Natural disasters are occurrences to which humanity has been exposed since the beginning of time. Some nations still battle calamities and are helpless when facing the forces of nature. There are many differences between the mindsets and responses of communities in the 18th and 21st centuries to climatic events. While in the 18th century, people embraced the effects of nature and rebuilt everything, people in the 21st century and more proactive and communicate the necessity of change to the whole world.
Throughout this time of transformation, political and social unrest, and constitutional difficulties, dealing with recurrent natural disasters evolved into an issue of the governments. The charitable response of Parliament to the hurricanes of the eighteenth century highlighted a new, more aggressive governmental mentality (Schwartz, 2015). Since the 18th century, the French have played a more active role in addressing the issues caused by natural disasters in the territories, restoring church buildings and hospitals, mending fortresses, and restoring barracks (Schwartz, 2015). They have additionally provided tax relief to those impacted, supplied food, and eased trade restrictions to ensure that scarcity was prevented (Schwartz, 2015). Therefore, previously, people aimed to restore the affected locations and build stronger establishments.
However, in the 21st century, there is a mindset that attempts to rebuild everything again is futile. Sea levels are rising in Guyana at a rate that is five times faster than the world average, which is having a significant impact on several Caribbean industries (Greenplanetfilms, 2017). According to those interviewed in the documentary 1.5 Stay Alive, people should not simply rebuild the villages and cities but ask for cooperation from other nations (Greenplanetfilms, 2017). As one man said, “In order for our children to have a similar lifestyle we have to ensure we have to get the international community to understand that we have to do everything in our power to curb the increase in global temperatures” (Greenplanetfilms, 2017, 2:41). Therefore, people in the 21st century are more conscious of the need of change.
Hence, people in the 21st century are more proactive and emphasize the need for change to everyone around them, in contrast to the 18th century when people accepted the consequences of nature and rebuilt everything. Before, efforts were made to strengthen existing structures and restore damaged ones. However, there is a philosophy in the 21st century that says trying to reconstruct everything from scratch is pointless.
References
Greenplanetfilms. (2017). 1.5 stay alive: Science meets music in the Caribbean [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Schwartz, S. B. (2015). Sea of storms. Princeton University Press.