Communicating the nuclear: learning by old mistakes?

by Anna de Polo

Recently in Italy the debate on nuclear was reopened, as usual characterized by an exchange of views, more or less authoritative, and low information content. It’s difficult to form opinion on this theme, because the Italian remain bewildered by the conflicting voices that rise on all sides, especially since even the scientists do not seem to agree.

Though we don’t want to tackle this thorny issue here, we want to underline the importance of information and sensibilization, especially about the risks that nuclear power involve an particularly in prospective of its eventual re-entry into Italy. In this regard, we can follow the example of France, which recently has created a government portal on the prevention of natural, health and technology (including the risk of nuclear accident) hazards, to inform and prepare people for disasters of various kinds. It comes spontaneously to make a comparison with the portal of Protezione Civile, the only Italian one in which similar information can be found under the heading "health and anthropogenic risk". Unfortunately, both the form and content are not exhaustive as the French equivalent, but could be improved if also here new nuclear power stations will be opened. The experience of Čhernobyl, in fact, teaches, as reported in several books (see Ulitsa Sadovaya, wanted by the voluntary association Mondo in Cammino), the serious environmental and health consequences of the accident would have been limited if there had been a (better) institutional information about the risks of radioactivity. Just as technology has treasured the disaster of '86, making great strides in building safer nuclear station, host-nuclear countries should learn from that experience and train their people so they know what measures to take in case of accident. It’s wrong to think of Čhernobyl as an event of the past, why keeping memory helps us not to make the same mistakes in future.

In this regard, is scheduled for Sunday, September 19 in Mestre, during the Fiera della città aperta (Open City Fair), organized by the Ecoistituto Veneto Alex Langer, a meeting with Professor Yuri Bandazhevsky, a Byelorussian doctor who, in about 240 research works, has demonstrated the temporal effects of prolonged exposure to low doses of radionuclides. Bandazhevsky's position leaves no room for compromise: "atomic energy, as it’s produced for now, is not safe and the boundary between civil and military use is very ambiguous", he said in an interview. "Governments need to think about it, because nuclear power is a grave danger". In the meeting will also take part Bonfatti Massimo, president of Mondo in Cammino. The meeting will be replicated on September 21 in Torino and on 22 in Novara. For those wishing to get an idea on the nuclear issue without leaving their home I point out on Sunday night the episode of Presadiretta, by Riccardo Iacona, which is focusing on this subject.

Whatever decision the government will take on nuclear power, it remains to ask why they wish to spend astronomical sums to build new power plants, when we could invest them in renewable energy and energy saving, more sustainable and certainly less dangerous. Even Margherita Huck, more open on the nuclear theme than Bandazhevsky, said that "she does not deny the importance of nuclear power, but she personally believes we should focus more on renewable energy". If at the base of the concept of sustainable development there is the idea that Earth was lent to us by our children, are we really going to return it to them with attached radioactive waste?
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Oral history: an innovative method for environmental communication?

by Silvia Musso



For last 5 years The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC), research center dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region of the United States, has been working to a wide oral history project to document the consequences of Hurricane Katrina’s environmental disaster in Louisiana.

This environmental disaster was also one of the largest media events in American history. But the information showed some deficiencies. Oral historian and coordinator of the project Mark Cave claims that: «Journalists from all over the world descended on New Orleans and often limited to blame the first responding agencies for the botched response to the disaster».

The result was a closure of the agencies that decided not to speak to the media in order to minimize bad public relations. In this context, characterized, on one hand, by a media overexposure and, on the other, by a communication gap, THNOC intervened with an ambitious oral history project based on the collections of direct evidences and of interviews of first agencies’ personnel. This project can be seen as the result of an environmental communication of the post disaster that is not just a sad report of what happened, but a way to give answers, to help and to communicate risk situations.

Thanks to over than 600 interviews of the personnel of New Orleans Fire Department, Disaster Medical Assistance Team and Louisiana department of Wildlife and Fisheries, to make some examples, «this project – Mr. Cave stresses – can do much to prevent these gaps from occurring and can provide a blueprint for future oral history work and the work of journalists. First responding agencies provide the largest pool of potential reliable interviewees. A systematic attempt to record the narratives of their members while memories of events are still relatively clear provides an efficient method of casting a wide net over a historical event like Katrina. Such a project can do much to make an institution relevant and responsive to the needs of its community post-disaster, and offers to the oral historian a unique role, and responsibility in this environment».

