Are the building codes for commercial real estate more stringent than private homes? I'm pretty sure, again quoting from memory, that earthquake-resistent codes in earthquake-prone areas of So. Cal. are among the best in the country.
Mark Lewack
Emergency Actions Coordinator
FSC, Security Services & Emergency Actions
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
202-606-5415/202-345-4640 (cell phone)
________________________________________
From: californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com [californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Robert Buerer [tktbob@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 3:23 PM
To: californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [californiadisasters] This Seems Foolish in Earthquake Country
Interesting, I was involved in the agricultural industry in the San Jouquin Valley until the mid 1980's. farmers had harnessed the water and electricity from the Sierra Nevada's. soon people migrated from the bay area to live on 'prime' agricultural land. as the cost of producing food increases, the higher the price in the market. now ag is being blamed for using too much water that the bedroom communities want. vicious cycle. tktbob
From: Rick Bates <HappyMoosePhoto@gmail.com>
To: californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 11:53 AM
Subject: RE: [californiadisasters] This Seems Foolish in Earthquake Country
Kylie,
I meant the remark to be flippant and amusing. However since the list is quiet and to flesh out my response to your comment:
Ecologically, it's better for the planet to condense and limit the human population to smaller areas in order to leave the greater area untouched. That means going back to cities and farmlands, each properly managed. It could actually improve the human chance for survival, but it isn't what most folks want. For species of animals (i.e. bison) and plants (entire forests), the western move of humanity was clearly a disaster. As humans are so destructive and tend to be slobs, it's better to write off smaller portions than the entire continent.
Currently Southern CA is an unnatural environment (and not just ecologically). Folks flocked there for the weather, it's a comfortable place. They planted miles of trees (oranges, avocados, nuts, olives etc.) and actually warped the weather patterns from the increased moisture from evaporation. When others discovered it was such a nice place to live, the orchards were cut down and houses built. This removed some of the evaporation from the lack of orchards and the weather pattern normalized. But the migration continued and more water and power was imported from outside the area ( Northern CA , Colorado River etc.). The impact exceeded the area built on because it extended the resource drain from outside that area. There isn't much left that is 'natural' in SoCal.
If Lakes Powell and Mead were removed, there would be no water or power for much of the Southwest which would force migration to other areas. I'd advocate cutting off the Northern CA water because shipping it south is impacting the north, a lot. But those actions would cause folks to move here, which I do NOT want; it's already too crowded here and the spread is impacting what nature is remaining here.
At this point, I'm willing to 'write off' the southwest CA (LA-SD) if it means folks STAY there instead of spreading out to destroy other areas. It seems a fair trade.
So build it tall, fill it up; just don't cry to me when it falls down from an earthquake and try to live within the current resource limitations (which are severe). I'll fight the southern attempts to glom onto more outside resources; it was the WRONG place to 'develop' and wasn't done with any care. The bad news for us northern types is that the south can easily out vote us and they also have a higher average income so they can spend more on politics (another 'problem' in CA that we won't discuss here).
My view may offend our members in the south, but as I can see it as an 'outsider' from the north, this is what I see. I want to contain the mess created there and not let it spread (build it higher instead). In the larger picture, spreading it would be a disaster. The core problem comes down to how humans see their place on the planet.
Since folks (with exceptions, some are on this list) won't reduce their resource demand, won't limit their reproduction, won't live in accord with the local environment and still presume that resources are unlimited; it doesn't look promising for humankind. Human ecological behavior is based on arrogance, misconceptions and outright lies (some segments of humanity used to do better, but those days are pretty much gone; those cultures have been reduced or replaced – ask Cat and Hardin for examples, they've experienced first hand).
Yes, that is a harsh sounding stance. But the more I observe, the more I learn and this is what I've seen/learned: We're dooming ourselves to extinction and running out of time to make a change. We need to reduce to survive or survival won't be possible.
Rick
Humans are the ONLY animal that hasn't learned to stop 'pooping' in their nest.
From: Kylie Johanson
High rise buildings are just a waste of space. Why not build more natural, resourceful things? You're right, Rick. More high rise buildings in CA is not a good idea. It sort of makes me mad.
Kylie Johanson
________________________________
From: Rick Bates
That'd be CA shake and bake.
Rick
Tiny iPhone keypad, sorry for typos
On Dec 20, 2011, at 4:01 AM, "Lewack, Mark A." <Mark.Lewack@opm.gov<mailto:Mark.Lewack%40opm.gov>> wrote:
>At least they won't have to go far to film the reincarnation of Towering Inferno <SMILE>.
>
>Mark A. Lewack
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