Speaker
Description
Nuclear explosions have enormous environmental impacts on the planet and its systems, which intersect with climate change in a variety of ways. Analogous to climate change, these impacts and their social repercussions are unequally distributed. The importance of education, effective science communication and an intersectional social understanding are paramount to building public awareness.
Geographic Information Science (GIS) is used to illustrate both physical and social trends spatially. It offers a way to visualize the effects of wildfire burn, to map invasive species or to understand healthcare accessibility across neighbourhoods, among others.
GIS offers a way to visualize the ecological hazards of nuclear explosions and testing, providing materials that can be used for outreach, education and communication. Possibilities include mapping the extent of ecological damage near testing sites or spatial distribution of hydrological effects. GIS also offers the opportunity to visually represent the social impacts across communities, from disproportionate health outcomes to agricultural damage.
This poster aims to illustrate the importance of spatial representation in providing a meaningful, nuanced perspective to nuclear testing and its environmental impacts. Utilizing an interdisciplinary lens is critical to analyzing and understanding the magnitude of impact and the disproportionate burden nuclear testing places on vulnerable communities.
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