Donald J. Zeigler

Evacuation from a Nuclear Technological Disaster

unique peacetime technological disaster occurred in northeastern United Ag States in the spring of 1979: an accident in a nuclear-generating plant. Because of the proliferation of nuclear power plants throughout the world, the possibility of comparable disasters elsewhere increases. We chose to examine one aspect of the 1979 American disaster: evacuation of the affected population. The nuclear accident at Three Mile Island (TMI) near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, March 28, 1979, dramatically emphasized the need to broaden the range of evacuation studies to include technological disasters, particularly ones of nuclear origin. The crisis at Three Mile Island provided the first opportunity for an empirical examination of the evacuation process in the aftermath of an unexpected and unprecedented nuclear disaster. We used it as a case study in order to seek a foundation for geographical research in the nascent field of evacuation behavior and planning in response to technological disasters. Our objectives are to identify the spatial and temporal dimensions of evacuation behavior among TMI residents, to offer a conceptual model of evacuation-decision making in response to a nuclear disaster, and to suggest the role for geographers in evacuation planning. Because of the uniqueness of the case study, we offer generalizations and models to explain the decision-making process for nuclear evacuation not as definitive conclusions but rather as hypotheses for future studies. Joseph Hans and Thomas Sell compiled a list of more than 500 natural and technological disasters that required evacuation during the period 1960 to 1973.1 Their figures indicated that an average of almost 90,000 persons per year were forced to evacuate their homes because of hurricanes, floods, train derailments

Post-communist Eastern Europe and the cartography of independence

Abstract The collapse of Communism in the USSR and Eastern Europe between 1989 and 1991 was followed by a decade of new-found independence for two groups of states: (1) the former Soviet Socialist Republics of the USSR, and (2) the former Communist states of Eastern Europe, all but two of which were Soviet satellites. As part of an effort to redefine their character and relative location on the European stage, almost all of these states launched a cartography of independence, putting the world on notice that a new set of geographical realities had taken hold of the region. During the 1990s, maps were requested from each country’s embassy in Washington, DC; 15 of the 19 embassies responded, usually with multiple maps. Using perception theory, communication theory, and semiotic theory, these cartographic artifacts, some of which are presented in this article, were analyzed with the objective of understanding how each country wished to present itself in the post-Communist era. Through the lens of persuasive cartography, we are able to note the nation-building process at work and the emergence not only of newly independent countries but of a new Europe.

DISTINGUISHING HUMAN RESPONSES TO RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCIES

Inherent in the revised emergency planning regulations recently issued by the federal government is the assumption that people will follow official protective action advisories during a nuclear reactor accident. In this paper the authors argue that this is an unrealistic assumption and present empirical evidence which supports the proposition that a radiological emergency in likely to give rise to a high degree of extreme public behavior. Their analyses indicate that less than one-third of the households on Long Island are likely to follow instructions in the event of an accident at the Shoreham Nuclear Power Station. Among the families who would not follow instructions, some would underreact but most would overreact. Perceived distance from the plant and age of household head appear to be the strongest discriminators among those who are most likely to follow orders, those most likely to underreact, and those most likely to overreact. Implications for radiological emergency preparedness and response planning are discussed. 71 references, 3 figures, 8 tables.

Human settlements in sparsely populated areas: a conceptual overview with special reference to the U.S.

No territory is so small or remote today that it has no value.… The remote pioneer of today may be at the centre of a howling activity tomorrow.

Information Planning and the Geographical Context of Radiological Emergency Management

This paper addresses four specific research questions, derived from testimony presented in two recent nuclear power plant licensing cases in the USA, regarding the roles of emergency information and federally mandated nuclear public education programmes in the management of future radiological emergencies, particularly with respect to human spatial behaviour. It draws upon the findings of studies conducted in the aftermath of the Three Mile Island and Chemobyl disasters. Contrary to the contentions of nuclear utilities and their expert witnesses, and to the assumptions underlying the official policy of the federal agency responsible for the licensing of civilian reactors in the USA, we conclude that the informational context of an accident will not be the main determinor of human behaviour in future nuclear power plant emergencies. Therefore, emergency managers must be more realistic in their nuclear reactor accident information planning.

Post-Chernobyl Nuclear Reactions in the USA

This paper contains an assessment of the impact of the Chernobyl disaster on US civilian and military nuclear programs. Specific attention is devoted to the major policy changes sought by federal nuclear regulatory agencies, the US Congress, state and local governments hosting nuclear installations, and the nuclear industry in the twelve-month period following the April 1986 accident in the Soviet Ukraine.

Advanced Placement® Human Geography: Looking Back and Looking Ahead.

ABSTRACT Over the past fifteen years, AP Human Geography has grown in numbers and spread to almost every state. This article synopsizes the early history of the subject, summarizes the course and the exam, highlights positive impacts on the discipline of geography, and focuses on the following three issues: teachers who come to the course having majored in other subjects, the large numbers of students taking the exam as ninth graders, and the need to incorporate more geospatial technologies and critical geography into the course outline.

Critical Atlas Reviews: Writing to Learn About Maps

Writing critical reviews of thematic and general reference atlases can provide a professional writing experience for students in both introductory and advanced cartography classes. The rationale for assigning critical atlas reviews, a set of objectives for the assignment and a list of questions to distribute to students are presented herein.

