Category: Policy

Why Continuing Military Aid to Ukraine is Necessary for Planetary Survival

Why Continuing Military Aid to Ukraine is Necessary for Planetary Survival

02/24/23

“Why is continuing military aid to Ukraine necessary for planetary survival?”

One year has now passed since the Russian State launched its genocidal invasion of Ukraine. Since then, hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost and over 12 million people have been displaced from their homes. However, the resilience of the Ukrainian people has not stopped. The country has taken back over half of its land stolen by Russia and has become a beacon to democracy ever.

Authoritarian leaders see Ukraine as a threat. If Russia is stopped, then invasions for territory will stay unpopular and absolute rule will be seen as inferior to fair and equal treatment of citizens. While many are beginning to have second thoughts about sending weapons, it’s important to step back and consider Why Continuing Military Aid to Ukraine is Necessary for Planetary Survival.

As a proud descendant of Jews from Odesa, I urge you to please do what you can to help Ukrainians under invasion right now here.

Why Earthquake Planners Should Consider Aftershocks

Why Earthquake Planners Should Consider Aftershocks

02/20/23

“Why should earthquake planners consider aftershocks?”

Earthquakes are made much more dangerous with aftershocks. Infrastructure that may have affected survived the first round of shaking will be decimated by the next. If earthquake planners take aftershocks into account, cities can avoid much of the pain associated with these events. Possible implementations include designing buildings to withstand earthquakes far beyond what is expected and incorporating redundancy in edifice design. This is Why Earthquake Planners Should Consider Aftershocks.

As of writing, victims of the 2023 Türkiye – Syria earthquake are continuing to face great difficulties in their daily life. To make a difference, please make a donation to organizations such as the Syrian White Helmets and the Anatolian Arts Institute Earthquake Relief Fund. My friends are also connecting donations to small municipalities and vetted organizations through the venmo account @earthquake-relief. Anything you send will go a long way.

Why The 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes Are Leaving Scores of People Homeless

Why The 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes Are Leaving Scores of People Homeless

02/19/23

“Why are the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes Leaving Scores of People Homeless?”

The 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes have demolished much of the built environments in both countries. Many people are now forced to find shelter because their homes have been shaken to the ground. This has been a feature of past earthquakes in Türkiye. In 1999, the Izmit Earthquake left over a quarter-million people homeless. This is Why The 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes Are Leaving Scores of People Homeless.

Why the Richter Scale Is Not Always the Best Way to Measure Earthquakes

Why the Richter Scale Is Not Always the Best Way to Measure Earthquakes

02/18/22

“Why is the Richter Scale not always the best way to measure earthquakes?”

The Richter scale is one of the most common ways to measure earthquakes around the world. It’s based on taking the logarithm of the maximum amplitude of a seismic wave. However, this doesn’t capture what makes an earthquake so drastic. First of all, it doesn’t look into how continuous shaking over a longer period of time may cause intense pain. Also, The Richter scale measures earthquake from 0 to 10, and anything above 10 and below 2 is usually not well captured. Furthermore, it doesn’t look into how large the surrounding population is and how fragile is local infrastructure. A quake of a smaller magnitude can cause more damage if there are more people and buildings are in worse shape. This is Why the Richter Scale Is Not Always the Best Way to Measure Earthquakes.

Why Earthquake Safety Instructions are Important for Students

Why Earthquake Safety Instructions are Important for Students

02/17/23

“Why is it important for students to learn about earthquake safety?”

Countries all over the world are prone to earthquakes, from the Bosphorus to the San Francisco Bay. These disasters can strike at any time and wreak havoc on the community. Children are especially vulnerable to these events. To help prepare them, they need to learn about how to respond to earthquakes in school. This is Why Earthquake Safety Instructions are Important for Students.

Why the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquake Is Leading to a Disease Outbreak

Why the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquake Is Leading to a Disease Outbreak

02/15/23

“Why is the 2023 Türkiye–Syria leading to a disease outbreak?”

