Poll: The Coming Water Revolution Seminar

On Thursday April 12, the author of “The Big Thirst“, Charles Fishman, will present a public seminar in the Kellogg Center (Centennial Room, 3:30-4:30). ISP203B class will be canceled this day; your attendance at this seminar is entirely voluntary. Please RSVP via this poll by coming Thursday 6pm.

Details:

The Coming Water Revolution
Everything about water is about to change – how we think about it, what we pay for it, where we get it, how we use it.

Thursday, April 12, 2012
Charles Fishman, author, The Big Thirst
11:30 – 12:45 p.m., Student Lunch w/ Charles Fishman
3:30 – 5 p.m., Kellogg Center, Centennial Room (One-hour talk with reception following)

Abstract: We have been living through a 100-year-long golden age of water. We never think about water’s availability, we never hesitate to run a bath because of the water bill, and we never worry about whether our tap water will make us sick. But that golden age of water — where water is unlimited, safe, and free — is over.

We are at the dawn of a new age of high-stakes water, an era in which supplies and systems are under pressure from growing populations, surging economic growth, and dramatic swings in weather. In this new age of water, we’ll pay more, but we’ll waste less. And we’ll have to be much smarter about every drop. And those with abundant water will suddenly discover that water security is a great economic development asset.

We’ll learn to tap a wave of innovation in water management, water use and water technology that is sweeping the world.

Award-winning investigative journalist Charles Fishman delivers a persuasive, fascinating, and urgent primer on the history and future of water. He takes you from a factory in Vermont with water so clean it is considered poisonous, to villages in India that have 24-hour-a-day cell phone service but no water service at all. Fishman has spent the last three years circling the globe — from Las Vegas to New Delhi — to uncover how the world of water is changing, and what the enormous implications are for each of us, no matter where we live.

Biosketch: Charles Fishman is a former metro and national reporter for the Washington Post, and was a reporter and editor at the Orlando Sentinel and the News & Observer in Raleigh, NC. Since 1996, he has worked for the innovative business magazine Fast Company. Fishman has won numerous awards, including three times receiving UCLA’s Gerald Loeb Award, the most prestigious award in business journalism.

Class organization

The first 8 weeks of the semester are designed to learn basic concepts in regular lectures, equipment demos, and computer exercises.

After Spring Break you will conduct a group project, performing survey planning, data collection and analysis, and a poster presentation.

Course objectives

Explain basic concepts behind different geophysical methods.
Use Excel & simple modeling software to predict results.
Make informed choices of which method to use for specific problems.
Learn to operate diverse suite of geophysical equipment.
Independently conduct a field project, data analysis, and presentation.

What happens to the money??

In the days before the tsunami hit Japan, their stock market the Nikkei 225 Stock Average had its highs and lows throughout the month. However, when the tsunami hit the market took one of the biggest losses to date, dropping 21% in the two days following the tsunami. How will this drop in economic status effect not only Japan, but also the markets around the world? It seems that the industries in Japan will continue to drop behind on their products and cause economic troubles for companies around the world in the second quarter. The only money solution that seems to be going Japan’s way is their currency the Yen. During natural disasters investors looks to put their money in safe bets, and currency across the world is not in good shape. It seems that investors look to help the Japanese in a comeback, by investing in the Yen making the economy a little stronger.

Michael Manzo
Sources: http://indonsia-stock-exchange.blogspot.com/2011/03/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-effect-on.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/223991/wall_street_beat_markets_recover_from_japanese_temblor.html

Deadly Tsunami in the Indian Ocean

The traumatic tsunami that occurred in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, was generated by a 9.0 earthquake under the Indian Ocean. This earthquake was the largest earthquake recorded in 40 years. This earthquake under water also had very high aftershocks, from 6.3 to 7.0. The waves traveled very fast reaching the shallow waters, with waves as high at 10 to 15 meters. The rupture was more than 600 miles long. These gigantic waves caused a lot of destruction to the land and killed many people. A leading factor was because many people did not react quickly by moving to high grounds. Also, many people on the beach did not see the tsunami as a sign of danger so many were killed instantly when it hit the shore. This could have been because tsunamis in the Indian Ocean are often rare, but can occur.