The project developed alongside 2 lines: an extensive oral history program focused on recording the experiences of first responders and a citywide photo documentary project intended to capture the the chaos left in Katrina’s wake. Selections from these projects form the core of Katrina + 5. Other items on exhibit include historical maps and documents exploring the history of tidal flooding and storm surge in New Orleans over the course of the past two centuries and a multimedia station featuring an interactive timeline. Slide shows from six of the oral histories featured in the exhibition can be seen on our You Tube channel, THNOCVIDEO.

All these aspects that help to furnish a faceted framework of the history of the natural catastrophe that hit the unprepared New Orleans, shows how it is possible to use the methodology of oral history for an analysis of an environmental disaster. The project is a report of Katrina starting from its formation to arrive to the social and environmental consequences.

Thinking of the possible applications of oral history in environmental communication could be very interesting to focus on memory of disasters, to learn from all that happened before, during and after the storm and to give significance of every human life.

For now we leave the question open, hoping to recall it again. What is sure is that THNOC, aware of the importance of historical memory and sensitive to environmental issues, is working to a new project “All things both great and small”, to document the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the wildlife of southeastern Louisiana throughput the interviews to people involved in the wildlife rescue operations.
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An institutional website on risk prevention for a public environmental communication

by Silvia Musso

French citizens have a new inter-ministerial website focused on environmental information of both natural and technological risks, www.risques.gouv.fr. The goal is raising awareness and preparing people to every risk situation in order that – as the press release of the Government’s Information Service quotes – the essential actions to guarantee an individual and collective protection would be better understood and more effectively applied.

The on line portal, very good structured, precisely classified different risks that citizens could face. The home page has a clear interface with, on the left, the list of risks divided for three categories: natural risks as hot, cold, avalanche, fires, earthquakes, etc., technological risks as industrial or nuclear accidents and risks for people’s health. For every kind of risk, there is a detailed file that provides information about the comprehension of the danger and about how to protect themselves before, during and after the hazardous situation. There are also examples of French history’s disasters and videos shown in a didactic way. The effective use of documentaries, which are explicit and immediate, and the description of a wide range of risks, are something new that distinguish it than to similar but more sectorial experiences, which exist in many other Countries, as the National Hurricane Center in the USA, the Environment Canada or many of the hydrological-weather services in the world referring in particular way to the climatic risk. Moreover the French portal offers a useful search that make you able to know the list of specific risks and at the voice “Info prevention” it is possible the download of a guidelines about how to face emergencies. It is an handbook, called “Soyez prets!” (Be ready!) to know how to behave in hazardous situations without being paralyzed by panic and to help themselves and the others.

According to Luca Mercalli, Italian climatologue and member of the AICA’s Scientific Committee: «This portal is a useful tool to create a common awareness on natural and industrial risks among citizens, even though, I think that, as all web products, it would work, at least in Italy, just on a little part of the population, culturally advanced. Many people would be excluding because they are not used to Internet».
This French model that, according to Mercalli, could be imported in our Contry, making for example the www.protezionecivile.it more useful, even being a very good starting point, would be still partial to make institutional communication on environmental risks in Italy really diffused and effective. More...

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A beach of crosses for the victims of oil

by Annalisa Audino

More than one month that occured the dreadful accident on the occasion of Earth Day to liners Deepwater Horizon of Transocean Ltd, caused by the company British Petroleum and deployed in the Gulf of Mexico: a slick extended far beyond the 160 km in front for 70 amplitude widening slowly the islands of Candles, environmental paradise off the Louisiana, and not only.
The concern for the consequences of the disaster is growing gradually and, in addition to the deaths of animals, the human victims and marine pollution and air, neighbouring the coasts are paying seriously the consequences of enlargement blot.

