Social-Ecological-Technological Effects of Hurricane María on Puerto Rico : Planning for Resilience under Extreme Events / by Ariel E. Lugo.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lugo, Ariel E., author.

Contributor:

SpringerLink (Online service)

Series:

Energy (Springer-40367)

Energy analysis 2191-7876

Energy Analysis, 2191-7876

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Energy security.

Urban geography.

Sustainable development.

Urban ecology (Biology).

Political planning.

Energy Security.

Urban Geography / Urbanism (inc. megacities, cities, towns).

Sustainable Development.

Urban Ecology.

Public Policy.

Local Subjects:

Energy Security.

Urban Geography / Urbanism (inc. megacities, cities, towns).

Sustainable Development.

Urban Ecology.

Public Policy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (XIV, 112 pages) : 26 illustrations, 16 illustrations in color.

Edition:

First edition 2019.

Contained In:

Springer eBooks

Place of Publication:

Cham : Springer International Publishing : Imprint: Springer, 2019.

System Details:

text file PDF

Summary:

This book deals with the immediate effects of, and response to, Hurricane María on the social, ecological, and technological systems (SETS) of Puerto Rico. The SETS approach to analyzing hurricane effects places into historical context the role of social and technological factors, and compares social and ecological resilience on the same temporal scales. Written from the perspective of a Puerto Rican scientist who experienced Maria's wrath first-hand, the book uses extensive empirical knowledge of the ecological effects of hurricanes on Caribbean forests and combines that knowledge with a detailed analysis of the effects of Hurricane María on the social and technological fabric of Puerto Rico. The comparison suggests that the effects of extreme events are dictated not only by the strength of the physical event, but also by the conditions of affected SETS at the time when the event exerts influence over them. Moreover, SETS have historical legacies that influence how resilient they can be when affected by an extreme event. Therefore, preparation and response to extreme events require an integrated social, ecological, and technological effort, known as the SETS response. The SETS response requires an understanding of the energetics of extreme events and their effects on the economy, which in turn determines social and technological resilience. Hurricane María demonstrated that the social and technological systems of Puerto Rico were not adapted to dealing with extreme events, in contrast with the ecological systems, which were. Hurricane María's effect on Puerto Rico can be used as an example from which valuable lessons emerge for making SETS more adaptable and resilient to extreme events.

Contents:

Preface

Summary

Introduction

Pre-María

Immediate Social and Technological Effects

Immediate Ecological Effects

Recovery and Long-Term Effects

Vulnerability of Puerto Rico to Hurricanes

Roots of Puerto Rico's Vulnerability to Hurricanes

Out of Control Capitalism

Unacceptable Behaviors

Failures of Local Elites

Corruption Schemes

Fundamental Lessons of Hurricane María

Looking to 2080: A New Puerto Rico

María and Puerto Rico as an Experiment

The Energetics of Disturbances and Extreme Events

Acknowledgments

List of Figures

Appendix 1. My report to the U.S. Forest Service Washington Office

Appendix 2. Facebook posting by scientist Whendee Silver

Appendix 3. A poem to hurricane Maria by Institute employee Maria Milagros Rivera

Appendix 4. A remembrance by Gabriela Morales, a senior Biology student at the University of Puerto Rico

Appendix 5. Huracán María - El Tallonal, Bitácora by Abel Vale, President of Citizens for the Karst

Appendix 6. El huracán María desde el Bo. Piñales de Añasco y sus efectos en los Bosques del noroeste de Puerto Rico by Oscar J. Abelleira Martínez

Appendix 7. A Puerto Rican on the mainland: What you can learn from a disaster (when you are lucky not to actually be in one) by Tischa Muñoz Erickson

Appendix 8. A vision for the future of Puerto Rico articulated in 2005 by the Environmental Council of Governor Sila María Calderón.

Other Format:

Printed edition:

ISBN:

978-3-030-02387-4

9783030023874

OCLC:

1078636425

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.