Sources: National Geographic | Edna.edu.au

Lindsey P

The Great Flood of 1931

In 1931 China’s three primary rivers, the Yangtze, Hwang, and Hwai, all flooded due to record rainstorms. The result was what is considered to be the most devastating water related disaster of the 20th century. 140,000 Chinese drowned, and 3.7 million others died in the months following the flood due to starvation and malnutrition. At least 70,000 square miles were flooded, and in some places the water was 10-15 feet deep for months. The flood also had much longer term effects, as 5 million farmers were forced to leave their land, which led to a drastic rice shortage. Throughout China, around 1000 levees broke, resulting in 5,000 miles in levees that needed repair. This was a disaster which killed 15 times the number of people as the Indonesian tsunami of 2004. Yet for how much of an impact these floods had, they are still unknown to most people.

Eric A

http://aboutgaoyou.com | history.cultural-china.com

Outdoor Sporting Store Sees Effects of the Great Outdoors

In June of 2010, an EF2 tornado touched down in Dundee, MI, leaving behind a large amount of damage. Homes and hotels were destroyed, along with Cabela’s, Michigan’s most-visited destination, and Splash Universe. The roof and siding was torn off of Cabela’s because of the 135 mph winds from the tornado. Being a Supply Chain Management major, I was interested in this event for a personal reason. My father works for a semi truck company that helped deliver lumber to Cabela’s in order to help with the reconstruction process. Truck companies from around our state were called in to help deliver material to the site. Everything was fully restored because of this transportation effort.

Brittney A

Sources: woodtv.com | monroenews.com

Kilauea Eruption Fires Up Hawaii

Upon researching hazardous disasters, I was personally drawn to the recent eruption that took place on March 5, 2011, on the volcano Kilauea, one of the five volcanoes that are located on the Big Island of Hawaii. Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, so eruptions are fairly regular, and according to the Mother Nature Network, “periodic eruptions of the volcano have destroyed 213 homes since the volcano emerged from a period of dormancy in 1983”. According to the NASA Earth Observatory, the March 5th eruption was caused by the opening of a new fissure, which allowed for lava to burst 160 feet in the air. The lava flowed down the slope for four days until finally stopping. The effects of the eruption have included a wildfire that has burned 2,000 acres of land caused by the hot lava. The fire burned about 7 miles Southeast of the Kilauea Visitor Center, and efforts to stop the fire included dropping water on the hot spots from helicopters. It is crucial that the fire be stopped so that it does not destroy too much of the rainforest which inhabits unique wildlife of the Hawaiian Island.

Kathryn F

“Volcanic Activity at Kilauea : Natural Hazards.” NASA Earth Observatory : Home. Web. 19 Apr. 2011.

Wulfhorst, Ellen, and Jorene Barut. “Hawaii Wildfire Spreads, Nears Protected Rain Forest.” Mother Nature Network. Glick Interactive, 23 Mar. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2011.

Tornado Devastates a N.C. College – Beneficial or Detrimental?

A tornado that swept through Raleigh, North Carolina ended Shaw University’s semester earlier than previously expected. Shaw University is the oldest Black College in the South and is affiliated with the Baptist Church. There were many controversial views throughout campus about whether this recent damage is positive or negative. According to an article posted in the NY Times, some students felt that a rebuilding of the campus is a good thing because they viewed it as being very out of style and old. Others felt differently because of the fact that there is no guarantee that the school will be rebuilt or opened at all. The statement from the school is that it is closed indefinitely, the decision still needs to be made as to whether it will open again, when it would open again and what reconstruction would be done if it does open again.

Jamie F.

Sources: NY Times | Statement from Shaw University

Farms Affected by Recent Tornadoes!

Saturday there were multiple tornadoes that tore through North Carolina. According to an article on msnbc.com, a farm in Four Oaks, NC, experienced 2 tornadoes that tore apart 17 of their buildings. The 2 tornadoes combined to create a giant storm force that flattened Stony Fork Farms. The farm experienced a total loss on their buildings with nothing left to salvage estimated at $1 million dollars in damages. Owner Rickie Norris is not sure when they will be up and running again or what amount the insurance will cover on their damages.  Another farmer that operates a greenhouse/nursery is struggling to overcome the damages on over 75% of their facilities. This being their busiest time of the year they are struggling to fix damages and keep up with the demand. Natural disasters that affect farms pose a problem when it comes to meeting consumer demands.

sources: nbc17.com | charlotte.news14.com

Rachel P.

Tsunami Affecting Automakers throughout the World!

