Are natural disasters increasing in number around the globe or does it just seem that way because we have more media coverage today and the internet?

by Dark Demonic™ ★ The Original SodaHead Guru ★ Posted 2011/01/02 03:26:47

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Global warming will make things worse.	31 votes	11%
	Natural disasters are increasing in number.	111 votes	38%
	We just have a lot more media coverage today.	102 votes	35%
	Maybe God is displeased and seeks to punish us.	14 votes	5%
	None of the above	37 votes	13%

More polls by Dark Demonic™ ★ The Original SodaHead Guru ★

kelsie 2011/05/09 16:32:14

Maybe God is displeased and seeks to punish us.

+1
Natural disaters have increased majorly...i am scared for everyone...

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Brosia 2011/04/25 03:17:47

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+1
Everything that happens now is broadcast instantly around the world, with several 24 hour "news" sources (I refuse to admit that everything they talk about counts as news).

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Poloperson 2011/03/22 06:37:41

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+1
The saturation of 24 hour coverage, makes us more aware of the rest of the world.

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mg's haven~POTL~PWCM~JLA 2011/03/18 17:44:16

None of the above

+1
I think its a little of both. It seems like people are now hunting for this stuff now Since our government has gone haywire. (thats just an observation)

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<3^_^ 2011/03/15 09:34:56

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+1
I love how nothing happened in Canada! Yay! ^_^ I love where I live and im glad that none of that happened personally to me, but I still feel so sorry for all of the families that were affected. :( my heart and prayers go out to you. <3

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wombat 2011/03/14 17:55:40

Natural disasters are increasing in number.

+1
In number and they are more severe.

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WGN 2011/03/14 13:08:11

None of the above

+2
Everything on this earth runs in cycles and has a cause and effect. A shift in a tectonic plate here will cause a quake over there, which might cause a volcano to erupt, which puts dust into the atmosphere, which changes the heating and cooling of the oceans, which changes weather patterns in parts of a country. We are just more in tune with what is happening because of the media coverage.
The end is not near and some god has nothing to do with any of it.

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xeikm 2011/03/14 01:11:47

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+1
I think that its mostly just the media coverage, but I do think that they seem to be increasing a little more too. But its more media then disasters increasing in number. At least that's my opinion.

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buzzwald juneberry 2011/03/13 12:59:43

None of the above

+1
I personally think that the natural cycles of the earth bring it to points in history where the activity fluctuates greater or lesser, depending on the era. We may just be entering into an era of higher activity, and should be calming down again in about a couple thousand years, so hang in there, it'll pass.

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gidianedwards97 2011/03/13 06:13:02

Natural disasters are increasing in number.

+2
And yes by all means we have the awarness in documenting them as they happen.

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Merlin 2011/03/13 03:53:50

Global warming will make things worse.

+2
We're getting pretty slammed lol

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mae 2011/03/12 22:54:32

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+1
Media makes it more evident; disasters have always been here.

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RobHom 2011/03/12 19:48:04

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+1
When I was a kid....it could have taken days or at least a number of hours to know anything about what happened across one of the ponds....now its a matter of seconds.

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Wren 2011/03/12 19:34:25

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+1
What we happen to call natural disasters are just natural occurrences. S**t happens man.

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Liza Jane 2011/03/12 19:14:17

Natural disasters are increasing in number.

+2
It seems as thought they are becoming more frequent and more disastrous.

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QueenShebaVIII 2011/03/12 17:23:40

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+1
There have always been natural disasters and there have definitely been times in the world's history where there have been more natural disasters than there are now. I don't believe in God and I wasn't aware that global warming causes earthquakes...

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Dark De... to QueenSh... 2011/03/12 22:30:29

+1
Global warming/Climate change has a butterfly effect. Our planet has a hot liquid core and if the temperature of the Earth rises the possibility increases of pressure building from the heat which could cause volcanoes to erupt and tectonic plates to shift, both of which have happened recently.

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misterz 2011/03/12 16:57:42

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+1
Instant coverage.

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dman278 2011/03/12 14:42:07

None of the above

+1
There should be data available somewhere to resolve this question. Even though news of natural disasters in say, the 50's wasn't instantaneous, there should still be records that can be accessed and amassed. I'd be interested in knowing the answer.

