Are Natural Hazards Really Cause A Natural Disaster?

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This statement is false in my opinion. What are natural disasters? A natural hazard that causes widespread damage and/or loss of life. Hazards are potential threats that could be harmful to man. All natural disasters start out as hazards, but it is only when these hazards do affect people and property that they do become disasters. Thus, humans can be both a direct and indirect cause of natural disasters by having influence on the changing environment around us or simply causing a natural disasters themselves. A natural cause means that it is completely unaffected by humans and is completely natural. As humans could potentially affect a number of natural disasters, I disagree with the statement. First of all, humans are constantly adjusting and changing the environments around them, causing more natural disasters to occur. Humans as a species are forever growing and evolving. With the advancements of technology, humans are starting to inhabit more and more areas on the earth. While this does not directly cause more disasters, it increases the likelihood of a hazard to become a disaster. For example, if an earthquake were to occur in one area which was completely barren and unpopulated, it would be a hazard. However, if humans inhabit that area a few years later and another earthquake occured at …show more content…

Wildfires are classified as “natural” disasters, even though (according to the U.S. Department of Interior) 90% of wildfires are in fact caused by human actions. Some are due to the irresponsibility of humans e.g leaving a campfire unattended or throwing a cigarette on the ground. But there are some people who burn the forests down on purpose for land, this is known as deforestation in which humans are directly responsible for starting the wildfire. The other 10% are natural causes such as lightning. Wildfires are proof that humans are guilty of directly causing natural

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