As the Earthquake and Tsunami hit the country of Japan, the auto industry began to take a hit. This is where my major of Supply Chain Management resembles this tragedy. Japan being the 3rd largest automobile manufacturer, after the U.S. and China, took a huge hit in this industry. Cars which are assembled in about 10,000 pieces, are received from countries all around the world and then assembled in a specific country. Being a supply chain manager, it would be hard to make sure each and every part is received by this country when there are factories that are being rebuilt, dangerous storms in the seas, and everything else that affects the parts from getting from point  A to point B. So even though it was Japan that was struck by this devastating disaster, the United States Automakers are still struggling without these parts from Japan.

Source: CNN, Torque News

Tyler W.

Japan’s Natural Disasters Shaking the Global Market

Besides the earthquake and tsunami taking more than 6000 lives, costing the county billions of dollars and damaging some of their main nuclear reactors, the natural disasters in Japan could potentially hurt the global economy significantly. Japan has the third largest economy in the world and is the second largest country in steel exportation. That being said, in result to the disasters Japan had to close all of their steel mills and most of their ports, temporarily closing them off from trading with the rest of the world. The production is no longer able to compete with the demand, which is causing a drastic increase in the price of steel and reducing the need of iron ore by millions. It is no shocker that stock markets have taken some hits worldwide within the last month and why Japan isn’t the only country feeling the aftershocks from this disaster.

Joseph L

seekingalpha.com | Reuters | LA Times

After Effects from Japan Earthquake

We all know by now that a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit Japan and caused a huge tsunami that did major damage across Japan, and now faces one of the worst nuclear emergencies in recent memory. On April 8th Japan experienced the largest aftershock yet from this earthquake leaving the northeast part of the country without power. (Over 900,000 with no power) Japan says more aftershocks are going to come. This could cause Japan many problems. They have been working very hard to minimize the effects of the damaged nuclear reactor plants. They recently dumped 11,500 tons of radiated water into the Pacific Ocean (which is a whole other problem in and of itself) to make room for even more radioactive water. This is highly reliant on having power. If an aftershock was to hit one of the plants dealing with the radioactive water and reactors the effects on Japan could be devastating.

Joseph L.

http://www.npr.org | cnn.com

Being Prepared Means Everyone

The bustling streets and subways of New York City came to halt this past December thanks to one of the biggest recorded blizzards that has ever hit the city.  Over the night of the 26th and into the day on the 27th, Central Park saw 13 inches of snow while totals in Brooklyn and Bedford Park (Bronx) reached 17.5 and 22 inches, respectively.  In retrospect, the Sanitation Department as well as the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) were highly unprepared and caught off guard. Riders on the A train were stranded for a reportedly 8 hours and despite the 365 salt trucks and 1,600 plows, streets remained unplowed for days.

The musicians of the New York Philharmonic, however, were over prepared to face such a storm.  The concert program I was attending was supposed to have two guest artists.  Due to the storm these guests could not make rehearsals and forced the orchestra to put together and rehearse pieces that were not planned.  The concert was flawless and proves that even the least likely of people need to be prepared for the worst when it comes to unexpected natural events.

Ryan F.

Sources: livescience.com | manhattan.ny1.com | wnyc.org/../blizzard-slows-down-new-york/

School: A Haven or Hell?

A school is like a second home to most students, but is this feeling enough to protect children from the dangers of natural disasters? For some, the schools are providing a temporary home while parents remain missing in the debris but others can only view the buildings as “graveyards.” Students at local elementary schools were defenseless against the killer tsunami wave that hit Japan on March 11, 2011 closely following a magnitude 9 earthquake. Those surviving the disaster claim that the students were well informed of the proper procedures for protection and the school had enforced this at the time. In fact, all the students were evacuated outside after ten teachers were killed in the original effects of the earthquake; they simply had no idea of the wave to come. From this we can note that students were educated on safety yet still ninety were unable to beat the odds. [rvd: I would argue that they were well educated on EQ safety but poorly educated on Tsunami safety]

Alexis P

Glionna, John M. “Parents in Japan comb through school that’s now a graveyard.” Los Angeles Times. N.p., 22 Mar. 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2011

Sitting silent in their classroom, the 30 children whose parents have not come to collect them after tsunami swept away their town. Mail Online. N.p., 18 Mar. 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2011.

Safety First!

