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https://theconversation.com/disaster-after-disaster-do-we-have-enough-raw-materials-to-build-back-better-265682>
"This Christmas Day marks 21 years since the terrifying Indian Ocean tsunami.
As we remember the hundreds of thousands of lives lost in this tragic event, it
is also a moment to reflect on what followed. How do communities rebuild after
major events such as the tsunami, and other disasters like it? What were the
financial and hidden costs of reconstruction?
Beyond the immediate human toll, disasters destroy hundreds of thousands of
buildings each year. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan damaged a record 1.2 million
structures in Philippines. Last year, earthquakes and cyclones damaged more
than half a million buildings worldwide. For communities to rebuild their
lives, these structures must be rebuilt.
While governments, non-government agencies and individuals struggle to finance
post-disaster reconstruction, rebuilding also demands staggering volumes of
building materials. In turn, these require vast amounts of natural resource
extraction.
For instance, an estimated one billion burnt clay bricks were needed to
reconstruct the half-million homes destroyed in the Nepal earthquake. This is
enough bricks to circle the Earth six times if laid end to end. How can we
responsibly source such vast quantities of materials to meet demand?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
