How to Drop Out by Ran Prieur

EMJ · Post by **EMJ** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 5:06 pm

@HSpencer

Can you point to data showing increased global earthquake activity in a 200 year perspective?

Post by **jacob** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 7:46 pm

There's more or less one earth quake per year that results in tens of thousands of deaths. Recently these quakes have been within the US sphere of interest e.g. geographically adjacent, war zones, trading partners, or tourist destinations. So there aren't more earth quakes than usual. We've just heard more about them.
What does hold is that earth quakes are getting more expensive and more deadly. If you live in a log cabin or a yurt, an earth quake is not a big deal. It's cheap and a minor annoyance. If you live in a high rise building, it's potentially deadly and highly destructive.

EMJ · Post by **EMJ** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 8:36 pm

Yes Jacob, that's what I found, too. So I wondered where HSpencer was getting info.

Piper · Post by **Piper** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:01 pm

Every disaster from here on out is going to seem like it was worse than ever and it's always going to seem like there were more disasters than there used to be. This is simply because there are far more people in the world than there used to be so every disaster hits much harder. And as we watched all those buildings swept by the tsunami like so many toys in a bathtub, every disaster is also going to cause a whole lot more damage than ever before simply because there are a whole lot more buildings and cities than their used to be.

HSpencer · Post by **HSpencer** » Mon Mar 21, 2011 12:20 am

Try the US Geological Information.
http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/qed/qed.html
I have been on the earth for 66 years, seeing an increase about every ten years. There has also been an increase in disasters over the USA weather patterns, in particular the last 5 years.

I don't think this should be a shocker to anyone who has "noticed" the floods, fires, earthquakes, etc. As a former state representative to the New Madrid Fault Council, I find this information to be pretty widely available.

mikeBOS · Post by **mikeBOS** » Mon Mar 21, 2011 1:19 am

How amazing that, while living on a 4,500,000,000 year-old planet, we just happen to be living in the ~5-66 year period of increasing earthquakes.
I think that type of view generally has to do with increased awareness because of more video cameras, 24 hour news channels, abundant global communication and global trade than it does with any real trends in increased seismic activity.

EMJ · Post by **EMJ** » Mon Mar 21, 2011 1:43 am

@HSpencer

USGS actually says:

"Are Earthquakes Really on the Increase?
We continue to be asked by many people throughout the world if earthquakes are on the increase. Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant."

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics ... quakes.php

djc · Post by **djc** » Mon Mar 21, 2011 2:07 pm

@piper---I think you're right.
djc

AnneBentham · Post by **AnneBentham** » Sat May 28, 2011 3:29 pm

There was an interview with Ran Prieur on Boing Boing yesterday.
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/05/27/in ... rieur.html

Post by **jacob** » Mon May 30, 2011 6:00 pm

I liked his take on "college educations": 'It makes you think like an educated person in case your parents didn't already teach you'.
So I (jacob) can see a college education as a way for kids who didn't grow up with educated parents to get that level of personal development, but for those who already have it, it's not so useful (other than as the white collar union card). Unfortunately, due to strong social inertia, those who could benefit the most from learning to think like an educated person likely grew up in homes where that kind of thinking is discouraged.

AlexOliver · Post by **AlexOliver** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 1:28 am

If anybody's interested, I collected most of his essays into a book.
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/h ... s/15702189
It's $10.46, printed at-cost.

JohnnyH · Post by **JohnnyH** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 1:52 am

@Alex: Excellent, there is also free PDF download for the ereader group.