Frequency of Catastrophic Events vs. Increased Media Coverage?

Question

Do you think that as a whole the world is experiencing more and more frequent catastrophic events, or is it just that we are so "connected" via various different media outlets that it just seems that way?

Answer 1

There is a slight rise in events in the last decade.

There is also more coverage so it seems like a TON more.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/3666474.stm

"Events including earthquakes and volcanoes, floods and droughts, storms, fires and landslides killed about 83,000 people in 2003, up from about 53,000 deaths 13 years earlier, the ISDR said.


DEADLIER PLANET
Deaths from natural disasters: 83,000 in 2003; 53,000 in 1990
Natural disasters: 337 in 2003; 261 in 1990
Risk factors: city growth, climate change, environmental degradation

Releasing its statistics jointly with the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (Cred) at the University of Louvain in Belgium, it said there was a consistent trend over the last decade of an increasing number of people affected by disasters.

There were 337 natural disasters reported in 2003, up from 261 in 1990.

"Not only is the world globally facing more potential disasters but increasing numbers of people are becoming vulnerable to hazards," the ISDR said.

The problems, it said, are exacerbated because more and more people are living in concentrated urban areas and in slums with poor building standards and a lack of facilities.

ISDR director Salvano Briceno added that urban migrants tended to settle on exposed stretches of land either on seismic faults, flooding plains or on landslide-prone slopes.

"The urban concentration, the effects of climate change and the environmental degradation are greatly increasing vulnerability," he said.

"Alarmingly, this is getting worse." "

Answer 2

"Frequency of Catastrophic activities vs. better Media coverage?" Catastrophic activities look reported often, both organic or man made. (Earthquakes, for instance take position often, yet so do motor vehicle crashes....) Quote" If it bleeds it leads" it extremely is the records media's credo. i wager information is like something, there's a call for for "eyeballs:, a useless ringer for internet hits, and eyeballs equivalent promoting. (sufficient reported). Blame the enlargement of media proliferating our life for the grotesque headlines...yet bear in suggestions....disaster SELLS!!! what percentage circumstances might want to you study a memories about an elderly grandmother knitting scarves in her rocking chair.... yet do not you ultimately end up attracted to the pitiful, sickening images of Tsunamis in Thailand, Bridges collapsing interior the Midwest , houses burning in Southern California, or Cyclones hitting in Bangladesh? yet like a crumpled motor vehicle on the aspect of the line, all and assorted rubbernecks to work out it, then, once they get their look, it really is decrease back to rushing on to our vacation spot....

Answer 3

#2