Children enrolled in school in the United States have been ducking under desks and shielding themselves against earthquakes for decades. Currently the Victory Boulevard School, located in north Hollywood, holds two earthquake drills a month, which is more than their school district requires. This is because a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Los Angeles a year prior [rvd: the NYT article quoted is from 1999]. Students who attend Laurel Canyon Elementary school, also located near north Hollywood, are required to have a bag filled with water, nonperishable food, a flashlight and a note from their parents. The school even has teachers be trained in firefighting and search and rescue. The district has enough water to last three days for every student as well as food. Administration is aware that an earthquake and other natural disasters will occur again, so they pride themselves on being prepared at all times. That is one school district that is ready for anything!

Allison A

fema.gov/kids/pdf/daycare.pdf | Readin, Writin’, and Earthquake Drills  in the New York Times

After 3 Years Debris Hits the USA

In three years the U.S could be affected by the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March of this year. The 8.9 magnitude earthquake, which was near the east coast of Japan, caused the 30-foot wall of water that carried a lot of debris out eastward into the North Pacific subtropical gyre. It’s projected that in two years all of the Hawaiian Islands will see some debris. A year after that the U.S. west coast will see pieces washing up on the beach. What is not on the beach will then be washed back into the North Pacific Garbage Patch. All of this debris will cause damage to California and the Hawaiian beaches along with the Hawaiian reefs. The ocean was a dump before this disaster but with these projections it will be easier to clean up the debris before too much is damaged such as marine ecosystems, fisheries and shipping.

Morgan A.

Sources: www.sciencedaily.com, www.cnn.com

Devastation of the Century

The 1931 China Floods were the deadliest natural disaster of the century. The death toll was estimated to be between 3.7 and 4 million people. People died from drowning and diseases in the water. Experts say that it was the worst flood of all times. There was a massive drought for the two years preceding the disaster. It was caused by three rivers in China flooding; the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Huai River. These rivers were flooded for several months starting in July. The average water level was 1.7 meters. These floods cut people off from all necessities such as food and shelter. There have been reports of cannibalism as a result. The government was having many problems at the time (civil war, Japanese war and lack of funding), so they could not do much to prevent future flooding. They built small dams on the Yangtze River.

Taylor P

www.armageddononline.org | history.cultural-china.com

6.3 Earthquake Damages City

On February 22, 2011 there was a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand. The death toll is said to be at least 65 people. The earthquake’s epicenter was located deep under ground about 6 miles from ChristChurch. To make matters worse, there were many aftershocks, some nearing 5.5 magnitude.  And that wasn’t all, a part of a New Zealand’s biggest glacier broke off causing big waves at a lake close by. Much of the damage is still being cleaned up today. Estimates have it that nearly $3 billion in damages were caused. Many companies, bankers, and investors are moving out of the city due to their buildings having been destroyed. It will take a while for the economy to recover and me being a business major knows that people are going to struggle.

Sources: 1. bloomberg.com 2. bbc.co.uk

Michal P.

Home Insurers Caught Up in a ‘Vortex’ of Issues

Last weekend’s tornado outbreak was one of the worst outbreaks for the month April. 671 tornadoes have been recorded from April 1st to April 18th, crushing the average number of tornadoes occurring in April over the past 10 years. The wrath of the storm left 45 people dead and easily left damages adding up to millions of dollars. North Carolina was one of the states that were hit the hardest, with over 14,200 insurance claims according to Nationwide. To help aid the victims of the tornado outbreak, Nationwide drove a motor coach to Standford, NC and set up shop in a parking lot. Many people will not get over to what happened to their home, and even after they received their clams, the psychological damage will last forever.

Gino P.

Sources: online.wsj.com | wunc.org

Saying Goodbye To Ocean Life!?

This week in the New York Times, Mark Bittman wrote an interesting piece on how bad carbon dioxide emissions are effecting our oceans. The CO₂ discharge is more tolling than any historical oil spill, even including the devastating BP drilling rig explosion that occurred in the Gulf last year. The five million barrels of oil that was spilled recently will eventually be “disarmed”, whereas the CO₂ emissions that continue will greatly affect ocean life well into future centuries. Increased levels of CO₂ in the Carbon Cycle is making oceans more acidic since they absorb about 30% of the CO₂ in the atmosphere. This devastation that’s occurring makes sense since we’ve added about 500 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide to the oceans since the Industrial Revolution. All of this excess carbon dioxide in these waters leads to oceanic acidification, which dissolves coral reefs; the environmental supporter for 25% of all marine life. On top of that, it makes it fatally more difficult for calicifying organisms to make proper shells.

