What can people do to protect themselves from natural disasters

What can people do to protect themselves from natural disasters

Задание №15388.
Письмо. ЕГЭ по английскому

You have received an email message from your English-speaking pen-friend Mary:

My history teacher got the annual award “Best teacher of the year”, I’m so happy for her!…

Write an email to Mary.

In your message:
-answer her questions
-ask 3 questions about her history teacher.

Write 100–140 words.
Remember the rules of email writing.

Решение:
Ознакомьтесь с рекомендациями М. В. Вербицкой по выполнению задания с электронным письмом: читать.

Thanks for your letter; I always love receiving them! Here are my answers to your questions.

Sorry to hear your aunt lost her house.I think that volcanic eruptions are the most terrible natural disasters as you can’t do much about it. Floods are the most typical natural phenomena for the place where I live. The best way to protect yourself from them is to be attentive and listen to the weather forecast carefully.

It’s great that your teacher got the annual award. How old is she? What is her name? How long does she teach you history?

I’d better go now. I’ve got to get ready for my piano class. Take care and keep in touch.

Источник: ФИПИ. Открытый банк тестовых заданий
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How to Protect Yourself from Natural Disasters (science-backed)

Friday, December 14, 2018 by M.D. Creekmore

by Roger Gallager

Have you been seeing tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, devastating hurricanes and other natural disasters in the news more often? Have natural calamities become more frequent? According to a report released by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), there had been 385 disasters recorded during the 2000 – 2009 period. This figure marks an increase of 233% from 1980 to 1989 and a 67% increase from 1990 to 1999.

Now, the question is, are you and your family prepared to face a natural calamity? According to a study conducted by the University of Iowa, College of Public Health which was published online in the American Journal of Public Health, older Americans are not adequately prepared to face natural calamities likes tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes.

Only one-third of the 1,304 adults interviewed said they had read information or participated in a disaster-preparedness program while fewer than twenty-five percent reported having emergency or contingency plans. A disturbing fifty percent of the respondents said they would not know where to seek shelter if they were forced to evacuate their home and about a quarter said they did not have access to transportation during emergencies.

Are you one of these people who are not prepared to face natural calamities? If the world’s worst disasters were to hit your city next week, would you know what to do for survival? If you are not sure, you better take a look at our seven ways to survive environmental disasters.

Surviving a Flood:

Flooding can be caused by different phenomenon. It can be natural, like excessive rain or a tsunami or man-made like the opening of a dam. A flood can develop slowly, over time or rapidly, as in the case of flash floods which can develop in just a few minutes and without visible signs of rain. A flood can be limited to a neighborhood or a community or very large and span the entire river basins or multiple states.

Surviving an earthquake:

A calamitous earthquake is a violent shaking of the ground that can cause massive destruction to people and property. The most common cause of earthquakes is the moving of subterranean rocks to release tension that has accumulated over time.

These are just two of the natural disasters that you must be ready to face. Always remember that when it comes to natural disasters, always be aware, prepared, and alert. You never know when disaster might strike.

How To Stay Safe During Natural Disasters

Natural disasters are catastrophic events that often occur without warning and disrupt the ecosystem, causing damage to personal lives, property, transportation, and livelihood. While it is never possible to prevent a disaster, the damage can be minimized through timely preparation. As such, every natural disaster has its own set of precautions to be taken, which must be followed to save precious lives.

Here are a few precautions one must take to save their lives and that of others during natural disasters.

The shifting of tectonic plates causes earthquakes under the earth’s crust, and it is responsible for mass destruction. When faced with an earthquake, these tips can be of use:

If you are indoors,

If you are outdoors,

Tsunamis are a series of enormous ocean waves caused by earthquakes, underwater landslides, or volcanic eruptions. Tsunami waves range from tens to hundreds of feet tall and can travel twenty to thirty miles per hour. When faced with this phenomenon, these tips are to be followed:

Cyclones are tropical storms, caused by atmospheric disturbances around a low-pressure area. Cyclones are accompanied by strong winds, moving at a speed of sixty-two kmph or more. When faced with a hurricane, keep these tips in mind:

Floods are among the earth’s most common and dangerous natural hazards, formed due to a flow of water on areas of land that are usually dry. Excessive rain, damage to nearby dams, and tsunamis are some of its causes. When faced with flooding, these tips are to be followed:

In addition to it, it is essential to stay calm during times of disaster. And while you do that, always keep helpline numbers 102 and 108 handy to reach out to emergency medical services providers like Ziqitza HealthCare Limited (ZHL) when aid is needed. Ziqitza HealthCare is a leading emergency healthcare company operating 108 and 102 Ambulances across different states of India. It has helped rescue and save the lives of people from natural disasters since its inception in 2005.

