Foreign Policy responds to the worried citizenry who cite recent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as evidence of an impending apocalypse. Earthquakes actually haven’t become more frequent, although they have become more deadly, most likely due to urban expansion: “China’s Qinghai province has experienced 53 magnitude 5.0 or higher quakes since 2001, but it wasn’t until one struck near the population center in Yushu that the casualty numbers exploded.” According to the U.S. Geological Survey,?16 major earthquakes have occurred on average each year since 1900; so the six major earthquakes of 2010 are not unusual. Reported volcanic activity has increased, however the Global Volcanism Project hypothesizes that the observed increase in volcanic activity is actually due to “an increased reporting of eruptions.”[%comments]
The World Probably Isn't Ending
TAGS: environment
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@Sam — My money’s on a combination of greater data flow and lack of context. For instance, environmental problems in the United States were much worse half a century ago. The Clean Water Act was passed in 1972 after the Cuyahoga River caught on fire, it was that polluted. That sort of thing doesn’t happen any more. Similarly, the nastiest of the pesticides discussed in Silent Spring are no longer in use here. Urban smog lingers in some regions, but it’s not nearly the problem it once was, despite increased driving. Leaded gasoline no longer spews its byproducts into the environment.
The global warming debate looks dire, but it’s a lot less immediately and personally scary than having undrinkable water, unbreathable air, or houses built on toxic waste (Love Canal, anyone?).
Its almost certainly better reporting and increased awareness in this internet age. But it is fun to have something to worry about though ! Makes for good press, and if you can make money off of it – even better!
People are always claiming the end of the world is around the corner, they’ve been saying this for (hundreds of?) thousands of years. It can be hard to imagine that life will go on when we die, but it will.
Two hundred years ago people were not so aware of what happened in foreign cities and countries; it would take weeks for news to travel, if it did. Add to this people living in highrises, with thousands living within a city block, an earthquake would have a much larger visual impact today than when most people lived in rural areas.
I do not agree that the earthquakes aren’t more frequent today. I subscribe to the USGS email feed. And I can attest that the recent earthquake and follow-up tremors has been happening NON-STOP for the past 2-3 weeks in Baja California/Mexico. I just can’t fathom how these people can tolerate huge earth tremors almost 2-3 times a day for this long! I believe that USGS’s soft-peddling of the issue is just anti-panic-control. I’ve been seeing increasing earthquakes in areas where they are NOT at all common like the central, south east, and northeast USA. I mean southern New Jersey??? Come on!
Also I wonder how accurate former US Defense Secretary William Cohen (R) was in his speech University of Georgia in April 1997 (http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=28584) when he referred to a alternative probable causes of volcano eruptions and earthquakes. The biblical predictions by Jesus at Mark 13:5-8 did not have to mean from NATURE you know. When he mentioned “wars” and “famines” they have all proven to be man-made today not God-made. So by extension SecDef Cohen (R) may have been right!
@ThoseThatThinkEndof WorldMeansEndofPlanet – Just to set your notion to a more “accurate knowledge”… When Jesus and his apostles referred to the “end of the world” they were not referring to the PLANET itself. They were referring to a “system of things”.
See Matthew 24:3, 7-12 – “While he was sitting upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?”
So its easy to ridicule people of faith but what if you were wrong and there actually was a metaphysical divine being who did actually leave a guidebook for us to use and that book said that the planet will be wiped clean of all wicked elements (i.e. people) one day leaving just the worthy faithful ones to Him to inherit and prosper? Well He did and it does say that… Except volcanoes and earthquakes will be the LEAST of your concerns then…
It’s always almost The End Of The World.
I do find it quite interesting that such a large portion of civilized society is so enthralled with the idea… I just can’t put myself in a state of mind such as that held by those who are so fearful.