Opinionater #1

Natural disasters have stuck all over the world, but also the headlines of newspapers, magazines, and blogs (including this one). The latest natural disaster has hit in Turkey and the press has been all over it like a lawyer in the ER of a hospital. Some blame the happenings of deadly natural disasters due to changes in global temperature and what we, the people, are doing in order to stop them. Wake up call is needed right here. Earthquakes cannot be stopped, not even predicted with mediocre adequacy. I feel that the media is becoming the main source that people are using to educate themselves about the environment. MTV hosting a donation for disaster victims is not education to what has just happened. The Dependency Theory comes into play in the cases of natural disasters and the reactions of people. In the event of a natural disaster people turn to either the Internet or the news on TV. Lately, I have been finding that the media really only reports on world news if there is an outbreak of war or natural disaster. My take on this is that the media reports on what is hard hitting because peopled may be too freaked out to learn that we cannot prevent natural disasters (the dissonance theory). Instead of reporting the truth of the matter, the media has decided to take an easy route, give people what they are used to hearing or reading.  Time has come out with an article, entitled: After Turkey’s Earthquake: When Will the World Wise Up About Natural Disasters?, in which the whole world needs to “wise up” on the sustainability of their homes, business orientated areas, and other buildings. It is also mentioned that even though big earthquake areas, like Japan, California, and Turkey have some of the best ready-made architecture it is not being put to use. Why not use what we have to help cities all over the world so that they do not become headline central because of a large death toll.