How to fight against natural disasters

Major catastrophes such as earthquakes, floods and hurricanes lead to hundreds of people dying, being injured, suffering and being displaced every year. Such disasters also cause the destruction of homes and infrastructure, as well as the loss of millions of dollars. These natural disasters have an even more devastating effect when they occur in developing countries, such as Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, which left nearly a thousand dead in its wake.

In 1989, the United Nations General Assembly designated 13 October as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction «in order to promote a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention and mitigation«. The United Nations is therefore seeking to raise awareness of natural disasters through information campaigns promoting efforts to make communities and governments faced with such issues more resilient and able to respond to disasters.

Preventing natural disasters: Fighting against climate change and resilience

Since it was first established, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases from human activity are impacting extreme climate phenomena. Global warming is causing various atmospheric phenomena to become increasingly violent and there is a strong link between natural disasters and climate change. So the first step to preventing potential natural disasters is reducing pollutant emissions.

It is also necessary to make states more resilient by looking forwards and preparing countries to deal with climate-related risks, from adopting conservation and restoration measures to improving infrastructure.

The best way to reduce damage: Being prepared for natural disasters

Not all states have the same resources to deal with a natural disaster. It is precisely this issue that is being addressed at this year’s conference, which is focusing on increasing the number of countries with response strategies for this type of disaster. We can prevent or avoid extensive damage if we are prepared to handle such disasters.

Good governance of disaster risk is essential for making communities resilient to natural phenomena. This theory is already applied in many countries. For example, in the Netherlands, where rainfall is intense, there is a good control system in place for flooding; and in Japan, the country’s high level of earthquake risk is well managed.

Investing in disaster resistance creates jobs and saves money. This is the view of António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. «Making infrastructure more climate-resilient can have a benefit-cost ratio of about six to one. For every dollar invested, six dollars can be saved», says Guterres.

Sendai Seven campaign for reducing natural disasters

To reduce the number of deaths resulting from natural disasters, the UN launched the Sendai Seven campaign, which focuses on the seven objectives outlined in the Sendai Framework. This framework will be implemented over seven years (2016-2022), providing one year for each objective:

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

2016: To reduce disaster mortality.

2017: To reduce the number of people affected.

2018: To reduce economic losses.

2019: To reduce disaster damage.

2020: To increase the number of countries with response strategies.

2021: To increase international cooperation with developing countries.

2022: To make warning systems more readily available.

Do you think humans are able to prevent natural disasters in some way? Leave us your comments to let us know what you think.

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10 Things You Can Do to Help Save the Earth

By: Katie Lambert & Sarah Gleim | Updated: Apr 20, 2022

The United Nations suggests that climate change is not just the defining issue of our time, but we are also at a defining moment in history. Weather patterns are changing and will threaten food production, and sea levels are rising and could cause catastrophic flooding across the globe. Countries must make drastic actions to avoid a future with irreversible damage to major ecosystems and planetary climate.

But what about individuals? What can we do to pitch in and help save the Earth? There are plenty of things you can do every day to help reduce greenhouse gases and your carbon footprint to make a less harmful impact on the environment. Taking care of the Earth is not just a responsibility, it’s a necessity. ­In that spirit, HowStuffWorks has come up with 10 things you can do now to help save the planet.

1. Conserve Water

The little things can make a big difference. Every time you turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth, you’re doing something good. Got a leaky faucet? You might be dripping as much as 90 gallons (340 liters) of water down the drain every day [source: EPA]. So fix it! It’s easy and cheap. And stop drinking bottled water. Switch to filtered tap water. You’ll save a ton of cash and help reduce a ton of plastic waste in the process.

2. Be Car-conscious

If you can, stay off the road two days a week or more. You’ll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds (721 kilograms) per year [source: EPA]. It’s easier than you think. You can combine your errands — hit the school, grocery store and dog daycare in one trip. And talk to your boss about teleworking. It’s a boon for you and your company. But being car conscious also means maintaining your car on a regular basis. You can improve your gas mileage by 0.6 percent to 3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure, and be sure to make necessary repairs if your car fails emission [source: EPA].