In tragedy, the advantage is that the world population is constantly informed, through television news and bulletins, on the activities of containment, for now useless: If oil will be prodded the Louisiana swamps, clean it will be virtually impossible, causing an incalculable disaster for nature reserves that humanity must absolutely discover. What is certain is that if the Deepwater Horizon was exploded in the Niger Delta, rather than off the coast of Louisiana, political and economic powers would be much less worried: «Incidents such this one in our country – told the Guardian writer of Ogoni Ben Ikari-ethnicity - occur every day, the difference is that no one speaks ».

In any case, even the civilian population remains helpless to watch: two cooperatives of Louisiana shrimp fishermen have begun a class action against oil platform managers and requested damages for at least 5 billion dollars.

At Grand Isle there was instead a symbolic Memorial Day to remember not the military victims, but the victims of this epochal environmental disaster. A hundred white crosses were raised on the beach, marked by the names of species killed by oil and by the same tasks that those beaches will no longer host: dolphins, trout, oysters as walks, lots of volleyball, and much more. «We want to send a clear message – said Patrick Shay, 43 years old and owner of a local restaurant – explaining that prevented us from fully live and use our world and our resources. Disappeared entirely. We have been abandoned».

Meanwhile, every hour, 33 thousand gallons of oil spill in the ocean, polluting further beaches and waters of the Gulf, as well as blocking inexorably all activities on the coast.

«If the British Petroleum not will give us the money to compensate our losses – says Jim King, 63 years old, historical owner of a campground and a kayak rental for the zone – there will be addressed in the streets: tourism, the real estate market, fisheries, everything was inexorably arrested and we don't know if anything would return to work. We are not financially motivated, we are well aware that the ecological damage is even more serious, but are jeopardising our existence ocn their financial calculations».

Also the State of Florida has banned fisheries and is suffering a significant damage to local tourist market, since all areas affected live thanks to millions of people every year they go on holiday on those beaches.

And who has not been directly affected, but knows the danger that hovers over the platforms, begins to worry: even if in Italy not discussed much, a dozen oil platforms are in use, a few miles from our shores. For now the Ministry of economic development has provided urgent controls and suspended all new permissions to drilling in Italian waters. The interests of oil giants are many especially in southern Italy: in Sicily for example the interest of Shell for possible new oilfield off the Egadi Islands (where it could be the biggest Italian field) joins the regasification terminal that should be built in the industrial area of Syracuse. However, in the archipelago is the marine reserve of the Egadi Islands, one of the largest in Europe, with a unique natural heritage.

Deepwater Horizon is going to teach us something? More...

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Deepwater Horizon: chronicle of an underestimated disaster

by Paolo Ghiga

The dreadful accident that occurred on the occasion of Earth Day to liners Deepwater Horizon of Transocean Ltd, managed by the company British Petroleum (BP) and deployed in the Gulf of Mexico became an environmental disaster which threatens to be the greatest of all time, with a slick extended far beyond the 160 km in front for 70 amplitude and widening slowly the islands of Candles, environmental paradise off the Louisiana.

The incident, due to a violent explosion and followed by a furious fire, involved 126 people, 11 of them have lost their lives while 17 were injured in a more or less serious. In a desperate race against time to stem the loss of crude oil into the sea, not decisive was the fleet of 32 ships sent by BP and flanked by 5 robot submarines, instructed to recap 3 holes opened up in the pipes of drilling. Also the subsequent attempt to spray 400 thousand liters of chemicals on the surface of the ocean to trap the crude proved futile. Within 24 hours, 3 holes located at about 1,500 m depth disperse in the Gulf of Mexico the equivalent of approximately 5,000 barrels.

The disaster Deepwater Horizon re-invents the problem of how to prevent such situations. The deterrent economic sanctions is not enough to raise the oil multinationals but also of all other industries that produce toxins and pollutants.
Since November 2008 environmental offenders are considered as a crime and then managed within the criminal code such as among the most serious crimes, no longer judged as crimes "inferior". The Seveso disaster, Porto Marghera, pollution of the Rhine by the Bayern, the explosion of Solvay soda factory in Bhopal, to arrive at Chernobyl and then to the present day, there are definitely volunteers, nor with malice, but represent a fault which must be from now on, rightly considered, evaluated and judged. Prize-winning Mechanisms (because of immunity, repentance industrious, reclamation and restoration) are also provided for those who activates and prevents or reduces environmental damage.
Once more, in front of the abundant legislating in this area and the ever increasing number of cases and problems require a work of communication, awareness and training, with instructional approaches, social level that point to make it clear that the environment is a right and duty of every citizen responsible.

