"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Author: Isaac Gendler
Wildfire Video Monitoring
08/20/20
“How can we monitor wildfires through video?”
Wildfires are some of the most chaotic disasters on the planet. A better way for us to understand them is to take videos of them and observe their behavior. Through this Wildfire Video Monitoring, we can build adaptive capacity and resilience to them.
Designing Communities for Wildfire
08/19/20
“How can we design communities for wildfire?”
As the wildlife-urban interface expands due to the advent of climate change, communities are going to become more and more enveloped in wildfire-prone territory. Although many individuals advocate for a full-scale retreat of such areas, it may not be necessary. Instead, we can mold our communities specifically around wildfire resilience using practices such as housing retrofits, planting native vegetation, and implementing buffer zones. This is how we can go around Designing Communities for Wildfire.
Why Climate Change is Driving Urbanization
08/18/20
“Why is climate change driving urbanization?”
Climate change is disrupting everything. And some of the people most hurt by this are the ones who work in agriculture. As the world becomes hotter, more erratic, and less liveable, maintaining a farm may no longer become a sustainable livelihood. This will cause more people to move from the farms to cities in search of employment and stability, drastically increasing their size. This is Why Climate Change is Driving Urbanization.
How Community Action Can Help Prevent Grid Overloading
08/17/20
“How can community action prevent grid overloading?”
If the electrical grid becomes overloaded with demand, then a shutdown can occur. However, if people in the community work together to lower their energy usage, then this can be prevented. This is How Community Action Can Help Prevent Grid Overloading.
Flooding and Population Migration
08/16/20
“How can flooding impact population migration?”
Disasters can be scary. They’re often sudden, unpredictable, and can wreak massive damage. So much so that it may prompt an affected population to move. In the case of flooding, this change may be temporary, having people return after an onslaught, or permanent, where an entire municipality is deemed unsalvageable. This is the connection between Flooding and Population Migration.
Water Utilities
08/15/20
“What exactly are the utilities that provide water services?”
Water is essential for life. Whether it be for hydrating ourselves or for nourishing the plants that we eat. However, how exactly is water transported to our infrastructure? Well, it all has to do with Water Utilities. The same way that electricity is provided through electrical utilities, water is provided by water utilities.
Seawall Policy and Coastal Adaptation
08/14/20
“How does seawall policy affect coastal adaptation?”
Seawalls are used by property owners all over the world to protect their assets from sea level rise. However, these walls can also destroy the same beaches that everyone loves to visit. As a result, policies may be put in place to limit the construction of seawalls. This is how there is an interaction between Seawall Policy and Coastal Adaptation.
Climate Migration From Extreme Humidity
08/13/20
“How can extreme heat induce climate migration?”
As the climate becomes warmer, extreme humidity will become more and more common. This will push areas of the world that were already warm to practical inhabitability, leading to climate migration. In the coming years, Climate Migration From Extreme Humidity will become a more and more common phenomenon.
Urban Wildfire Simulations
08/12/20
“How should we design simulations for urban wildfires?”
Most wildfire simulations are designed to compute wildfires that occur in rural forested areas. However, with the advent of climate change, these fires are overshooting and finding their way into urban areas. Since this can cause untold harm to the people who live there, Urban Wildfire Simulations will need to be developed in order to deal with these problems.
