1. Fire Event Information, 2. Bragging Rights for Ebola, 3. Downplaying Biocalamity, 4. Politicizing Science, 4.1. Fake Science, 5. Disease as Evil, 5.1. Neanderthal Extinction, 5.2. Epidemiological Transition, 5.3. New Epidemic Action Concept, 6. Claiming Success.
Other Topics: BioPolitics, Biosphere, Disaster, Humor, Anthropocene, Anthropogenic, Communication, One Health, (Climate) Environmental Change, Human Factors, Social Dimensions, Narratives, Infectious Disease, Polemic, Vaccination, Polemic, Mephetic, Unintended Consequences, Science Journalism, Local Expertise, Depopulation
-1. PDWN has addressed that information and its validity are two of the consistent parademic casualties during a biocalamity (Disaster Intelligence). This was noted again in the Kincaid intentional power outage, warmzone [Cartoon =2= =3= =4= Strip]. There were rumors, but no intentional disinformation that could have influenced behavior during the fire. There was the consistent =2= =3= =4= =5= =6= biopolitical posturing to support a narrative that are opinion and unconnected to physical evidence, but due to the outage these were not in the blackout warmzone, a welcome reflief from the normal information overload (both true and false) that accompanies disasters. These political narratives did not influence the fire fighting operations and were from federal sources that are already known for being misinformed, taking gubergenic actions, accepting conspiracy theory and psuedoscience as fact =2=. There were conflicting and lack of information from official sources such as evacuation, which further eroded trust in these sources. The best source of information was local news radio stations, in part expectations for these sources were not as high and the local station tended to be up front about what it didn’t know. Information distortion could also have been an artefact of how fast information was changing, resulting in misinformation.
-‡. During Kincade Fire, a Cesar Chavez Inspired Radio Station Kept Farmworkers Informed. [Cartoon =2=]. Over 1,500 California Fires in the past 6 Years – Including the Deadliest Ever – Were Caused by One Company: PG&E. Here's What it Could Have Done but Didn't =2=, not included is crisis communications/ information. Early Evacuation Helped Firefighters During the Kincade Fire =2=, in talking to people who were evacuated there was very little complaining about having to evacuate even if there was no fire. Not sure that attitude will continue if there are repeated evacuations and no fire. California Wildfires, Power Outages Are Disrupting Health Care. Climate Change Is Burning down California. It's Time We Stopped Adding Fuel to the Fire. Who's to Blame for California's Fires, and typically if blaming starts that signals that nothing productive will be done. The Last Stand: Evacuating a Hospital in the Middle of a Wildfire, and what if this happened in a area with a pandemic and a mass care area needs to be evacuated. California Wildfires Signal the Arrival of a Planetary Fire Age. A Catch 22 Thwarts Rebound in the Wake of California Wildfires, Natural Disasters.
-A. The Influence of a Near Miss Wildfire on Resident Risk Perceptions and Mitigation Behaviors is consistent to what I have observed in two years in a fire prone area. There is an increase on fire reduction, but usually not followed up. For example one place near me cut down all the more farmable brush and trees, but did not clean up the detritus afterwards creating a worse fire hazard (i.e. more kindling and large pieces that will sustain a fire) than before.
-B. A Not So Hot Take on California Fires, Climate Change, Smoke Waves – and the Stories We Need, to Survive. We are living in a world of media hot takes. They come at us fast and furious, like embers blown from a firestorm by a fierce Santa Ana or Diablo wind. This is exactly the opposite of the approach we need to confront the climate and other environmental challenges that we face these days. Nobody Gets out Without Damage: What Fighting Fire Does to the Body.
-2. This Congolese Doctor Discovered Ebola But Never Got Credit For It — Until Now. This is part of a new narrative that local experts are ignored and should be used for. Though that narrative could eventually improve prevention and response, this particular article is incorrect. Within the global epidemiology community Dr. Muyembe is noted as the individual =2= =3= =5= who obtained and forwarded the first samples for lab analysis that resulted in the positive identification of a novel disease. He is also lauded for remaining in a hotzone to help people and gather evidence.
-A. This is yet another example of science journalism misrepresentation in the pursuit of generating readers as the cost of accuracy to be able to compete with sources that are not impeded by fact. That may be a bit harsh as this could be that the author simply did not have the time to fact check, or lacked the critical thinking skills to verify the story. The perception is probably complicated with the relatively recent firing of the health minister.
-B. PDWN has no idea if from a PR damage control perspective there should be a public or private response or not. It could well be that with a bit of effort people would find the articles about Dr Muyembe’s role, and responses to previous versions of this article. There is also the possibility that responding will not change perception if not add "proof" that accusation is true. The possible danger of this is something that can be easily spun to have guilt by association to support an anti science, anti (western) medicine.
-3. Opinion: Climate Change, Pandemics, Biodiversity Loss – No Country Is Sufficiently Prepared. ¿Apocalypse Soon? How Civilization Might End – and How to Make Sure it Doesn’t Listicle. New Elevation Data Triple Estimates of Global Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding. The World Is Getting Wetter, Yet Water May Become less Available for North America and Eurasia =2=. PDWN’s contention is that to avoid being labeled alarmists the level of risk and threat is downplayed. Maybe this was the right decision as those who were resistant to the idea would become even more so if the threat was portrayed as even more dire. At the same time though perhaps there would be more motivation if the threat was more dire. Either way there is a lack of data on the threat, and the risk of communicating the actual level or threat. Climate Change: Clear and Unequivocal Emergency, Say Scientists, another step in acceleration from change, to crisis, tipping points and now emergency. Still waiting for the final acceptance that this is a disaster/ calamity that includes the whole biosphere (health and environment). [Cartoon]. How to Understand Natural Disasters in a Climate Change Age.
