After interviewing people in both Japan and New Jersey, the following conclusions were drawn as potential solutions to the social tolls natural disasters take.
Citizen Science and Community Organizing: Transparency in Public Knowledge
Citizen science is the ability to empower oneself through science. Oftentimes individuals see science and fieldwork as something that is only attainable through higher education. Though this may be the case for some, citizen science allows the average citizen to make decisions for themselves without relying on the government and major corporations for information. For instance, one result of the 3.11 disaster was the meltdown of reactors at the Fukushima Power Plant (read about interviews with those affected by the meltdown here). After this event, it was difficult for Japanese people, especially women with children, to trust radiation counts that were published around town regarding radiation in food and in the air. As a result, organizations like the Aizu Information Radiation Centre, Odagaisama Center for Temporary Housing and Disaster, and special daycare centers were formed. We interviewed individuals that were part of these NGO’s and more that revolved around informing one selves about disaster preparedness and the aftermath. Individuals we interviewed said the following (translated from Japanese to English by Professor Alex Bates):
- “Realities are always covered up by the government.”
- “To measure something is to know the truth”
- “It was such a bad disaster. This is a first world country where you can normally get whatever you want, and then there was nothing at all.”
- “If it’s conceivable, it’s not really a disaster, because we can prepare for that.”
The mistrust in government officials not only rose from misnumbered radiation counts, but also from the intensity of the disaster. In comparison to the United States, our experience in Japan highlighted many of the disaster-preparedness resources available to Japanese communities. However, with an individual we interviewed who was experienced in emergency preparedness claiming that 3.11 was so extreme that no one was able to prepare for it, it made us question: Is it possible to be fully prepared for natural disasters to occur? With this, we must redefine what disaster-preparedness entails, and explore all options to be as universally prepared for one to occur at any moment without going to extremes.
Similarly, we interviewed folks in New Jersey about the presence of community after Superstorm Sandy struck. These people were either a part of organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, citizens in Lavalette, New Jersey, or were coastal geologists specifically studying and working for the New Jersey shorelines. Here, the mistrust of government aid and socioeconomic dynamics drove their passions towards citizen science. They claimed:
- “Mantoloking [a wealthy area] was severely hit, and now it looks brand spankin’ new!”
- “Flimsier communities were left to rot.”
- “Ortley residents are not more able to pay for homes and damage, so many walked away from their land…from their homes.”
- “People up north were able to get their homes fixed in a jiffy. They shrugged and built from the bottom up.”
This clear lack of equality after a disaster urged our interviewees to be a part of local church organizations and community groups that allowed for controlled discussion in a safe space. Places like Mantoloking, NJ received more attention as its residence were of a higher socioeconomic class than of those that lived further south on the barrier islands of New Jersey. It was a bit unsettling to think that now, four years after the disaster, communities in Mantoloking are completely reformed and mostly rebuilt while other communities consist of empty lots. This dichotomy of wealth highlights the gaps in the attention provided to people by the government. To put it simply, wealthier folks are able to restart their lives much more easily than poorer people.
A majority of the people we interviewed in New Jersey were not of an extremely high socioeconomic class, so we were able to gain the perspectives of those that found other ways to rebuild their sense of community other than physically rebuilding homes.
In both cases, organization of small-scale communities and empowerment through knowledge created strength in times physical and social of weakness. The organization of these groups allow for all individuals affected by disasters to gain a clearer, more transparent understanding of the situations at hand.
Click here to learn about aid efforts for Superstorm Sandy and here to learn about aid efforts for 3.11
Click here to learn about the successes of certain aid efforts in New Jersey and Japan