These are the biggest man-made disasters in human history
The journey of humanity is not all about progress and innovation. Throughout history, you can find tales about our missteps, and these man-made disasters are the most famous reminders of this.
These events altered the lives of millions, ranging from nuclear meltdowns to environmental spills. Human error can create some devastating disasters, and we are here to tell you all about them.
A 2020 report by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) recorded over 10,000 natural and man-made disasters globally in the last two decades alone. All of these caused huge economic losses and also claimed many lives.
Read on and discover the biggest man-made disasters and their aftermaths!
1. Montana’s asbestos nightmare
The small town of Libby, Montana, had its economy based on its vermiculite mine. This is a mineral that has many applications. From construction to building car parts, vermiculite is used in everything.
But a dark secret was about to change the destiny of this town. The seemingly harmless vermiculite contained asbestos fibers. The worst part is that the mining company was well aware of this danger and kept it secret.
Since residents knew nothing about this, they used the waste from the mine for construction projects, landscaping, and even schoolyards. This is how toxic asbestos entered the homes, schools, and workplaces of those people.
Nearly 10% of Libby’s population perished from asbestos-related illnesses because the town essentially spent decades breathing in a deadly poison. The mine was closed in 1990, but this couldn’t undo the damage.
In 2009, the U.S. government declared a public health emergency, which led to a massive clean-up effort. But people still died and suffered from illness, and there are still new cases that continue to emerge. All of these consequences make this one of the major man-made disasters that we should never forget.
2. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
If you imagine this as a singular island made out of plastic, this is not an accurate image. This is one of the biggest man-made disasters and is a swirling vortex of plastic debris trapped by ocean currents.
The patch is indeed gigantic, stretching from the California coast all the way to Japan. No object can escape this vortex, and the situation is even darker. Most of the plastic is now microplastic, and these tiny fragments are completely destroying the marine ecosystem. Also, according to the estimates, 70% of ocean debris sinks, which means there can be far more plastic than the one we see on the surface.
The consequences are devastating. Wildlife mistakes plastic for food and ends up trapped in abandoned nets. The garbage patch also blocks the sunlight that algae and plankton need the most.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a tragic and growing testament to our throwaway culture and should be an urgent reminder that we need to solve the problem of plastic pollution as fast as possible.
3. The Aberfan disaster
Aberfan is a quiet Welsh village that has been nestled near a coal mine for nearly a century. Unfortunately, in 1966, ordinary rain triggered one of the biggest man-made disasters. Yes, we know this sounds impossible, but it started with an avalanche made out of accumulated mine waste. This waste was stored in improper conditions, in a pile, for years and years, and this rain was the last straw.
On October 21st, 1966, the unstable tip collapsed and created a wave of waste that reached speeds of over 20 miles per hour. When it hit the village, the devastation was unimaginable.
The debris torrent demolished two schools, and this led to the deaths of 116 children. Aside from the schools, the wave destroyed 18 houses, and this caused even more victims. A total of 144 people perished because of this disaster.
The Aberfan disaster remained one of the worst man-made disasters in British history and also one of the worst mining tragedies that ever happened.
4. The California wildfires
Climate change is by far one of the biggest man-made disasters, and in 2018, California witnessed some of the worst wildfires in history. Thousands of fires—more accurately, 8,500—scorched the state and destroyed millions of acres of vegetation, leaving behind only disaster and hopelessness.
The human cost was equally horrifying, with over 100 lives lost and 24,000 buildings reduced to ashes.
At first glance, these might seem like natural disasters, but they are 100% man-made disasters because they were caused by climate change. The dead trees were the perfect fuel for such a tragedy. This was declared a national disaster by the government.
Scientists warn us that this is a grim glimpse into the future and can repeat itself at any time.
In case of disaster, it is always good to have an emergency radio: Emergency Radio with NOAA Weather Alert, Portable Solar Hand Crank AM/FM Radio for Survival
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