Infrastructure across Southeastern Türkiye and Northwestern Syria has been pulverized by the 2023 earthquake. Water sanitation has been no exception. As clean water has been made undeliverable, survivors are finding it hard to wash themselves and stay away from diseases. In addition, the little local water people are able to find is likely not purified and full of pathogens and parasites. Pulling everything together, it’s clear Why the 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquake Is Leading to a Disease Outbreak.

As of writing, victims of the earthquake are continuing to face great difficulties in their daily life. To make a difference, please make a donation to organizations such as the Syrian White Helmets and the Anatolian Arts Institute Earthquake Relief Fund. My friends are also connecting donations to small municipalities and vetted organizations through the venmo account @earthquake-relief. Anything you send will go a long way.

Why it is Difficult to Deliver Earthquake Relief Aid to Syria

Why it is Difficult to Deliver Earthquake Relief Aid to Syria

02/13/23

“Why is it difficult to deliver earthquake relief aid to Syria?”

The Northwestern Syrian province of Idlib has been a warzone for over a decade now. The Assad regime and Russia’s bombing campaigns have forced over 4.1 million Syrian civilians to flee to this patch of rebel-held territory. The recent (as of writing) earthquake has only made matters worse. While there is a strong desire to send aid, delivering it is greatly difficult. Why is this so?

To understand, we need to learn a bit about the ongoing civil war and genocide in Syria. The Assad regime considers any international aid being brought from other countries such as Türkiye to be a violation of its sovereignty. Currently, there is only one border pass, Bab al-Hawa, where aid is allowed to flow through. The Assad regime’s backers, Russia and China, have used their veto powers at the U.N. Security Council to block more aid routes into Syria from Türkiye.

When the earthquake struck, the road through the crossing border was severely damaged. This is Why it is Difficult to Deliver Earthquake Relief Aid to Syria. With the cold winter in place, please make a donation to the Syrian White Helmets.

Türkiye’s Earthquake Tax

Türkiye’s Earthquake Tax

02/11/23

“Why does Türkiye have a special earthquake tax and how can you help recovery efforts?”

In 1999, a devastating earthquake near Istanbul claimed the lives of more than 17,000 people in Türkiye. To fund future recovery work, the government introduced a special earthquake tax called the Special Communications Tax. By charging a fee on the use of internet and mobile phone telecommunications, Türkiye’s Earthquake Tax has raised (adjusted for inflation) over $36 billion in a fund.

As of writing, there is no strong signal that the Erdoğan regime is using this funding for recovery work. To make a difference, please make a donation to ahbap, the Syrian White Helmets and the Anatolian Arts Institute Earthquake Relief Fund. My friends are also connecting donations through the venmo account @earthquake-relief.

Why Türkiye’s Construction Spree Led to Such Devastating Earthquake Damage

Why Türkiye’s Construction Spree Led to Such Devastating Earthquake Damage

02/10/23

“Why did Türkiye’s construction spree lead to such devastating earthquake damage?”

The massive February 6th earthquake in Türkiye has speared widespread devastation across the country. Thousands of buildings and lives have been lost in an almost infinitesimal amount of time. Builders that were thought to be up to code had their reputations shattered along with their edifices. But what exactly laid the foundation for this catastrophe to happen?

To answer, we have to turn the clocks back to 2003. A new political party under the helm of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was brought to power. Vowing to bring a new era to the Republic, Erdoğan decided to physically transform the country and economy with a construction spree. To hasten pace and strengthen his rule, Erdoğan granted infrastructure projects to allies and allowed them to cut safety corners. This led to scores of buildings being built without proper earthquake resilience. The mirage came tumbling down with the quake’s shaking. This is Why Türkiye’s Construction Spree Led to Such Devastating Earthquake Damage.

With the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, please make a donation to ahbap, the Syrian White Helmets and the Anatolian Arts Institute Earthquake Relief Fund.