3. Walk, Bike or Take Public Transit

Walking and biking are obvious ways to reduce greenhouse gases. Plus you’ll get some good cardio and burn some calories while you do it. If you live in an area that’s not walkable, take advantage of your local mass transit if you can. Or carpool. Even one car off on the road makes a difference.

4. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

You can help reduce pollution just by putting that soda can in the recycling bin. It really does make a difference. Paper, too. The average American household dumps 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year, most of it junk mail and packaging [source: University of Southern Indiana]. But you can also take reusable bags to the grocery, and avoid using disposable plates, spoons, glass, cups and napkins. Contact companies that send you junk mail to get off their mailing lists. When you order online, see if you can group your packages together for mailing. Buy products that are made of recycled materials. And don’t forget to recycle your own paper. It all makes a difference.

5. Give Composting a Try

In 2018, (the last year figures were available) Americans generated 292.4 million tons (265.3 million metric tons) of trash. Only 25 million tons (23 million metric tons) of that was composted. Some was recycled and some was combusted for energy, but half of it — 146 million tons (132 million metric tons) — ended up in the landfill. Imagine if you could divert more of that to your own compost? It would help reduce the amount of solid waste you produce, and what eventually winds up in your local landfill. Plus, compost makes a great natural fertilizer.

More Tips to Save the Earth Now

6. Switch to LEDs

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are great. They can last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and they use at least two-thirds less energy, but even CFLS have issues. They’re hard to dispose of because they contain mercury. Enter light-emitting diode, or LED bulbs. They emit light in a very narrow band wavelength so they’re super energy-efficient. Start replacing your old incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs now (if you haven’t already). They do cost more than CFLs and incandescents, but equivalent LED bulbs can last at least 30,000 hours compared to 1,000 hours for incandescent bulbs, or 8,000 to 10,000 hours for CFLs.

7. Live Energy Wise

Make your home more energy efficient (and save money). Your home’s windows are responsible for 25 to 30 percent of residential heat gain and heat loss. If they’re old and inefficient, consider replacing them. Also be sure your home has proper insulation. Insulation is measured in terms of its thermal resistance or R-value — the higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation. The amount of insulation your home needs depends on the climate, type of HVAC system, and where you’re adding the insulation. Smaller things you can do right away include replacing your air filter regularly so your HVAC system doesn’t have to work overtime. Keep your window treatments closed when it’s extremely hot and cold outside. You can also consider installing a programmable thermostat like Nest so your system isn’t running (and wasting energy) when you’re not home.

8. Eat Sustainable Foods

Today, large-scale food production accounts for as much as 25 percent of the greenhouse emissions. So how do you eat sustainably? Choosing food from farmers that aim to conserve the natural resources and have as little impact on the land as possible. But even buying as much as you can from local farmers makes a different. Eating more whole grains, vegetables, fruits and nuts, and less red meats and processed foods does too. Grow your own fruits and vegetables. You can grow a garden!

9. Plant a Tree (or Two)

The 2022 United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report found that things are worse now than ever before. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and most countries are not reducing carbon emissions. But there is a natural way to combat climate change: Plant a tree. Plants naturally absorb carbon from the air. One young tree can absorb CO2 at a rate of 13 pounds (5 kilograms) per tree. Every. Single. Year. And that’s just an itty bitty baby tree. Once that tree reaches about 10 years old, it’s at its most productive stage of carbon storage. Then it can absorb 48 pounds (21 kilograms) of CO2 per year. Trees also remove all other kinds of junk from the air, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and small particles. So go ahead, plant a tree. It’s good for everybody.

10. Give Up Plastics

The statistics are shocking: People around the world buy 1 million plastic drinking bottles every minute, and use up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags every year. Humans are addicted to plastic, and hardly any of it — about 9 percent — gets recycled. A staggering 68 to 219 million tons (75 to 199 million metric tons) of plastic is currently in our oceans. Break the cycle. Stop buying bottled water. Say no to plastic shopping bags and use cloth bags instead. Don’t use plastic straws. Drink from a reuseable cup instead of a plastic one. Avoiding plastic can divert a ton of waste from the oceans and landfill.

This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story.