Why does it take a disaster for things to change?
In his diary, Jonathan Larson, the late Broadway musical genius, wrote, "Why does it take a disaster for things to change?" The times that he was living in may have prompted this question. He was writing during the height of the AIDS epidemic when having the disease was a death sentence.
Photo by Priscilla Gyamfi on Unsplash
Life is made up of a collection of moments that shape how we interpret the world. There are moments when we can recall every detail. I can remember when President Reagan was shot, when the Challenger exploded over the skies of Flordia in January of 1986, When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, 9/11, and The Tsunami of 2004, to name a few.
What I recall is not just details of those events. It was the people coming together. When fires ravage the west coast, it is not the destruction that moves us. It is the human condition that drives us.
What is it About a Crisis That Brings Us Together?
On 9/12, the world came together. The Democrats and Republicans stood on the steps of the Capitol singing God Bless America. The news was not talking about red vs. blue; we were all about Red, White, and Blue.
For most people, disasters are different from personal and family emergencies. People are aware that a disaster takes a toll on human life are and is characterized by change, uncertainty, and complexity.
Stress may lead to cooperative behavior because we have a profound need for social connection. Humans are fundamentally social animals, and the protective nature of our social relationships has allowed our species to thrive.
The acute stress may remind us of a fundamental truth: our shared humanity. When we see a disaster's destruction, we understand our vulnerability. We recognize that life makes no promises, and we desire to stand together and support each other. A disaster is an opportunity for people to experience social connection, empathy, and love.
What To Read
Book of the Month:
Think Again The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know By Adam Grant
In this month’s book, we explore the notion of rethinking what we know not only in a particular instance but as a continuous practice in everyday life. Today we are constantly bombarded by information at our fingertips, making us more informed thinkers. If we only open our minds to consider second thoughts, we can step out of our preachers, prosecutors, and preacher mindsets that most of us tend to fall into in our thought and speech. We shift into scientist mode by considering different possibilities, analyzing, and reconsidering other options; we enter the rethinking cycle…
Upcoming Events
WHERE WILL PEOPLE GO? CLIMATE-INDUCED RELOCATION - FROM RETREAT TO MIGRATION
May 19, 2022 at 2:00 EDT/ 11:00 AM PDT
Climate-induced relocation scales from individual homeowner buyout to mass international migration and will only grow in importance on every scale. We will discuss the recent history of climate-induced relocation, the similarities and differences of various terms, and the relevance of the movement of people to climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
Why should emergency management professionals be concerned about the climate change relocation plans?
Victoria Herrmann wrote a piece for the Atlantic Council in 2017 Titled The United States’ Climate Change Relocation Plan.
Abstract:
Finding the front lines of climate change is not hard. As of May 2017, at least seventeen communities across the United States have already begun relocating part or all of their further infrastructure inland due to climate change effects.1 By 2100, at least 414 towns, villages, and cities across the United States will be flooded no matter how much humans decrease carbon emissions. At a minimum, this amounts to 4.3 million Americans displaced from their homes—according to conservative National Aeronautics and Space Administration sea level rise predictions. These rapid coastal shifts will impact over thirteen million people along US coastlines at the high end.3 The reality of internally displaced communities due to sea-level rise, flooding, and extreme storm events in the United States has arrived and is poised to worsen. However, the US federal government remains ill-prepared to deal with the immense and undeniable human security challenge. There is no dedicated funding, dedicated lead agency, or dedicated policy framework to guide communities needing relocation. And only one of the seventeen communities engaged in climate-induced relocations, the Isle de Jean Charles in Louisiana, has received enough federal funding to move its town fully. As argued in an earlier opinion piece in the LA Times, "federal programs for disaster assistance are limited and mostly unavailable to towns that require climate-induced relocation. Relief natural disasters, like Hurricane Sandy, and rebuilding in place rather than supporting the relocation of towns facing gradual inundation. Because of this gap, coastal communities across the country rely on ad hoc federal and state grants … attempt to rebuild and relocate in bits and pieces, hoping that the work will be done before an emergency evacuation is needed."
Podcasts
The Todd DeVoe Show
Leading Through Disasters Through Planning
When you think about leading a crisis, it starts in the planning process. We can point to countless examples of how planning has saved lives. Rick Rescorla is an example of someone who leads by planning. Plans may become useless, but the planning process is priceless.
Join us this week as we talk with Bill Cunningham, a thought leader in business disaster planning. As we discussed examples of emergencies that Bill's team responded to and helped resolve.
Prepare. Respond. Recover.
5.11 has become one of the most iconic public safety clothing and equipment brands. Today, prepare. respond. recover talks with Chris Skahill, Director of Marketing for 5.11. Skahill explains the care and attention to detail 5.11 takes to ensure that those who serve have the clothing and equipment they need to accomplish some of the most demanding jobs.
Business Continuity Today
How to Use Systems Thinking to Protect Your Organization
The war in Europe has organizations discussing cybersecurity in the C-Suite and boardrooms worldwide. Today we need to approach cybersecurity as part of the system. Cybersecurity is an intrinsic risk management essential that must be built into the core of every employee, product, and service. Companies need to implant cybersecurity by design and as a default into their DNA.
Join Todd De Voe and Brian Barnier as they explore how to use design and systems thinking to make business resilience part of every organization.
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