Public Safety Signals

Technological Disasters

2010 Jul 14 Posted by Charles

As technology advances at warp speed, have we taken the time to ensure a commensurate disaster response and recovery to our astounding technological advances? Deep sea drilling is one example where our advances may have far surpassed our response and recovery capabilities. The ongoing catastrophe in the Gulf was caused by just one of thousands of deep sea wells and one that isn’t even the deepest oil well in the seas!

A recent article on technology and disasters discusses the impact that hubris might have on the current Gulf oil spill catastrophe. Aside from safety often being a secondary consideration, as we advance technologically I wonder if we have taken the time to consider the impact of our advances on the planet. It isn’t a far stretch of the imagination for me to see how the current massive Gulf oil leak, unabated, could have dire consequences for the world’s oceans and ecosystems. Are we experiencing the height of hubris in our belief that we have mastered technology? Do we even care or is our preparedness something that is best left as an afterthought. Then, as the article suggests, we can lament that we should have seen that disaster coming!

July 14, 2010 | Filed under: Capella, Capella University, Charles Tiffin, Public Safety Signals, Public safety, disaster, homeland security, online college, online degrees, online university
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