Daniel O’Connor reviews America’s New Map: Restoring Our Global Leadership in an Era of Climate Change and Demographic Collapse by Thomas Barnett (Penguin/Random House, 2023)
In his recently published book America’s New Map, Barnett refines and updates his prior theories and presents bolder and, some say, fantastical ideas that may strike some as grandiose. In contrast, others might find them visionary and thought-provoking.
By Daniel O’Connor
Are U.S.A. School Shootings Black Swans?
This article quantitatively analyzes risk of death by school shootings in the USA using data from 1900 to 2023 for the purpose of determining if school shootings are black swans.
By Ted G. Lewis
Daniel E. Levenson Reviews Deepfakes by Graham Meikle, Polity Press, 2023
The true threat at the heart of generative AI may lie not in the erosion of our ability to determine whether any one discrete image or video is real or not, but in finding ourselves in a place in which all norms around communication and our capability to navigate digital spaces have been completely undermined. It is not a pretty future, but it is one for which we must prepare, and Meikle’s book is a good place to start.
By Daniel E. Levinson
Nowhere to Run to, Nowhere to Hide: Disasters, Preparedness, and the Shadow of State Failure on U.S. Islands
I proffer that island residents’ very vulnerability, caused by geographic realities and their real or perceived exposure to hazards that are concomitant with state failure, triggers action to increase resiliency via shelter-in-place mitigation actions.
By Chris Ellis
From the CHDS Theses Executive Summaries
Outstanding Thesis Award Winner, March 2024
Canary in the Coal Mine: Animal Behavior Sounding the Alarm for Natural Disasters
The increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters due to climate change highlight the urgency for innovative forecasting methods. This thesis suggests leveraging animal behavior as bioindicators for improved forecasts, particularly for tropical cyclones and earthquakes. It proposes systematic research, advanced computational analysis, and ethical practices to enhance disaster prediction and preparedness.
By Serena Cheung
Outstanding Thesis Award Winner, March 2024
Improving Social Determinants of Health: A Case Study of Native American Communities Benefiting from Federal Funding
Native American tribes face historical and current challenges, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. This thesis analyzes ARPA funding’s impact on the social determinants of health, focusing on economic stability, education, healthcare, and community infrastructure. The study examines ARPA’s effects on the Navajo, Cherokee, and Choctaw Nations, emphasizing strategic fund allocation and equitable distribution issues.
By Kyle Dowdy
Global Pandemics are Extinction-level Events and Should not be Coordinated Solely through National or Jurisdictional Emergency Management
This article will make the case that global pandemics should not be in the planning, organization, equipping, training, and exercising responsibilities solely for emergency management entities – they need to be managed through a whole-of-government/whole-community approach using other management techniques.
By Michael Prasad
Examining Trends, Impacts, Drivers, and Policy Implications of Active School Shooter Incidents: A Research Overview
This essay reviews recently published academic research on active shooter incidents, with a focus on school shootings. To better understand the gaps in existing research, it is necessary to examine the trends, drivers, impacts, and policy implications of active shooter incidents.
By Mollie Mercado
Incorporating Disability, Accessibility, and Functional Needs Populations in Hospital Emergency Planning: A New York City Case Study
This essay seeks to explore the gap in healthcare emergency planning that exists when considering Disability, Access, and Functional Needs (DAFN) populations.
By Rosemary McDonnell