Morgan F.

Sources: Bittman, Mark. “Opinionator: What’s Worse Than an Oil Spill?” New York Times 20 Apr. 2011: A23. Print.

Hyndman, Donald W., and David W. Hyndman. “Climate Change and Weather Related to Hazards.” Natural Hazards and Disasters. Belmont: Brooks/Cole, 2011. 286-91. Print.

Nukes, Tornados and Chaos

A series of tornadoes has recently swept through the South Eastern part of the United States, a region notorious for this type of weather, and has forced a nuclear power plant in Virginia to shut off two of its reactors. Winds of over 110mph from a single tornado in the series have been reported, as well as mobile homes being thrown 50ft off path; the casualties and damage have been disastrous. The Carolinas, Virginia and Oklahoma, all known to have significant tornado risks, have sustained millions of dollars worth of damage at the least. Damages of this caliber and the thought of a nuclear power plant starting to fail, after what has happened in Japan, could instigate mass hysteria and chaos. As a criminal justice student looking to work for the federal government, disasters of this magnitude will directly impact me in the future, as thousands of emergency officials and agents are being sent to help rebuild these damaged cities, communities, and citizens; and one day I might be one of those officials sent to respond.

Elizabeth A.

Two Sources: guardian.co.uk and the course book,   Natural Hazards and Disasters, Third Edition, By David and Donald Hyndman, 2011.

Earthquake Effects Japanese Automaker

To relate my major, supply chain management, to the catastrophe that struck Japan on March 11, 2011. The devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake significantly affected one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, Nissan. Nissan announced that numerous production plants throughout the globe; such as Sunderland, Mexico, Japan, and United States, temporarily needs to halt production due to the case of unavailable Nissan inventory provided from all four of its assembly plants in Japan. Although, the automaker suffering economic losses from the postponed production of car parts is working meticulously to minimize the impact of their loss of revenue. Goldman Sachs, an American investment banking and securities firm, estimated that Japanese automakers may suffer a loss of $1.4 billion a week. As a result of the devastating earthquake that recently struck Japan, the Nissan supply chain throughout the world must halt production, thus the automaker must suffer financial losses.

John L.

Sources: bizjournals.com | arnnet.com.au | tennessean.com | seekingalpha.com

Japan Tsunami “Splashes” Down on the Economy

On May 11, 2011, tragedy struck Japan as an 8.9 earthquake destroyed nearly everything in its path. The earthquake caused tsunamis that generated many waves as high as thirteen feet and one wave towered twenty-three feet high. The catastrophe was one of the worst natural disasters in history and will not be cheap to clean up. Myself, being a business major, was intrigued to look up how the earthquake will affect the economy. As of March 23, it was estimated that the losses could reach up to $309 billion. The disaster could also have an affect on the stock market and the economy. The cost of repairing the damage may force Japan to borrow money, while their economy is already suffering. In addition, a fiscal crisis will be harder to get away from the greater the social and economic damages are.

Robert L

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2058391,00.html
http://www.worldnewsco.com/4862/losses-of-earthquake-and-tsunami-in-japan-reach-u-s-309-billion
http://money.cnn.com/2011/03/11/markets/world_markets/index.htm

Pollution Triggered Floods and Prevention

Surrounded by the Great Lakes, Michigan weather is greatly influenced by the nearby bodies of water. One of the biggest natural threats in this State is flooding. Because of the neighboring waters, maintaining a delicate “environmental balance” is key to preventing many major floods that can result in property damage and potential fatalities. Pollution in these waters and the rivers connected are a big factor in the excess of flooding that occurs.
By taking a greener approach, one can reduce the amount of pollution that is contributed. Limiting our usage of cars can result in a reduction of fossil fuels released into the atmosphere. This can be done by taking alternative methods of transportation such as buses, biking or even walking. For other pollution problems, a student here at Michigan State University can take advantage of the provided recycle bins that are located through out campus.

Sources: raintreeacademy.com | www.westlancsdc.gov.uk

Brianne M.

