Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Truth or Lie?


TRUTH OR LIE?
by Antonio C. Antonio
August 5, 2014

Typhoon Yolanda (or Typhoon Haiyan) is the strongest recorded tropical cyclone (in terms of wind speed) to make landfall (Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Philippines) in recent history.  It devastated portions of Southeast Asia most particularly the Philippines.  The typhoon battered the City of Tacloban, Leyte where human fatality was highest… at least 8,000 people were killed.

A month after Typhoon Yolanda, an on-line discussion was conducted by students of environment and natural resources management of UP Open University to intelligently assess what happen.  What started as a friendly sharing of highly technical information turned out to be a heated debate especially when it came to the terminology used by government in warning the residents of the most-likely areas to be affected by the typhoon.  The debate revolved around the propriety of using two related (in nature and effect) but, at the same time, different (in origin and character) terms --- “storm surge” and “tsunami”.

“A storm surge is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low pressure weather systems (such as tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones), the severity of which is affected by the shallowness and orientation of the water body relative to storm path, and the timing of tides.  Most casualties during tropical cyclones occur as the result of storm surges.  The two main meteorological factors contributing to a storm surge are a long fetch of winds spiralling inward toward a storm, and a low-pressure-induces dome of water drawn up under and trailing the storm’s center.  The second effect is responsible for destructive meteotsunamis associated with the most intense tropical systems.”  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_surge)  On the other hand, “A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally an ocean or a large lake.  Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier “calvings” (Meaning: Breaking off of chunks of ice at the edge of a glacier.), meteorite impacts and other disturbances above and below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami)

Part of the on-line group argued that the national and local governments should have used the term “tsunami” which is a relatively popular and understood word than “storm surge” that most are unfamiliar with... and the unfamiliarity with the term “storm surge” caused people not to take the warning seriously.  Their argument was anchored on the possibility of saving more lives.  The other group, however, stood strongly on moral high grounds and insisted on telling the truth (therefore, “storm surge”) no matter what.  The debate ended in a stalemate.

Allow me to throw this matter in the air or, more appropriately, cyberspace for everyone to ponder about and guide us next time.  In cases like this, what do we do?... tell the truth or lie?

Just my little thoughts…

(Please visit, like and share Pro EARTH Crusaders and Landscape Ecology UPOU on Facebook or follow me at http://antonantonio.blogspot.com/ )


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