Jane Robb, GfGD Communication Officer, writes about a new and exciting opportunity for GfGD members… For many of our followers the opportunity to get involved in international development as a geologist, or at all, is difficult. One of GfGD’s core purposes is to help change this at a UK level, to make sure that good …[Read More]
Geohazards
Upcoming GfGD Placements
July will be a busy month for a few GfGD members – as they undertake geoscience-development based placements with a variety of hosts. Below we introduce you to the three students, and give them the chance to say a few words about the opportunity they’ve been given. Each student will be preparing a report on their placement, which …[Read More]
Placement Report – Sam Marshall (CAFOD, April 2013)
At the end of each GfGD placement we ask the student completing that placement to think about his/her experiences and write a short report (available to download here). In April 2013, Sam Marshall spent a week working with disaster risk reduction advisor Dr Kate Crowley (pictured with Sam Marshall) at the international NGO CAFOD. Today we share Sam’s …[Read More]
Guest Blog: Disaster Resilience in Dharamsala, India
John McCarthy and Sam Bradley are collaborating to develop an earthquake awareness and disaster resilience program for vulnerable communities in Dharamsala, India. The region is predicted to have an extremely large earthquake in the next 50 years and they are looking to raise awareness, develop community programs and improve the resilience capacity for the population. …[Read More]
Historical Hazards: Lessons From Ancient Rome
The town of Pompeii was enveloped in ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. To the north of Pompeii lies the small, relatively unknown town of Herculaneum, where the ash fell hotter and deeper. Careful excavation by a team of archaeologists, led by Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, has revealed intricate details of daily life for …[Read More]
Book Review – Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded (Simon Winchester, 2003, Penguin Books)
“Should form an essential part of the reading list for every undergraduate geologist” – Joel Gill, GfGD’s National Director, reviews Simon Winchester’s 2003 bestseller Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded… During a recent break I had the privilege of reading Simon Winchester’s best-selling book Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded (I know what you’re thinking – ‘nice …[Read More]
New Placement Opportunities – Deadline Midday 2nd June 2013
Placements give students a valuable opportunity to get an insight into the international development sector, consider what key skills they need to develop to contribute to such work, and better understand the role of geoscience in fighting poverty. Following successful placements with the NGO CAFOD, GfGD are delighted to announce two new placement opportunities for UK-based geoscience students …[Read More]
Some Comments on Recent Earthquakes in Iran
In this article, Joel Gill and Faith Taylor write about the importance of reducing individual and community vulnerability in Iran. This post is written in response to the recent earthquakes in April 2013, and an article posted in the Guardian in 2010. In addition to their GfGD responsibilities, Joel and Faith are undertaking PhD research at King’s College …[Read More]
Friday Photo (75): GfGD-CAFOD Placement
Sam Marshall (University of Southampton) and Dr Kate Crowley (Disaster Risk Reduction Adviser, CAFOD), at the CAFOD headquarters in central London. Sam has been undertaking a GfGD placement with CAFOD this week, learning more about how geoscience can be applied in the development sector. (c) Geology for Global Development 2013
GfGD at #EGU2013: Day four
Our fourth day at EGU 2013, and not running low on energy (although pretty high on caffeine!). With the panel discussion on the use of blogs and social media in scientific research, our interview with the BBC science correspondent about science communication, and our #gfgdcomp question competition: communication is most definitely the theme of the …[Read More]