Meanwhile the British Petroleum and the u.s. Government maintain a direct line that tells the evolution of disaster on the two most popular social network in the world Twitter and Facebook, harnessing the power and scope even YouTube and Flickr. It seems that this time the big multinationals do not wish to leave anything obscure but rather inform people.
It is stated in a press release of the company that ' in a crisis situation, social media represent the most effective way to reach people desirous of information through a direct communication, effective and updated, if necessary, minute by minute '. In this way the oil giant intends to prevent manipulations by media much more influential as television and print media, managing the information directly and without filters. But are the news carried objective? Has the British Petroleum found a way to trivializing a horrible event and cover its responsibilities shifting the attention of the public? More...

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Denied right to environmental information: voices from contaminated Russia

by Silvia Musso

Ulitsa Sadovaja has been just published. It is a book wanted by the Italian voluntary association “Mondo in Cammino” and edited by “Carlo Spera editore X MIC”, editor aimed to sustain works to denounce and raise awareness about the topic of nuclear.
The authors, Elisa Geremia and Veronica Franzon, are two young researchers who spent one month in Novozybkov, one of the Russian cities most contaminated by the explosion of the nuclear reactor of Černobyl in 1986. This passionate book, developed from their experience of research, contains many different voices who have found a space to express themselves. The situation of this town of the Russian province is introduced throughout the experiences of its witnesses, people who live there and have to daily face the risks leaded by radioactivity in a mixture of clashing feelings, such as resignation, anger, hope, indifference. Throughout the point of view of the anthropology of risk – the analysis of human behaviours and cultural constructions in situations of risk to overcome the limits of “technical” definitions of disaster given by geologists, physicists and engineers – the authors try to answer to some questions: why have not 40.000 inhabitants of the town been evacuated? What does daily contact with radioactivity mean? How is the contamination linked with the local culture and inhabitants’ habits? The situation they saw is characterised by a bad institutional and environmental information: «In the libraries of Novozybkov – the authors underline – there are ten years old reports. The press offers a specialised magazine, but it focuses most on pensions and indemnities. Medical information are difficulty found. In Russia “ecology” is still an unknown concept; in Novozybkov you speak of environment and you study the nuclear disaster of Černobyl as an event that belongs just to the past. There are no reflections and just empty memories and abstract commemorations remain. The State indifference, the weakening of international interests and the obscurantism of disaster’s consequences are making the story of Černobyl over», against the real awareness of radioactivity among the population.
Many hints are in the book: from the host project of children from Černobyl, to radioprotection courses for students and teachers – sort of environmental education to teach how to manage the daily life in a contaminated area – organised, with many difficulties, by local and international associations, to the environmental communication on nuclear in Russia, Europe and Italy.
About this last topic Massimo Bonfatti, president of “Mondo in Cammino”, claims: «Inside the contaminated areas the minimization of nuclear risks matches with the lack of attention towards the existing pathologies, interpreted as bad consequences of wrong stiles of life and not as immunodeficiency». About the right of the citizen to environmental information again Bonfatti says: «The discussion on nuclear has different points of view. “Mondo in cammino” thinks that it should be a favourite point of view: the citizen one, who has rights, duties and legitimacy to participate to the debate and choices. Democracy, transparency and information are main rights for citizens. And in nuclear these rights have been denied for 50 years. May 28th 1959, at the beginning of the programme “Atoms for Peace”, the World Health Organization adopted an agreement (law WHO 12-40) with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that subordinates the WHO to the decisions of IAEA, the main promoter of commercial nuclear. This agreement has allowed that all the dates, known by WHO, about medical consequences of nuclear disasters of last years have not been communicated. The agreement WHO/IAEA denies the right to information, founding principle of democracy».
To fight against the lack of information about nuclear question, “Mondo in cammino” is involved in the organisation of a raising awareness campaign sustaining the petition for the autonomy and independence of WHO by IAEA.
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Learning to communicate natural disasters

