Environmental Hazards

Abstract

If there is anywhere on earth where a community might feel ‘safe’ from natural hazards, it must be the British Isles, where the elements (on land at least) are relatively benign. More often than not, an environmental hazard has arisen only through some human activity. A devastating example was the Aberfan coal-tip disaster of October 1966. Whilst the processes that caused the down-slope movement of the coal wastes onto the Welsh valley village were natural, the loss of the 144 lives stemmed from the creation of the tip in the first place and the inadequate management of its drainage. Such a combination of natural and human forces, and their impacts, have provided writers with plenty of scope for mounting a ‘vigorous indictment of ruthless, profit-seeking industry’, the indifference of central and local government, and of public apathy (Barr 1969).