AltWeeklies Wire
Stop This Nuclear Insanitynew

Safe or not, Fukushima contamination showing up in Vermont is a stark reminder that we all live on a little planet, and like it or not, there is no escaping this global society.
Artvoice |
Michael I. Niman |
04-18-2011 |
Commentary
Disaster Experts Debate Three Different Methods of Dealing With an Earthquakenew
Following major earthquakes in different regions of the world, three explanations of what to do if you are in a building during an earthquake have emerged. But which is the best approach?
Pasadena Weekly |
Justin Chapman |
03-15-2010 |
Disasters
From Chile, a Toast 'A La Vida'new
"A la vida," says my small circle of friends, raising our cups of wine and pausing. The window behind me frames the jagged drop of one of the famous hills of Valparaíso, Chile, congested with vertically stacked tin houses and a fairy-tale web of streetlights.
'A Paradise Built in Hell' Explores the Utopic Possibilities Glimpsed in Disasternew
Perhaps the primary virtue of Rebecca Solnit's clear-headed new book is that it does not simply swap one interpretation of disaster -- as anticonsumerist reckoning, for instance -- for another, such as Jerry Falwell-style damnation. Solnit is interested in how people act in the aftermath, for better and for worse.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Max Goldberg |
09-30-2009 |
Nonfiction
Life in Texas, One Year After Hurricane Ikenew

Back in December, we spoke with a number of people in Galveston, Bolivar and along the bay about how they were coping with the storm. For the one-year anniversary, we tracked most of those same people down and talked to a few more. Here are their stories.
Houston Press |
John Nova Lomax |
09-15-2009 |
Disasters
Wildfire's Legacy Worries Santa Cruz Winemakersnew
For Santa Cruz Mountain winegrowers, the Lockheed fire that burned 7,800 acres of wild lands above Bonny Doon recently came at exactly the wrong time. Of course there’s never a good time for a wildfire, but the grapes in local vineyards are starting to ripen, a developmental stage called veraison, and they’re particularly vulnerable to “smoke taint.”
Good Times Santa Cruz |
Stett Holbrook |
08-27-2009 |
Food+Drink
Will the Border Patrol Use Hurricane Evacuations to Snag Undocumented Immigrants?new

If a violent hurricane hits South Texas, 150,000 undocumented immigrants will want to flee the Rio Grande Valley. But U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints might keep them from evacuating.
The Texas Observer |
Kevin Sieff |
08-12-2009 |
Disasters
Panic, FEMA, Empty Shelves: The Only Hurricane Guide You'll Need This Yearnew
The experts say 2009 will be a "normal" hurricane season, meaning not so bad, really. Which, given the track record most of these experts have demonstrated, is even more cause for worry.
Houston Press |
Richard Connelly |
06-09-2009 |
Disasters
Shades of Gray: Confusion Reigns in the Wake of Tennessee Coal-Ash Spillnew

TVA's Dec. 22 coal-ash spill attracted an array of scientists, attorneys, politicians, and provocateurs to Kingston, Tenn., including environmental advocate Erin Brockovich who hosted a town hall meeting.
The Memphis Flyer |
Chris Davis |
01-23-2009 |
Disasters
Galveston and the Texas Gulf Coast Struggle After Hurricane Ikenew

While Katrina's destruction of New Orleans monopolized the eyes of the country and the world for weeks in 2005, Galveston was not as fortunate.
Dallas Observer |
John Nova Lomax |
01-12-2009 |
Disasters
Ike Was Bad for Galveston's Poor, but it Might Get Worsenew

The hurricane devastated the city's North Side, an historic African-American community. Four of the area's six housing projects have been condemned and many residents have lost everything. Will the community be rebuilt or will it suffer the same fate as New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward after Katrina?
The Texas Observer |
Forrest Wilder |
12-17-2008 |
Disasters
The Brief but Violent Life of the Tea Firenew

At least 210 homes -- including 130 within city limits -- were destroyed by the devastating fire, which has been determined to have been caused be a bonfire started by a group of 10 18- to 22-year-olds the previous night.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Chris Meagher |
11-24-2008 |
Disasters
Gustav's Wake Leaves Political Mess in Louisiananew

Hurricane Gustav forced the state to postpone primaries for Congressional seats, including that of embattled incumbent William Jefferson. Scheduling the primary the same day as open primaries for state and local offices is sure to increase voter turnout, which could have a real effect on Jefferson's chances for a runoff.
Gambit |
Clancy DuBos |
09-08-2008 |
Commentary
Using Lessons from Katrina, Neighborhood Groups Stepped Up During Gustavnew

Patricia Jones and members of NENA and other neighborhood groups organized a campaign in which they passed out flyers to Lower Ninth Ward residents informing them of ways they could evacuate before Hurricane Gustav arrived.
New Orleans Photo Essay: Katrina's Anniversary and the Gustav Evacuationnew
What was supposed to be just a vacation, became so much more on my most recent trip to New Orleans. Over the weekend we found ourselves caught up in the mass evacuation as Gustav prepared to hit southern Louisiana. These are the photos from that experience.