Author: Isaac Gendler

Long-Term Rainwater Storage for Droughts

Long-Term Rainwater Storage for Droughts

Long-Term Rainwater Storage for Droughts

01/10/23

“How can we use long-term rainwater storage for droughts?”

Places like California and Turkey can suffer revolving rounds of short, intense suffocating rains and long, parching droughts. This puts a strain on water resources, as infrastructure is either being destroyed or dry foliage leads to fires. However, can citizens and organizations take advantage of these patterns to build some adaptive capacity? Well, we know that we receive a plethora of rain during flooding season and a deluge during droughts. So what if we were to capture and store some of this water instead of letting it go to waste? By using Long Term Rainwater Storage for Droughts, we can make our communities more safe, resilient, and healthy.

Why Heavy Storm Water Can Damage Transmission Lines

Why Heavy Storm Water Can Damage Transmission Lines

Why Heavy Storm Water Can Damage Transmission Lines

01/09/23

“Why can heavy storm water damage transmission lines?”

Electrical transmission lines typically have water-resistant polymers coating their cables to protect them from water damage. But during heavy rain storms, some water may get through and enter. The presence of moisture can heavily speed up the current in the circuit, blowing the fuse and destroying current flow. If the grid system does not have sufficient redundancy, outages can ensure. This is Why Heavy Storm Water Can Damage Transmission Lines.

Disaster Shelters for Unhoused People

Disaster Shelters for Unhoused People

Disaster Shelters for Unhoused People

01/08/23

“How can we provide climate shelters for unhoused people?”

Shelter is essential for disaster protection. However, many unhoused people lack access to adequate cover. This can be life-threatening during more extreme events. To help, officials should implement Disaster Shelters for Unhoused People. Such infrastructure can come in many forms. Unused homes and hotels can be temporarily repurposed for safeguarding people. Trailers and cabins can be brought to centers during events. Gyms and stadiums can also be used to help people live their lives. 

Why Emergency Management Professionals Need to Consider Unhoused Peoples’ Needs During Floods

Why Emergency Management Professionals Need to Consider Unhoused Peoples’ Needs During Floods

Why Emergency Management Professionals Need to Consider Unhoused Peoples’ Needs During Floods

01/07/23

“Why do emergency management professionals need to consider unhoused peoples’ needs during floods?”

Floods are very painful events. Homes are destroyed, roads are impassable, and in the worst case, lives are lost. However, one particular group is often left out of the discussion during these disasters. Unhoused people. Emergency plans often do not consider that unhoused communities do not have ready access to shelters or capital. Community engagement with unhoused people is commonly lackluster, making it difficult to address their needs during disasters. As a result, unhoused people are some of the most vulnerable during these events. Since it’s the public responsibility to care for those most in need, it’s clear Why Emergency Management Professionals Need to Consider Unhoused Peoples’ Needs During Floods.

Why Disinformation Campaigns Threaten to Destroy Climate Progress

Why Disinformation Campaigns Threaten to Destroy Climate Progress

Why Disinformation Campaigns Threaten to Destroy Climate Progress

01/06/23

“Why do disinformation campaigns threaten to destroy climate progress?”

Climate change is near-universally regarded by the scientific community as something occurring on this planet because of human activity. However, many individuals and organizations make large profits from carbon-intensive activities. To prevent monetary shortfalls, these entities have invested in disinformation campaigns to sow doubt about climate change. They may paint climate denial as a “fair alternative”, project renewable energy as unrealistic, or even use racist and antisemitic tropes to portray climate change as a foreign hoax to destroy the United States. Over time, some people absorb these views and fight against climate spending. This is Why Disinformation Campaigns Threaten to Destroy Climate Progress.

Storm Emergency Declarations

Storm Emergency Declarations

Storm Emergency Declarations

01/05/23

“Why can storms be so large they result in an emergency declaration?”

Storms of any kind can wreak havoc. But sometimes they become so substantial that it becomes a public emergency (often in the case of bomb cyclones). Officials may make Storm Emergency Declarations if these storms pass a certain threshold. When an emergency declaration is enacted, resources may be allocated to build quick resilience. Repair crews will be called up, status alerts may go out to residents, roads may close, and much much more. The threshold for enacting a storm emergency declaration differs by location. A place that witnesses frequent storms and has the infrastructure in place may only do so when a biblical-sized event occurs, while places not used to storms may declare an emergency with a comparatively moderate-sized one.

Bombogenesis

Bombogenesis

Bombogenesis

01/04/23

“How are bomb cyclones created?”

Bomb cyclones are ferocious storms. Their intensity can total infrastructure and shut down public services. But how exactly are they created? Well, let’s start by thinking back to our fundamental science. When a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, they both rapidly rise and form a low-pressure system. These low-pressure systems are essentially vacuums that suck up air, leading to storms. When the central pressure of this storm system drops a certain amount depending on its latitude (24 millibars at a latitude of 60 degrees) then it will be classified as a rapidly intensifying bomb cyclone. Meteorologists have termed this phenomenon Bombogenesis, and its impacts are awestriking, to say the least.

Bomb Cyclones

Bomb Cyclones

Bomb Cyclones

01/03/23

“What happens when a storm rapidly gains strength?”

Storms are a powerful force of nature. Created by rising columns of air leading to drops of pressure, storms produce massive amounts of gusts and rain. But things become very interesting when there is a rapid negative change in air pressure, producing what meteorologists call Bomb Cyclones. These rapid strengthening blasts have the force to blow away houses, flood roads, and rupture the physical foundations of communities.

Why Torrents of Winter Rain in California Can Make the State More Fire-Prone in The Dry Season

Why Torrents of Winter Rain in California Can Make the State More Fire-Prone in The Dry Season

Why Torrents of Winter Rain in California Can Make the State More Fire-Prone in The Dry Season

01/02/23

“Why do torrents of winter rain in California make the state more fire-prone in the dry season?”

As of writing, California is undergoing rain patterns of almost biblical proportions. The City of Oakland has received more rain in a single day than its entire history since records began. Road closures, power outages, and property damage can be seen throughout the Golden State. There are some upsides, such as the easing of the drought. While intuition may say that another benefit will be a safer fire season, the reality is much more complicated. Plant overgrowth is bound to happen after these rains, and if the moisture is not kept up for the rest of the wet season then much of this new flora going to die off. This in turn will lead to more combustible fuel during fire season, making the state a living match. This is Why Torrents of Winter Rain in California Can Make the State More Fire-Prone in The Dry Season.