Earthshaking reminders

The recent killer earthquake off the coast of Japan (which NASA said was so violent it may have shifted the earth’s axis) and the tsunami that followed will forever be etched in our collective memory. The earthshaking tragedy has got probably everyone pressing the panic button. Making the rounds or being passed from e-mail to e-mail is this “Triangle of Life” missive. For instance, to quote it verbatim: “If you are inside a vehicle, come out and sit or lie down next to it. If something falls on the vehicle, it will leave an empty space along the sides.”

A few years back, I received this letter from a reader and Sichuan earthquake survivor which I’m sharing here:

Hi, Ching!

Even geologists and engineers (UP graduates pa!) were fooled. I received Copp’s “Triangle of Life” from friends 4x since the Sichuan earthquake in 2008 (I was there).

You might want to post a disclaimer using the Phivolcs (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) material (attached). In the US, the basic earthquake safety response is called “Drop, cover, and hold on,” which the Phivolcs also recommends provided you are in a building built to withstand earthquakes of intensity 7 or more (I think the building code was revised after the Ruby towers collapsed in 1968). I wonder if the common subdivision house follows the code.

Best regards,

Romy Aquino

Yes, drop (to the ground before the earthquake drops you), (run for/take) cover by ducking under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on (to whatever you’re hanging on to) until the shaking stops.

Earthquakes happen without any early warning. US emergency management experts say that earthquakes may be so violent you cannot even run or crawl. Studies of earthquake-related injuries and deaths in the US show that you are much more likely to be injured by falling or flying objects than to die in a collapsed building. Thus, the advice “drop, cover, and hold on” offers the best possible protection in most situations.

The experts tell us that as practice makes perfect, we must arm ourselves by practicing how to drop, cover, and hold on at least once a year.

If you’re in a car, pull over to the side of the road and stay there until the earthquake stops. If you get out, you may risk being hit by another car.

And be prepared for the aftershocks. The bigger the quake, the bigger the aftershocks. If you’re on the beach and there’s an earthquake and you feel a tsunami is likely to occur, go to higher ground; don’t wait for any official warning as it may be too late.

Now, that you know what to do, here’s not what to do:

• First, do not believe in rumor mongers and doomsayers. Listen to the news and get your info from the authorities.

• Do not get in a doorway. It will not protect you from flying or falling objects. Get under a table instead.

• Do not run outside. Doing so is dangerous as the ground is moving and you can easily fall or be injured by debris, bricks, glass, or other building components. You are safer indoors, under a table.

• Do not believe the so-called “Triangle of Life” which recommends potentially life-threatening actions and whose source has been discredited by leading experts.

Stay safe, everyone — and don’t forget to pray!

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Say no to toxic chemicals

We received this news from our good friend Manny Calonzo of EcoWaste Coalition. Listen up, folks!

A citizens’ forum today pressed the national government to implement health-based policies that will cause the removal of priority toxic chemicals in everyday products and their replacement with safer alternatives.

The forum, organized by the EcoWaste Coalition, a toxic watchdog, sought drastic chemicals policy reforms amid growing concerns on the impacts of certain chemicals found in common consumer  products that could affect the ability of children to develop and reach their full potentials.

Visiting US-based public health expert Dr. Peter Orris spoke on the need to protect the most vulnerable sub-populations from being exposed to the most hazardous chemicals that can cause birth defects, impair brain development, disrupt hormonal functions, and trigger other serious ailments.

Among the chemicals of concern that Dr. Orris, a professor of internal and preventive medicine particularly environmental and occupational health sciences, identified in his talk are lead, mercury, phthalates, bisphenol A, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (flame retardant chemicals), perfluorinated compounds (water, stain, and grease repellant chemicals), organochlorine pesticides, and other persistent toxic chemicals.

Roy Alvarez, president of the EcoWaste Coalition, said: “We urge the Environment Department and other agencies to come up with strong health-based regulations against known toxic chemicals, starting with the Priority Chemicals List (PCL) that the Department itself has identified as posing unreasonable risk to public health, workplace and the environment.”

The PCL is composed of 48 chemicals, out of which only five have Chemical Control Orders (i.e., polychlorinated biphenyls, mercury and mercury compounds, asbestos, cyanide and cyanide compounds, and ozone depleting substances) that set gradual phase-out plan, restrict or limit the use or require substitution of the targeted chemicals. 

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We’d love to hear from you. E-mail us at ching_alano@yahoo.com.