The Dangers of Contaminated Water
Microbiologist Robert Levin, an expert on pathogenic bacteria, warns that people who have ingested contaminated water or have open wounds or cuts are especially susceptible to infection by Vibrio vulnificus, the cousin to cholera that has been detected in the polluted waters left swirling in Katrina's wake. V. vulnificus causes vomiting and diarrhea in healthy people, but can be fatal to those with compromised immune systems. It occurs naturally in marine coastal waters and elevated counts seem to be correlated with elevated coastal water temperatures during the summer months. Those with liver damage arising from chronic alcoholism, renal disease and diabetes are especially susceptible, says Levin. Levin recently authored a review paper on V. vulnificus.
The Policy and Politics of Recovery:
How do policies regarding coastal development play out in the aftermath of natural disasters? Who does and who should foot the bill? Rutherford Platt, author of the book "Disasters and Democracy: The Politics of Extreme Natural Events" is an expert on programs and policies regarding recovery from natural disasters.
The Economics of Disaster Relief:
How do private market mechanisms and government networks influence recovery from natural disasters? What are the difficulties that federal and state agencies face in bringing economic aid to the ravaged region? Where do those total estimates of damage come from and do they differ from insurers estimates? Shelia Bair, former assistant secretary of U.S. Treasury, is available to comment the economics of recovery.
Predicting Hurricane Paths and New Technologies:
Why are hurricane paths hard to predict and what technologies are enhancing our understanding of extreme weather systems? Robert Contreras oversees the team of hurricane hunters/researchers in the UMass Microwave Remote Sensing Laboratory. The team builds ultra-sensitive microwave and millimeter-wave sensors, which are flown into the centers of hurricanes, providing instant information on ocean-surface wind speed and wind direction. Contreras can comment on how methods such as microwave imaging, radar oceanography and radar meteorology are used in predicting weather patterns.
Global Climate Change and Hurricanes:
What determines the weather pattern in any season? Are hurricane seasons likely to show increasing intensity as the global climate changes? Frank Keimig, geosciences, manager of the Climate System Research Center, is available for comment on historical weather patterns, current weather, and climate change.
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