggest that it would have cost at least an additional one million jobs and devastated vast parts of our nation’s industrial heartland.
Learn more about EconomyThe President’s Blueprint for Building a 21st Century Immigration System
Posted by on May 10, 2011 at 3:15 PM EDTEditor's Note: Join the conversation to fix the immigration system for America's 21st century economy.
Today, the President travels to El Paso, Texas – a historic, thriving and diverse border community – to discuss his commitment to fixing our broken immigration system and the importance of building a new one for the 21st century. He believes we need to reform our immigration laws so that they address our economic and security needs while also honoring our history as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.
Over the last several weeks, the President has met with and heard from leaders and stakeholders from a variety of sectors, including faith, business and law enforcement officials, as well as current and former elected officials and others. Like many Americans, these leaders know that the generations of immigrants who have braved hardship and great risk to reach our shores have made America what it is today – a strong and prosperous nation, engine of the global economy and a beacon of hope around the world.
We have already made significant progress securing the borders, enforcing the law, and improving the legal immigration system. Over the last two years, the Obama Administration has dedicated unprecedented resources to these efforts. There are more boots on the ground on the Southwest border than at any time in our history. The buildup began under the previous administration, and has continued. We have also tripled the number of intelligence analysts, deployed unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles, and nearly completed the fence that was demanded back in 2007. These efforts have helped to make our country more secure. But we cannot solve the problems of our broken immigration system through enforcement alone.
To Papa
Posted by on May 10, 2011 at 11:44 AM EDTI dedicate this post to my father, Haruo Hayashi (“Papa”), who in many ways symbolized the contributions, achievements, and sacrifices made by many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Within days of arriving in San Francisco from Japan in the summer of 1954, Papa hopped on the back of a pickup truck and headed to the peach orchards of Central California. Covered in dust and irritating peach fuzz, at each day’s end he counted the number of baskets he filled in the 90-degree heat. Calculating in his head the meager wage he would earn for each basket, he thought about the orphanage where he grew up in post-war Hiroshima. In his mind, he thanked the couple that took him in along with a dozen or more children who lost their parents in the War. When the picking season ended, he returned to San Francisco and washed dishes at a Japanese restaurant where he learned that he had been drafted into the Army. Barely speaking English, he finished basic training and spent the next 2 years near the 38th Parallel (Korea). After finishing his service and receiving his U.S. citizenship, he enrolled in San Francisco State University to become an engineer. While a student, he experienced many hardships, but was able to get through because of the help of others. This experience led him to find his true calling, and he became a minister. Papa spent the rest of his life helping others to show his gratitude.
Papa instilled in me the importance of community service, and I found my calling in promoting the health of the medically underserved. After I graduated from medical school in New York, Papa and I decided to drive back to San Francisco. On a stretch of Interstate 80 between Des Moines and Omaha, I told him about my plans to be a primary care doctor for poor communities. I then asked him what he would have wanted to do if he had more options. Papa said, “Exactly what you’re doing.”
I feel fortunate that I am able to work alongside dedicated federal colleagues, primary care providers, and community advocates to improve access to comprehensive, culturally competent health care services through the Federally Qualified Health Centers. In 2009, Health Centers served roughly 19 million Americans, including nearly 500,000 Asian Americans. Nearly two-thirds of Asian Americans served by Health Centers had limited English proficiency. Health Centers serve one in 16 Americans, one in 28 Asian Americans, one in 4 Americans who are poor, and one in 7 uninsured.
This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I reflect on the experiences of the individuals who walk into Health Centers everyday and thank Papa, his sacrifice and his inspiration to committing to our most underserved communities – something I hope to instill in my own children.
Dr. Seiji Hayashi is the Chief Medical Officer, Bureau of Primary Health Care, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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