by Eleonora Anello

A different way to spend holidays: not only relaxing but also training and opportunities for comparison, and an original way to learn something about natural disasters.
The associations Apare (Association pour la Participation et l'Action Régionale) and GEC (Groupement Européen des Campus) have promoted for years these activities related to the heritage preservation and environment care. Both based in France, they have long experience in this area and since the Eighties organize campus aimed at volunteers from all over Europe and from the Mediterranean, to promote the participation and exchange and put to the fore some important issues like the conservation and the sustainable development.
This year there will also be some campus focus on natural disasters.
In Tétouan, Morocco, from 8 to July 29 the prevention of landslides will be discussed. Ideas will be proposed for the realization of tools for information on the risks associated with landslides direct to the local population, particularly to rural areas residents.
In the Bouches-du-Rhône and Vaucluse, in France, from 1 to September 19 will be addressed the subject of flooding, specifically how to raise awareness the citizens affected. Not how to design communication tools, but also how to increase environmental awareness among the citizens affected. The objective is to develop informational documents of scientific, technical and historical characteristics to promote solidarity and cooperation among citizens.
Finally, it is proposed campus on earthquakes, aimed at creating an educational places of the earthquake that struck in 1909 the French region of Lambesc. It caused 46 victims and some villages still bear the signs. A hundred years from that dramatic event, the idea is to propose a tourist journey in order to raise awareness among visitors about the risk of earthquake. Continuing the work undertaken in the laboratory last year, will be designed a layout for construction of a teaching guide intended for tourists who want to visit those places. The project will involve the authorities and local associations, including the BRGM (Research Institute of Earth Sciences).

All the campus on the prevention of natural risks are borne by the Council of the Region Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur and the French Ministry for ecology, sustainability, planning and development.
The invitation to participate is aimed primarily at students and young professionals with skills, interests or specific experiences as geology, architecture, eco-tourism, local development or communication.

They are also proposed 26 different work sites, focusing on the recovery of architectural and natural sites in Italy, France and Maghreb. Participants will have the opportunity to discover the rich local heritage, learn ancient techniques of construction and to live a human and cultural experience within international groups.
Further information on initiative and procedures for participation are available on the website or can be requested to apare@apare-gec.org.
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Can the Namazu save us from the earthquakes?

by Eleonora Anello

Earthquakes can not be expected but their devastating effects can be contained, especially through communication and information. The first step to prevent the massacres is to communicate which approach has to be taken in case of earthquake.
Japanese have understood it since many years: the anti-earthquake drills and mass propaganda implemented in a systematic manner by Japanese government are often seen by tourists as bizarre and folkloric behaviours, while on the contrary they represent the excellence in prevention and there is a "Japanese model" exported worldwide.
Large-scale information is made by using leaflets, manuals and comics; the creation of paths and clearly visible escape routes through signage and detailed planning of post-earthquake evacuations; the construction of seismically-safe structures and the distribution of survival kits in offices, homes and shops. Everyone has always at hand (pasted at the door or under the table) the famous "anti-earthquake kit" that allows to survive a few days under the rubble waiting for relief: it contains a radio, torches, gauzes, plasters, water, energy bars and a whistle to be found by rescuers.

It is known everywhere that the prevention of earthquakes is now part of Japanese culture. In all cities, for example, the prefectures have established pathways to be followed in case of emergency, indicated by a permanent marking. Citizens are organized by districts, and in case of catastrophic event, they know, without waiting for relief, the exact point where they can group together and wait for instructions.

Iconography-guide is represented by Namazu, a huge cat-fish that in Japanese mythology is able to rise earthquakes: the animal indicates the major arteries that, in the event of a disaster, will be closed to traffic and reserved to the circulation of means of assistance.

There is also a national system of warning signals, conveyed mainly by radio and TV, that is activated shortly before the expected earthquake. Finally, as far as the legislative level is concerned, in all real estate agencies there is a specific section which must explain to buyers the anti-seismic measures that equip the entire building. More...

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