In the Wake of Sea Level Rise

In 2011, Japan was rocked by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake. It triggered a tsunami that measured 130 feet high – killing around 18,000 people and causing untold damage. Tina Dura and Robert Weiss say sea level rise will now allow even weaker earthquakes to cause tsunamis with similar destruction.

It’s been many years since the West Coast was hit by major tsunami. The last time was in Alaska in 1964. Are we prepared for the next big one?

Sea level rise is also endangering white cedar trees. Rob Atkinson and Linda Manning run the Fear to Hope project, which gets high school students out in the field to help protect white cedar trees from extinction.

Liesel Ritchie and Duane Gill have gone around the world, talking with people who’ve had their lives upended by oil spills. They say we process the emotional trauma of natural disasters differently than man-made disasters.

Disasters often hit historically marginalized communities the hardest. Nakeina Douglas-Glenn is the Director of the Research Institute for Social Equality. She’s helping to ensure equitable outcomes for vulnerable communities impacted by disaster.