A classic example of incompetent, disconnected government versus science and ingenuity. Unfortunately it cost 100+ people their lives. And if this earthquake predictive method works worldwide, at least hundred, if not thousands more, could be saved.
Scientist: My quake prediction was ignored
A researcher says he predicted Monday’s devastating earthquake that killed dozens of people and left tens of thousands homeless in central Italy, but authorities dismissed him as a scaremonger. Gioacchino Giuliani, an employee at a physics institute at Gran Sasso, near the badly-hit city of L’Aquila, has demanded an official apology for what he says was an unforgivable failure to act on his predictions.
“There are people who must apologize to me, and they must have the weight of what occurred on their conscience,” Giuliani said after the quake hit, according to local news site Ilcapoluogo.com.
Last month, vans with loudspeakers drove around the area broadcasting Giuliani’s warning after he claimed his method of predicting seismic events by radon gas emissions had forecast an imminent quake.
The scientist was reported to police for spreading false alarms and was made to remove his findings from the Internet. “They called me an imbecile,” he said…Giuliani said he was monitoring radon concentrations ahead of Monday’s quake, but knew the authorities would press charges against him if he repeated his warning.
Here’s the latest on the tragedy, with the death count (now at 150), hundreds missing, thousands homeless.
hussein’s admin gives $50,000 to italy
hussein’s admin gives $900,000 to hamas
see a pattern?
this POS in the oval office is evil.
I’m thinking of Oriana Fallaci, and all the reasons why socialism never works. It suppresses, even in it’s mildest states of governmental control.
This scientist was right except for one thing… they don’t owe him the apology, they owe the grieving mothers, fathers, siblings, friends and families of the lost and hurt.
I work in the field of hazard analysis and prediction… flood control, flood mapping, and dam safety and inspection. We are mandated in this country to temper our judgements, and at times to err on the side of safety is not a simple decision. It’s a little easier with dams, as you generally have time to understand the nature and extent of the hazard at hand, and the opportunity to dewater the impoundment if needed.
Seismic hazards can be so uncertain, and yet terribly catastrophic. My thoughts and prayers are with the Italian people. I can only hope that the work of this scientist does not go unnoticed, and is put into an applied process as appropriate.
Earthquakes are unpredictable except in broad terms and trends over periods spanning 1-140 years or so. Just look at the San Andreas in L.A. They say there is about 150 inches of stress built up in the “notch” in the fault where the crack heads west and then goes north. Nobody’s picking up and moving, even though we’ve been warned that any time from now to 30 years from now the ground is going to lurch about 12 feet or so. It’s going to generate an 8.3 to 9 or higher quake, and wipe out lots of property and likely kill a bunch of folks.
It’s interesting that the Italian government saw fit to suppress this guy, and down play any earthquake prediction. What would be the harm in letting the guy rant, and demand building code changes and the like. Nobody would really listen to him. Nobody takes it seriously. Just look around here. Yeah, we know it’s coming. We just got bigger fish to fry now, and we always will have. Until it really happens.
You’re right KAPS, Obama is an effing dirtbag. Coincidentally, this is the section of Italy my ancestors emigrated from 100 or so years ago during Teddy Roosevelt’s administration. I’m sure my grandparents would be proud to see such a noble and forthright fellow as Obama leading the country now…NOT!!!