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Dark De... to dman278 2011/03/12 22:35:16

http://maps.grida.no/go/graph...

http://www.emdat.be/disaster-...

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dman278 to Dark De... 2011/03/13 00:09:41

+1
Wow. There you have it.

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Music Freak101 2011/03/12 14:25:41

None of the above

+1
1 word: 2012
jk but still....

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Doc Frank stein 2011/03/12 12:20:02 (edited)

Natural disasters are increasing in number.

+2
Certainly those of some Magnitude seem to be greatly increasing; Yes.
You only have to check your own country's records.
Here in OZ, last year, in Melbourne, we had the worst bush fire disasters in over 100 yrs.
In Qld, north NSW and western Vic, we had perhaps the country's worst ever floods just a few weeks back ... we've had a very bad set of winds in Qld and Darwin since ... then last week, Chrsitchurch NZ had its worst ever quake after having another huge one only 4 months back!
Now we have ENORMITIES in Japan and some Pacific nations, including a 6.1 quake in Tonga.
It's only 4 yrs ago, one of the most disastrous tsunamis in history hit Indonesia, Thailand, India and Malaysia

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Wolfman 2011/03/12 09:14:51

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+1
We have always had natural disasters. We always will. They are neither increasing in frequency or intensity.

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Dark De... to Wolfman 2011/03/12 22:36:37

+1
Actually, they are.

http://maps.grida.no/go/graph...

http://www.emdat.be/disaster-...

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Wolfman to Dark De... 2011/03/14 03:59:39

+1
Both links show the number of reported disasters. Reported to whom. To whom woud one report a disaster in 1930, 1940, etc.?

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Dark De... to Wolfman 2011/03/15 09:19:57

+2
There are a lot more records and people to report to now, true, but that doesn't mean they're not increasing in number as records suggest, especially not over the more recent past where records are more thorough. :o)

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Wolfman to Dark De... 2011/03/15 14:50:21

+1
Perhaps, but I'm not convinced. :o)

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mewycg 2011/03/12 08:38:53

Natural disasters are increasing in number.

+3
And intensity it seems.

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Karoger 2011/03/12 07:34:41

Natural disasters are increasing in number.

+2
it's getting worse :/ And so are those incidents with all the dead fish and birds. it's not kool.

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James 2011/03/12 06:38:25

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+2
There have always been natural disasters affecting one area of the planet or another. We are just more aware of it now.

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wtw 2011/03/12 06:24:12

Global warming will make things worse.

+2
I don't beleive Global warming has a darn thing to do with any of this stuff. Maybe the government is doing crazy stuff--I don't know.

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The Terrific Whatzit BN-0 2011/03/12 06:19:11

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+3
And tragedy is sexier than tranquility and happiness.

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Doc Fra... to The Ter... 2011/03/12 12:28:09

+1
Yes; insofar as it brings out the good people in the community and opens people's hearts and often their hip pockets.... and that's all Got to be sexy: Yes.

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The Ter... to Doc Fra... 2011/03/12 12:30:25

+3
The media doesn't want to see the good in people. Good doesn't shock. Good doesn't drive in big ratings. Death and destruction sell. Catastrophe is great for business.

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Doc Fra... to The Ter... 2011/03/12 12:51:09

+1
Now you've got the boring media in thisLOL
... and I thought we were talking of lifeLOL!
I thought we were speaking of sexiness - true sexiness ... the kind that derives from good, loyalty, warmth and love towards others.

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The Ter... to Doc Fra... 2011/03/12 12:57:01

+1
The topic question concerns media coverage of natural disasters.

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Doc Fra... to The Ter... 2011/03/12 13:18:20

+1
Your comment was:
"And tragedy is sexier than tranquility and happiness."

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Kalayaan 001 2011/03/12 05:09:27

We just have a lot more media coverage today.

+2
The Internet (almost) knows all!

And if the news media deems it a front-page event, so will the people of the nation they make money of.

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Not Einstein 2011/03/12 04:10:49

Natural disasters are increasing in number.

+5
Seismic activity had remained steady, at a low but constant rate, for the 100+ years that records have been kept. Starting in 2007, the rates have nearly quadrupled to quintupled every year.

Hold onto your hats, kids, the ride has just begun. Once Yellowstone blows her biggest horn, watch out!

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