Why Some Environmental Disasters Are Forgotten While Others Are Not

When people are asked what comes to mind when the term environmental disaster is mentioned, a few names pop up immediately in most people’s minds. Chernobyl is one of the names that come up, and it represents a technological and environmental disaster in most people’s minds. The problem, however, is that there are a number of other disasters that may have caused at least as much, if not even more, damage, and yet they don’t get the same level of attention as Chernobyl and other disasters in the minds of most people. This leads to a very important question: why do some environmental disasters linger in people’s minds, while others fade away into obscurity?

One of the main reasons for this is the level of media attention that a disaster receives. When a disaster happens in a region that is popularly covered by global media, it lingers in most people’s minds for a much longer time. Chernobyl, for instance, has been covered extensively and is still being covered in most documentaries and even in TV series. On the other hand, most disasters in developing countries don’t get much media attention and, therefore, fade away quickly from most people’s minds and memories. Politics is another reason why a disaster may or may not be recognized by most people in the world. Politics may be responsible for a disaster not being recognized at a global level, and as a result, a whole community may be affected for a long time without any global recognition or support.

This selective memory can lead to an unbalanced sense of responsibility. If only certain disasters are remembered, it can make it easier for the same mistakes to continue to occur elsewhere. Environmental destruction can be just as problematic whether it is visible or not. In fact, the lack of awareness can make it even more difficult for those who are affected. This is where environmental justice comes into the picture. Every community needs to be recognized and cared for, no matter where they are located. What we remember and what we forget about the disasters we face can tell us a lot about what we value. If we hope to avoid environmental crises in the future, we need to make sure we address all of the ones we face, not just the ones we are most aware of. As students and future leaders, we can use this to our advantage and make sure we raise awareness about the ones we might otherwise forget.