Bill Posted April 18, 2010 Report Share Posted April 18, 2010 I?ve just been doing a bit of background reading on the Icelandic volcanoes and found something I knew nothing about and it?s all a bit worrying. Apparently, the largest ever recorded natural disaster in the UK occurred back in 1783 when an estimated 23,00 people died following an eruption of a volcano in Iceland! Clouds of fine ash together with large amounts of sulphur dioxide drifted across the UK causing a massif rise in the death rate from respiratory issues. The same eruption wiped out 75% of the Icelandic population due to starvation as a result of thick ash deposits that smothered the crops. If you think about it, the current eruption could just as easily have done the same but with today?s population being N times that of 1783, deaths could possibly run into the millions. Scary thought eh! Here's the link Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted April 18, 2010 Report Share Posted April 18, 2010 Well thanks for that Bill Problem is.... will the experts actually tell us if it is actually dangerous to our health or will they just keep us in the dark to avoid panic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted April 18, 2010 Report Share Posted April 18, 2010 our kids will be OK they're all already on nebulizers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted April 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 I think your right Diz. A story like this now would probably cause mass panic. It?s interesting to read the report that originally went out three years ago speculating that such an event could happen again in the future. Suppose the time to start worrying is when Moira Stuart reads the news wearing a gas mask. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted April 19, 2010 Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 Thought Moira had retired, isn't it Fionna now?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Durnim Posted April 19, 2010 Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 Sounds like we are all duumed! Capt Mannering!, I'm moving to Australia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LymmParent Posted April 19, 2010 Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 Turn all the windmills round and blow it back to Iceland..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
de-stress Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 Sue...you'll have a while to wait for a flight though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Durnim Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 DOH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted April 25, 2010 Report Share Posted April 25, 2010 Interesting that the last time one of these kicked off properly, was in 1783, causing mass famine in N/Europe and some argue a revolution in France! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted April 26, 2010 Report Share Posted April 26, 2010 Moira reads the news on the Chris Evans breakfast show Radio 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 1, 2010 Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 btw is this saga over or are we waiting for a change in wind direction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Durnim Posted May 2, 2010 Report Share Posted May 2, 2010 Observer... my thoughts exactly, what is happening with the volcano, is there more to come or has the volcano been blown out of all proportion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 2, 2010 Report Share Posted May 2, 2010 Interesting prog on CH4 tonight Sue, about the Icelandic volcanoes: seems there are much bigger beasts under the ice, waiting to errupt. And if, or rather when they do, like the 1784 erruption, we'll experience a lot more inconvienience than just not being able to fly - like not being able to eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Durnim Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 Observer, now I am worried, if this is a little volcano, god help us if a bigger one blows! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevofaz25 Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 I also watched the programme on Channel 4. The "expert" was saying that the volcano that caused the problems last month had been dormant since 1783 but its neighbour Mt Kapler has lain dormant under 500 feet of ice since 1918. It is a lot bigger and is long overdue to erupt. The evidence of what happened in 1918 was extremely disturbing and at the very end of the programme they flew over it to find there are cracks in the ice which seems to indicate there nay be some activity deep underground as they know that volcanoes trigger each other. Worth watching on Channel 4 I-player if you missed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 The 1784 erruption caused ash to fall like snow over the UK and norther Europe, and lasted about 8 months; wiping out crops, thus starving animals and eventually humans. The famine it caused, has been linked to a major cause behind the French Revolution. But what are OUR Government doing? Aside from the usual twittering on about global warming etc - have ANY preparations been made in terms of Emergency Planning? As the man said: " if you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 We can't even stock salt for 8 days, never mind food for 8 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 precisely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted May 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 I thought I read that the deaths through starvation were in Iceland where the ash was thick enough to blanket the crops while here in the UK respiratory failure due to poisonous gas clouds was the biggest killer? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 Gosh I didn't see the programme and not sure if I want to watch it now after all your comments ... sounds scarey Guess the problem with natural disaters are that they are just that... natural.. and as such no one can really predict what what will happen or when. Could be in 1 year, could be in 10 years, could be in 100 years, or could be in 1000 years. How on earth do you prepare for that and if the government (or whoever) spend money on preparing for it now if it does happen in 10 or 100 years time their preparations will have either been overruled, slagged off as incompetent and ridiculous... or just completely forgotten about Should we all be stockpiling food and digging deep bunkers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 I think we're unprepared for any of the possible "natural" disasters that may befall us, and it's a fair question to ask "can we be prepared" and "would the cost balance probability etc"? EG: we wern't "prepared" for the Winter ice, but was it a one off, that won't occur for a long time? we wern't really prepared to isolate and contain the swine flu to it's Mexican origin; but fortunately it turned out to be a non-fatal virus. One thing these incidents appear to expose, is our dependency on movement, of people or resources, and just how fragile our veneer of civilzation is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted May 4, 2010 Report Share Posted May 4, 2010 A one off or the same for the next ten years? It shows man's ignorance of the real world. NATURE!!! People need to get out of their little bubbles and look beyond money and toys. Plan for the future??? YOU SURELY JEST. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 4, 2010 Report Share Posted May 4, 2010 I do jest; it's lack of forsight and long term planning - that's landed us in the current economic doldrums - and less able than ever to finance any "preparation" even if they were so inclined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted May 4, 2010 Report Share Posted May 4, 2010 btw is this saga over or are we waiting for a change in wind direction? It's back!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpg.3ba2d545854d2844adb911806b68eb4b.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.