Dispersants and Risk Communication

Risk communications is a research area of the social sciences which is closely associated with human dimensions and external communications. External communications, traditionally in the purview of public affairs, may have multiple purposes including influencing public beliefs, opinions, and judgments about the incident. There are many approaches toward risk communications. Some of them focus on improving the way external communications about risks are conducted, e.g., developing better messages, and some focus on the content of risk communications, that is, sharing technical information to support the assessment of the potential for risks

Participatory Conservation of Coastal Habitats: The Importance of Understanding Homeowner Decision Making to Mitigate Cascading Shoreline Degradation

Along densely populated coasts, the armoring of shorelines is a prevalent cause of natural habitat loss and degradation. This article explores the values and decision making of waterfront homeowners and identifies two interlinked and potentially reversible drivers of coastal degradation. We discovered that: (1) misperceptions regarding the environmental impacts and cost-effectiveness of different shoreline conditions was common and may promote armoring; and (2) many homeowners reported only altering their shorelines in response to damage caused by armoring on neighboring properties. Collectively, these findings suggest that a single homeowner’s decision may trigger cascading degradation along a shoreline, which highlights the necessity of protecting existing large stretches of natural shoreline. However, our study also found that most homeowners were concerned with environmental impacts and preferred the aesthetics of natural landscapes, both of which could indicate nascent support and pathways for conservation initiatives along residential shorelines

Social Impacts Of Hurricane Katrina On Displaced K-12 Students And Educational Institutions In Coastal Alabama Counties: Some Preliminary Observations

Hurricane Katrina devastated communities along the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama Gulf coast. Over 300,000 students were displaced and evacuees relocated throughout the United States. K-12 schools in Mobile and Baldwin counties, situated along coastal Alabama, hosted 3,681 students from the devastated areas. From an analysis of quantitative data and qualitative information obtained from school personnel, we summarize problems and issues that characterized displaced students, families, and host schools. Suggestions for immediate and long-term support for host K-12 schools and displaced families are provided along with suggestions for future research