Violent nature
The Violent Nature debate will deal with the role of social networks during disasters. Professor John Preston, who is based at the University of East London’s Cass School of Education, will debate at the Cambridge Festival of Ideas that Twitter and Facebook have been credited with being able to pick up advance signals of disasters.
Volcanoes, tsunamis and earthquakes do untold damage around the world from Haiti to Japan. Can governments, scientists and aid agencies manage the risks of living in potentially lethal locations?
Facilitator:
James Randerson, Guardian Science and Environment Editor
Speakers:
-Professor John Preston (Global Uncertainties researcher)- Researcher in evacuation planning and preparedness, University of East London
-Professor James Jackson - Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge
-Daniel Walden - Policy Adviser for Disaster Risk Reduction, Save the Children UK
-Dr Andrew Collins (Global Uncertainties researcher)- Reader and Director of the Disaster and Development Centre, Northumbria University