-4. Naomi Oreskes: Discrediting Science Is a Political Strategy and why climate deniers have run out of excuses. It is deeply problematic if the leadership of the US government is rejecting science. In her new #book Why Trust Science [Meme Video], this professor of the history of science, argues that if more people heard scientists talk personally about their values, it would help turn back the creeping tide of anti science sentiment. They recently gave evidence both to a US House of Representatives subcommittee hearing, Examining the Oil Industry’s Efforts to Suppress the Truth about Climate Change, and a Senate Democrats special committee hearing looking at Dark Money and Barriers to Climate Action =2=. 191103-2. One interesting thing that indicates that political polarization is more than limited to anti science is that economic consequences$ =2= and legal actions, usually major influences, do not seem to be a motivate changes in biopolitical behavior. Man vs Nature may now be blurred with Man vs Man. Anti Vaccine Leaders Targeting Minority Becomes Growing Concern at NYC Forum =2=.
-A. Like all political strategies these can also be reversed AOC Draws an Interesting Connection Between White Supremacy and Climate Change. This is not the first time that similar correlations have been drawn How Climate Change Could Fuel the Far Right from <ADDED 190901-190825-1.2B>1*D.
-4.1. It does not help foster a positive perception of science that its 1) conclusions change with new evidence, 2) that there are pseudoscience claims that seem more credible than actual science, 3) that there is misleading science journalism, 4) that there is a basic misunderstanding of science that allows hype of being replicable, 5) that there are industries that fund science for a priori conclusions – or what are perceived as such even if valid, 6) that there are vested interests that are threatened by science. Add to this that a few scientists commit fraud, and trust in the integrity and conclusions of science erodes, especially among those who would not trust in anyway. This Science Vigilante Calls Out Bogus Results in Prestigious Journals. With pressure to publish or perish, some scientists fake their research results – or are ordered to, or others mislead about the results to support their fakes =2=. Science must Move with the Times$, research cannot fulfil its social contract and reach new horizons by advancing on the same footing into the future. There are also journals that are questionable.
-5. Researchers Find a Connection Between Pathogen History and Degree of Moral Vitalism. An international team of researchers has found evidence that suggests the degree of moral vitalism – believing in forces of good and evil – in a given society may be related to its pathogen history. Explaining Illness with Evil: Pathogen Prevalence Fosters Moral Vitalism. Moral Vitalism: Seeing Good and Evil as Real, Agentic Forces. And of course the usual article that claims something different than the research actually says, Bible Bombshell: Scientists Claim Discovery of Root of All Evil. This is different from but related to moral panic and magical thinking, and therefor this is a belief could be manipulate the perception of a bioevent/ calamity, framing a social situation as a disease, and opposition as evil. In this worldview it is likely that scientists would be viewed a form of evil wizard/ witch, the creator of conditions that they actually intend to solve.
-5.1. Speaking of pathogen history there are indications that the demise of Homo Neanderthal may be part of the larger pattern of human populations occupying depopulated areas due to disease that they are immune to, but had introduced to the previous population.
-5.2. Plague Was Around for Millennia Before Epidemics Took Hold – and the Way People Lived Might Be What Protected Them. More evidence supporting that there was a significant epidemiological transition of human populations between the Neolithic and first agriculture around urban centers, and industrialization with increased levels of pollution.
-5.3. This is what PDWN has stating for years. A New Twenty First Century Science for Effective Epidemic Response. With rapidly changing ecology, urbanization, climate change, increased travel and fragile public health systems, epidemics will become more frequent, more complex and harder to prevent and contain. The concept of epidemics must evolve from crisis response during discrete outbreaks to an integrated cycle of preparation, response and recovery*. This is an opportunity to combine knowledge and skills from all over the world – especially at risk and affected communities. Many disciplines need to be integrated, including not only epidemiology but also social sciences, research and development, diplomacy, logistics and crisis management. *The phase/ cycle model of emergency management is one area of disagreement. When dealing with continuous (actual waves), slow, global calamities that model is not just an inappropriate heuristic but could exacerbate damage, as the paper points out the concepts must evolve, and these are not discrete events but ones that are interactive systems. [Chart].
-6. India Has Sharply Cut Disaster Related Deaths. This is one reason for distinguishing between disaster and biocalamity. This story is likely true, but in the meantime there has been an increase in morbidity and mortality from heat, unclean water (or none), polluted air, disease, over population.... This can also give a false impression that conditions have improved when in fact they may be now worse, but don’t appear so because disaster definitions avoid long time periods and geographic spread. As Delhi Chokes On Smog, India's Health Minister Advises: Eat More Carrots. This City Is Not Livable: New Delhi People Decry Dirty Air. Furthermore, disaster is only concerned if humans are directly and immediately harmed, while biocalamity includes all life and is accumulative. The Law That’s Helping Fuel Delhi’s Deadly Air Pollution, a policy to conserve water resources led to the rise of a major source of air pollution, making breathing Delhi’s air as bad as smoking 50 cigarettes. =2= =3= =4= =5= =6=.
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