Category: Engineering

Why Energy Resilience is Vital for Hospitals

Why Energy Resilience is Vital for Hospitals

04/03/20

“Why do all hospitals need to think about energy resilience?”

Hospitals are the lifeline for a community. Whenever someone becomes seriously ill or is giving birth, they get rushed to one of these facilities. However, if the power goes out and no generators are available, everything will turn to ruin. From ventilators to ICU beds to HVAC systems, every vital piece of hospital infrastructure runs on electricity. To prevent a catastrophe from happening, hospitals will need to make emergency operations plans. This is Why Energy Resilience is Vital for Hospitals.

How Oil Prices Can Go Negative

How Oil Prices Can Go Negative

04/02/20

“How can oil prices become negative?”

Oil is thought to be one of the most valuable commodities in the world. However, like all physical materials, it needs a place to be stored. If an oil producer has more oil than it can hold, it may pay others to take its surplus assets. If this happens at a national level, this is How Oil Prices Can Go Negative.

How California’s AB 3153 Would Reduce Carbon Emissions

How California’s AB 3153 Would Reduce Carbon Emissions

04/01/20

“How would AB 3153 by California Assemblymember Robert Rivas reduce carbon emissions?”

The more parking lots a city builds, the more likely it will focus its urban design on cars. If it builds more bicycle lanes, it will become more transit-oriented. California bill AB 3153 by Assemblymember Robert Rivas of Hollister would allow for housing developers to forgo parking lot construction in favor of bike parking. This would make cities be designed to accommodate bikes instead of cars, reducing urban sprawl and therefore climate emissions. This is How California’s AB 3153 Would Reduce Carbon Emissions.

Why California’s SB 902 Would Build Climate Resilience

Why California’s SB 902 Would Build Climate Resilience

03/30/20

“Why would California’s SB 902 by State Senator Scott Wiener build climate resilience capacity?”

California’s housing crisis is quickly merging with its climate crisis. To get this under control, more living spaces will need to be built in dense urban areas. California State Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco may have an answer in the form of SB 902. SB 902 is a bill that (if passed) would loosen zoning laws such that multiplexes can be developed in non-wildfire prone areas and make it easier for cities to rezone areas closer to transit to higher density. This would allow for more housing capacity near public transportation and away from the wildland-urban interface, allowing for more people to move into newer housing in less disaster-prone areas. This is Why California’s SB 902 Would Build Climate Resilience.

Geoprocessing

Geoprocessing

03/27/20

“How can we computationally process geographic data?”

Geographic data is one of the underpinnings of modern computational technology. From visualizing the effects of climate change to voter forecasting, everything seems to stem from these computational techniques. Well, these stem from an organized framework and set of tools that process geographic and related data known as Geoprocessing. Geoprocessing allows researchers to take in data and manipulate it to create new information, such as making a buffer zone around a river.

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Why California’s AB 3173 Would Increase Housing Resilience

Why California’s AB 3173 Would Increase Housing Resilience

03/26/20

“Why would California’s AB 3173 by California Assemblymember Buffy Wicks increase housing resilience?”

California’s cities have a great need to densify to stave off the worst of the housing and climate crisis. California Assemblymember Buffy Wicks’ bill AB 3173 would allow for the development of microunits (studios that share kitchens) in cities with greater than 400,000 people. This would allow for more density and affordable housing, increasing the safety of populations in the wake of natural disasters. This is Why California’s AB 3173 Would Increase Housing Resilience.

How California’s AB 3107 Would Build Resilience Capacity

How California’s AB 3107 Would Build Resilience Capacity

03/25/20

“How would AB 3107 from California Assemblymember Wicks build resilience capacity?”

As of now, California state law prohibits housing units from being developed in commercial districts. However, this could all change with one bill. AB 3107 by California Assemblymember Buffy Wicks would allow for housing development to take place in commercial districts as long as 20% of the units are relegated to be affordable housing. This would increase the number of lower-income people in housed situations near job centers, severing them from the need for private transportation and therefore increase opportunities in the case of a disaster. This is How California’s AB 3107 Would Build Resilience Capacity.

Urban Planning and Climate Resilience

Urban Planning and Climate Resilience

03/24/20

“How does urban planning interact with climate resilience?”

Planning and designing cities are the beating heart of urban planning. And with the advent of climate change, cities will have to reinvent themselves to withstand the new conditions. This is where Urban Planning and Climate Resilience will interact and is already taking shape in cities all over the world, from sea-level rise in New York to heat islands in New Delhi.

How California’s AB 3146 Will Allow for More Data and Transparency in Housing Production

How California’s AB 3146 Will Allow for More Data and Transparency in Housing Production

03/23/20

“How will AB 3146 by Assemblymember Rob Bonta make housing in California more transparent?”

Many of California’s municipalities are not transparent about their housing data. This can be fixed through state-level mandates. California bill AB 3146 by Assemblymember Rob Bonta promises to provide key data on housing such as whether or not a state incentive has been used, and the number of new housing units that have been issued a completed entitlement, a building permit, or a certificate of occupancy in a town. This is How California’s AB 3146 Will Allow for More Data and Transparency in Housing Production.