Tuesday, 15 October 2013

Welcome to the blog!

Welcome to my blog.

Over the coming weeks I hope to bring you a series of commentaries and analyses based on the latest scientific research, as well as providing links to useful and interesting media.

The blog is titled 'Hazards and population in the Anthropocene: A self-regulating machine?'. The aim of the blog is to dig deeper into concepts and processes surrounding the evolution of natural hazards, in particular, climate hazards, as we move deeper into the 21st century, and the impact they have on human societies across the globe. Furthermore, I will explore how human culture and tendencies, coupled with unprecedented expectations impacts upon our risk and vulnerability to such climate hazards.



With life expectancies generally increasing in the developed nations, will natural hazards constitute a more influential population control mechanism than ever before? How have climate hazards evolved over the Holocene? What parameters influence human risk and vulnerability? Are there any coping mechanisms in place to deal with climate hazards in the future? These are just some of the questions I hope to discuss in more detail over the course of the blog.

The growth of an economically and technologically-driven global society has, not without coincidence, developed in a period of relative climatic and geological stability. We have seen recently, however, striking evidence that this is already changing. If we delve back into the Quaternary, it is evident that large scale climatic change can occur as a rapid transition once a threshold or tipping point is crossed or reached. If anthropogenic acumen continues to accrue as such dramatic rates, the consequences will be devastating. Aside from altering the state of the climate system, influencing the nature and creation of certain climate hazards, our actions may also amplify their effects. For example, deforestation increases susceptibility to flooding.

Over the next couple of weeks expect to find posts on the following:


  • Changing Earth (Environmental and Human patterns)
  • Introduction to climate hazards
  • Anthropogenic impact on climate hazards
  • Defining hazard and risk. 


I hope you find the blog interesting and thought-provoking. Here's an introductory video to kick things off.

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