Visualizing the Dead: Contemporary Cemetery Landscapes

Cemeteries are repositories of cultural information which offer clues to a society’s perspective on life and death. Over the past several decades, cemetery landscapes have become more secular, graphic and personalized. Industrial era cemetery landscapes with their emphasis on conformity are giving way to post-industrial landscapes with their emphasis on individuality, unique accomplishments, and the looser norms that bind together our everyday worlds. A four-part model is proposed as a lens through which to analyze cemetery landscapes. It focuses attention on four elements the burial zone, the grave marker, the contiguous zone, and the land use zone. Evidence of change in cemetery environments is drawn largely from grave markers (permanent records of a person’s life) and contiguous zones (ephemeral records that change and disappear) as they have been photographically documented in cemeteries across the U.S. and Canada (14 states and 2 provinces). In addition to municipal and church cemeteries, evidence is also presented from a family cemetery, a tribal cemetery, and a national cemetery. Increasingly common in cemeteries are more fully developed biographies of the deceased, more expressions of visual artistry, and more secular images (including references to education, work, tools, possessions, avocations, and organizational memberships). Religiosity, family relationships, and mournful good-byes remain the subject of many grave markings. Humor is still rare, but increasing. Traditional values, changing cultural attitudes and new technologies are driving these trends. Finally, the reader is pointed to a post-cemetery age in which cremation and ex-situ memorialization are increasingly common.

A Review of “The Blackwell Companion to Globalization”

The Blackwell Companion to Globalization’s purpose is embedded in its title. It is designed to be a companion for anyone studying globalization. To fulfill that goal, the editor, George Ritzer (of McDonaldization fame) has assembled a team of his companions to be your companions. They constitute some of the social scientists who have emerged as premier authorities, even pioneers, in clarifying what globalization means for society and culture. Professor Ritzer divides the chapters into three sections. The first constitutes a largely theoretical/methodological introduction, the second offers an assessment of nineteen “major domains” (e.g., consumer culture, ideology, religion, sport, public health, etc.), and the third a treatment of major issues. Ritzer, however, acknowledges that it is not easy to distinguish between domains and major issues. In fact, the division makes little sense. The chapter on “Globalization and the Agrarian World,” for instance, provides coverage of a domain, but not a word is said in the book’s third part about any issues related to agriculture. Conversely, the chapter on sexuality is catalogued under major issues, as if the topic constituted only a problem and not a broad area of inquiry. It may not matter, however, because most users of this book will consult individual chapters rather than linearly progressing through the entire 700-page tome. Or, they will read the introduction to each part, in which the editor not only summarizes the articles but adds his own critique and (delightfully!) never hesitates to let the reader know if there is something in the chapter with which he disagrees. If this book is at the table with you as your companion, whose voices will you hear and whose voices will be absent? Of the fifty authors who have contributed to the book, thirty-two are sociologists. The voice of one geographer, Peter Dicken, is heard in the chapter on TNCs (transnational corporations), but his insistence that geography matters, even in the face of globalization, seems to have had little impact on the thinking of other authors. Here is a book about globalization that seems to be rather placeless in its coverage of an -ization that it criticized for leading to a world of placelessness. For instance, only seven cities are listed by name in the 36-page index even though it is the world cities network that seems to be the purveyor of globalizing impulses. Likewise, no essay tries to assess the scale of globalization, or how deeply globalization networks have penetrated the most distant domains of our planet. And finally, it is almost inconceivable that a twentyfirst century book on globalization could not address the role of geospatial technologies in enabling, charting, and analyzing global patterns, networks, and trends. Only as information systems (addressed in the book as ICT) have become geographic information systems (GIS) have we had the tools to study the globe globally. It is in GIS, the global positioning system, and satellite remote sensing that the future study of globalization will reside. Nevertheless, at least a few geographers’ voices do figure in the literature that has informed some of the chapters (the three Peters: Hall, Dicken, and Taylor, plus David Harvey), which is more than can be said for the voices of historians. Although the generalization may be too broad: most authors imagine globalization to have begun in the 1990s with the collapse of Soviet communism. If the book needs anything, it needs a firm grounding in space and time. It needs the perspectives of geographers and historians. With this book on your desk, who else will not be among your companions? Most “others.” Of the fifty chapter authors, seven are women and only three are first or primary authors. Furthermore, all of the authors (except two from Germany) are ensconced in universities of the Anglophone North, only three of whom appear to have roots in the global south (China, India, Iran). Perhaps, as a consequence, there seems to be little religious diversity among the authors, which matters only because religion seems to be a critical actor in the globalization arena. Where does the book’s index direct you if you look up Islam? Islam and its diffusion have entries of their own, followed by: anti-Western feelings in Islamic countries, conflict with the West, Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic terrorists, and Islamic threat. In addition, minority voices are largely absent: one reference to indigenous peoples in the entire volume, no mention of linguistic diversity/extinction, and scant attention to any issues related to cultural survival. One wishes for more anthropologists in the mix of companions. The voices that do emanate from between the covers of The Blackwell Companion to Globalization are important voices, however. They cannot be ignored because of their standing in the community of scholars and because the team has done some things very well. First, taken as a whole, the literature on globalization has been reviewed with care and criticality. Those compiling literature reviews for a topic related to globalization will want to consult this volume. Second, lots of topics are of broad scholarly and popular interest. Peter Manicas’ chapter on globalization and higher education should be read by all educators, and George Ritzer and Craig Lair’s chapter on outsourcing offers an exceptionally clear overview of a process that concerns us all. Third, for those who love language, use this volume to make a list of new words and phrases that are competing to be signifiers of globalization/antiglobalization: globophobia, cosmopolitanization, the organic glocal, borderless diseases, deterritorialization, transnational