Chemistry
The Sociology of Disasters: Vulnerability and Social Inequality
Quick fact
Globally, people living in poverty are disproportionately affected by disasters—in the 2010 Haiti earthquake, over 200,000 people died, while a similar-magnitude quake in Chile killed fewer than 600, a stark illustration of how vulnerability shapes disaster outcomes.
Why this is interesting
We often call them 'natural disasters,' but the damage they cause is anything but natural. Why did Hurricane Katrina devastate New Orleans's Lower Ninth Ward while wealthier areas recovered quickly?