Huracn Sandy y el cambio climtico | Hurricane Sandy’s lessons about climate change

by Guest Blogger

November 9, 2012

Volunteers, Rosina left and Greenpeace organizer Carolyn Auwaerter right, make soup for residents at a donation collection/distribution center in the Rockaways days after Hurricane Sandy, where residents are still living with out power, heat, and other basic services.

See English translation below

La gente esta echa loca y no es para ms, muchas de ellas han perdido sus casas, pertenencias y hasta miembros de su familia. El sonido de las ambulancias y de los helicpteros se escucha por todas partes, en las gasolineras la gente se pelea y hacen filas con sus coches para obtener unos litros de gasolina, es increble pues el otro da cont hasta 50 coches obstruyendo las calles.

Llegue a la ciudad de New York y no pens encontrarme con tal desastre, no es lo mismo ver las noticias de el huracn Sandy o de cualquier otro fenmeno natural que afecta ciudades a que la gente te cuente con su viva voz sus experiencias. Por ejemplo me encontr con una familia mexicana que me conto como tuvieron que salir nadando de sus casas mientras el huracn las destrua. El rostro de la gente es desolador, hay tristeza e impotencia en ellos pero a pesar de todo esto luchan da a da para recuperar la ciudad donde viven.

Es impresionante como llega gente de todos lados, voluntarios que ofrecen su tiempo y todo lo que pueda servir para ayudar. El trabajo es duro y cansado, pero no da tiempo de pensar en el dolor fsico, es ms importante limpiar lo que el huracn dejo a su paso.

Cada da hay personas nuevas montando cocinas improvisadas en la calle, personas que viajan muchos kilmetros para dejar ropa, zapatos, comida y cosas que otras personas puedan ocupar. El hablar espaol ha ayudando bastante pues hay familias que necesitan cosas pero no hablan ingls. El trabajo de cada da es distinto, Unos das te toca estar esperando por dos o tres horas tu turno para comprar gasolina, otros cocinar o limpiar lugares pblicos como gimnasios para poder montar acopios pues hay mucha ayuda y poco espacio.

Nosotros nos instalamos en una parte de NY que se llama Rockaway y prstamos a un centro de acopio el girasol = rolling sunlight porque desde que ocurri el huracn no hay energa elctrica.

Qu ms quisiera la gente que tener una vida digna y poder ofrecer a las prximas generaciones un mundo mejor y ms justo, donde las cosas estn bien planeadas y no solo se lucre con las personas que buscan una mejor oportunidad de vida. Me puedo dar cuenta que no solo en Mxico sino tambin en Estados Unidos los gobiernos estn priorizando los intereses de la industrializacin en lugar de los de la vida.

No digo que el cambio climtico haya provocado y que provocara tormentas, huracanes y fenmenos naturales sino que el cambio climtico aumenta la fuerza y frecuencia de estos. La naturaleza se cobra todo lo que le hacemos. Pienso que el problema no es solo de unos cuantos, el problema nos pertenece a todos los que habitamos en el planeta y por eso cada uno tiene que poner su granito de arena; qu lejos estamos de lograr poner la vida de las prximas generaciones por encima de los apetitos de multinacionales que recorren el mundo deforestando, rompiendo la tierra, dejando desiertos y sequias a su paso.

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Since Hurricane Sandy, people have been running around like crazy and havent had a moment to stop. Many of them have lost their homes, belongings and even family members. The sound of ambulances and helicopters have been heard all over the city. At gas stations, people fought and had to wait in lines for hours just to get a few liters of petroleum. It was unbelievable sight; the other day, I counted 50 cars lined up, blocking the street.

When I arrived in New York, I didnt think I would really see the effects of the disaster so prominently. Its not the same to watch the news about “Hurricane Sandy” or any other natural phenomenon on television as it is to hear people talk about the experience in their own voice. For example, I met a Mexican family who told me how they had to swim out of their home as the Hurricanes flood destroyed it. The faces of the people were bleak. You could see their sadness and feelings of helplessness, but despite all their everyday struggles, they have been working hard to recover the city they live in.

It is amazing how many people came from all over the place to help, volunteers who offered their time and services in any way they could. The work is hard and tiring, but there isnt time to think about the physical pain, because its more important to clean up the damage of the hurricane.

Every day there are new people coming in setting up make-shift kitchens, people traveling many miles to drop off clothes, shoes, food and other things that people need. Speaking Spanish has been a huge help, because there are many families who need things but do not speak English. Everyday the work is different; some days you have to wait your turn for two or three hours to be able to buy gas. Others cook or clean public places such as gymnasiums to be able to pile up supplies because there are a lot of supplies and only a little bit of space.

We settled into a part of NY called Rockaway and supplied power to a community store with solar energy since there hasn’t been any electricity since the hurricane.

What is more important than wanting to give the next generation a better and fairer world, where things are well planned and people are able to have a better opportunity in their lives? I have begun to realize that in the United States as well as in as in Mexico, governments are prioritizing industrialization and profits over the saving lives.

I’m not saying that climate change has caused and will cause all future storms, hurricanes and other natural disasters, but climate change does increase the strength and frequency of these storms. Nature will charge us for everything we do in the long run. The climate change problem cannot be dealt with by only a few people; the problem belongs to all who live on this earth. As a result, everyone needs to contribute their own two cents. We have a lot left to achieve before we can say that we value the lives of future generations above the profits and insatiable appetites of multinationals that travel the world, deforesting and destroying our world.

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