Opportunities to Profit Admist Destruction

While the March 11th tsunami caused the Japanese stock index, the Nikkei 225, to drop as far as 10% in the wake of the crisis, foreign investors saw this as an opportunity to buy shares in the Nikkei at historically low prices. Investors believe stock prices will rise back to pre-crisis levels relatively quickly once the reconstruction process has begun. Therefore buying Nikkei shares at current discount prices has the chance to turn into a hefty profit for investors. This investment forecast is being supported by one of the world’s wealthiest investors, Warren Buffet. Buffet sees the tsunami as an extraordinary event that will only effect the short term growth of the Japanese economy. Other investors, such as CNBC’s Jim Kramer, believe investing in American construction companies like Caterpillar is a great opportunity to make a profit, as this company will be in high demand in Japan during the reconstruction process.

Kelly L.

Sources: dealbook.nytimes.com | video.cnbc.com

2011 Japanese Earthquake: Effects on economy

It was on Mar. 11th that the Japanese earthquake occurred in northeastern Japan with a magnitude of 9.0. The earthquake belongs to a subduction zone type, which is generated by the collision of Eurasian plate and Pacific plate. Today I am going to focus on the economic influences of this earthquake, both domestic and worldwide. These disasters happened so rapidly that the Japanese stock market could hardly react: “Tokyo Stock Exchange directly experienced the worst fall to 5% in early trading on Monday local time, or exactly three days after the tsunami” Besides, according to “Power Engineer (2011)”, “Japanese real GDP growth could be cut by 0.2 to 0.5 percentage point this year”. Through the global aspect, the earthquake has hit the world economic more or less. For instance, “US Treasury debt prices were lower on fears that Japanese insurers may need to sell bonds to pay for damages”, along with a great fluctuation of oil price.

Sources: worldnewsco.com | engineerlive.com | telegraph.co.uk

Ben H.

The Quake Strikes Again!

Japan is just starting to put back together the pieces from the earthquake and tsunami that occurred almost a month ago on March 11. To make matters worse for them they were just stricken by yet another earthquake on April 7. Granted this was not as severe as the last one, but it still raised concerns. Experts say that this was an aftershock from the March 11th earthquake. This quake measured at a 7.1 magnitude, which is the largest aftershock ever recorded. It originated about 41 miles from Sendai and 73 miles away from Fukushima, both cities were completely ruined from the earthquake and tsunami last month. Although there were no fatalities, there were 132 people that were injured.

Blake L.

CNN.com | Foxnews.com

Ice Jams Cause Millions in Damages Annually

During the spring months in areas where rivers freeze over, there is a natural disaster that can occur called an Ice Jam. These occur when a sudden warm spell causes snowmelt, often combined with heavy rains, causing rivers to swell and break the ice cap on the river in to various sized chunks. As the ice starts to move, it jams where the river bends or narrows, or against man made structures such as road or train crossings. These ice jams then cause the river to back up and not allow the water to flow, resulting in extreme flooding.

According to FEMA, “Ice jams cause approximately $125 million in damages annually including $50 million in personal property damage.”

I have had personal involvement with ice jams while serving in the Coast Guard as part of a helicopter crew. During the 1997 and 2001 ice jam flooding along the Rock River in Illinois, our crew had to rescue dozens of people, often from rooftops.

Please see my photos of the 2001 jam here, and watch my video below. Sorry for the self promotion.

Sources: FEMA 2010 National Situation Update | NOAA about Rock River Jam | More about Ice Jams from US Army Corps of Engineers – Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab

George L.

Supply Chain Management: Earthquake in Japan effect on China’s product supply chain

Although the 9.0-magnitude earthquake in Japan occurred 3 weeks ago, its effect on the global product supply chain and especially China’s just starts to become larger and larger. According to the Camera Market Price Research by Hexu Technology, the Japanese cameras’ prices had increased at least 5% after the earthquake. Another article reported by China Daily shows China’s auto market reduction by the earthquake. It caused huge effect on China’s product supply chain, which is because Japan plays an important role in Chinese products, and China did not detect such huge influence will happen. In my opinion, to strengthen China’s risk management in supply chain, owners should improve risk forecasting and issue management in supply chain’s information system. Also, Chinese owners should design another distribution and transportation system for emergence situations. And in case, it is always good for owners to save some storage.

Resources: China Daily | “Camera price increase in China by Japanese earthquake.” (日本地震导致厂商受损国内相机价格上涨。)Hexun net. Hexun information technology company, 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 1 Apr. 2011.

Dandan M.