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
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.
“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.
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.
“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
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.
U.S. Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
12/31/22
“What was the executive order that rolled back much of the Trump environmental policies and provided a course correction roadmap?”
A week into taking office, U.S. President Joe Biden signed U.S. Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. This lengthy executive order not only rolled back much of the previous administration’s environmental policies but also set a course correction roadmap. Specifically, it tried to organize the U.S. federal agencies to reduce carbon broad-scale carbon emissions in the economy, promote climate adaptation, protect public health, lands, waters, and biodiversity, and spike union jobs and economic growth by driving the clean energy sector.
Why It Will Become a Political Liability to Cut Climate Spending
12/29/22
“Why will it become a political liability to cut climate spending?”
In the past few decades, climate spending seemed to many to be a luxury. However, with the advent of devastating storms, fires, and floods, the reality of climate change is here. These further damages are going to rupture communities and destroy billions of dollars of infrastructure. This will cement demand for climate funding, and proposing cuts may turn into a political liability. This is Why It Will Become a Political Liability to Cut Climate Spending.
Why Climate Adaptation Planners Have to Select an RCP Forecast
12/28/22
“Why do climate adaptation planners have to select an RCP Pathway?”
Climate adaptation planners have to predict how climate change will evolve over the years. However, analyzing the future is excruciatingly difficult. There are untold ways for society to change and temperatures to rise. Planners can simplify matters by selecting an RCP forecast. These IPCC-developed pathways are vetted by some of the world’s preeminent scientists and are already standard practice in climate work. This is Why Climate Adaptation Planners Have to Select an RCP Forecast.
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