When it comes to building a state-of-the-art earthquake early warning system, California is behind.
California and the U.S. have long neglected the development of such a system. The alarm system we do have still isn’t integrated into as much infrastructure as it might be. And the concept is still not universally understood by the public.
By contrast, earthquake early warning systems in Japan and Mexico are part of the fabric of daily life with the public understanding their lifesaving potential while accepting their inherent limits.
In Japan, earthquake early warnings have become well-integrated across society, with warnings automatically piped to cellphones, television and radio. In Mexico City, a ubiquitous network of sirens blares moments after a large temblor is detected to give residents time to seek safety before shaking arrives.
Print
As President Biden hoped, nations including Canada and Japan joined the U.S. in setting stronger goals at his climate summit. But China and India balked.
TOP STORIES
A New U.S. Climate Pledge, but Will the World Follow?
President Biden came into this week’s virtual climate summit with a goal of trying to reassure a skeptical world that the U.S. is back as a leader on the issue.
As the summit heads into its second and final day, Biden has appeared to have accomplished that. But the talks also revealed the limits of his ability to build support for the more aggressive action that experts say is needed.
It was a Tuesday exactly half a century ago, just after 6 a.m., and most of Los Angeles was dozing. The wake-up call lasted 12 seconds, registered 6.6 on the Richter scale, buckled buildings and killed 64 people.
Those who recall what is known as the Sylmar or San Fernando earthquake of 1971 describe the experience as if the ground is still shaking, with specific markers seared into their memories.
“Lots of broken glass in the kitchen, and the five-gallon Sparkletts bottle exploded on impact,” says Howard Cohen, who was 8 at the time and living in Lakeview Terrace. He recalls his bed moving during the initial quake and the aftershocks in the bedroom he shared with his grandmother.