Category: Policy

Community Wildfire Protection Plans

Community Wildfire Protection Plans

Community Wildfire Protection Plans

12/11/19

“How can communities develop plans to protect themselves against wildfires?”

 

Wildfires represent one of the largest threats against communities in dry forested areas. As a result, resilience plans in the form of Community Wildfire Protection Plans need to be developed. These can take the form of planning evacuation measures, establishing coordination protocols, prioritizing how to reduce burnable fuel, and doing a check-up of the structural integrity of buildings.

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Why Resilience Engineers Must Consult With the Inhabitants They Work With

Why Resilience Engineers Must Consult With the Inhabitants They Work With

Why Resilience Engineers Must Consult With the Inhabitants They Work With

12/10/19

“Why do engineers working on resilience projects need to consult the inhabitants they work with?”

 

Engineers will be at the forefront of designing resilience projects. However, far too often these are completed without any input from the local inhabitants. This leads to problems, notably the implementation of infrastructure which does not suit the local environment. For example, a sea-wall might cut off a fishing community from their catch, or planned power shut-off from wildfires might disrupt the operations of a medical center. This is Why Resilience Engineers Must Consult With the Inhabitants They Work With.

Homeowner Wildfire Mitigation

Homeowner Wildfire Mitigation

Homeowner Wildfire Mitigation

12/09/19

“How can homeowners take action in wildfire mitigation?”

 

Wildfires threaten homes of all types. However, just as wildfire mitigation needs to be practiced on the institutional level, it also needs to be considered by individual households. This Homeowner Wildfire Mitigation can be accomplished in a myriad of forms, whether it be by modifying windows, cultivating a defensible space, or making roofs ignition resistant.

 

Image credit http://www.usfa.fema.gov

Hail Resilience

Hail Resilience

Hail Resilience

12/05/19

“How can we protect ourselves against hail?”

 

Hail is very intrusive. It damages car windows, roofs, and transmission lines. As a result, we need to build Hail Resilience in some form. Whether it be bulletproof glass in windows or shielding on electricity poles, this can be accomplished.

 

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Short-Term Climate Refugees

Short-Term Climate Refugees

Short-Term Climate Refugees

12/04/19

“How are people temporarily displaces from their homes because of climate change?”

 

Climate change is making environmental disasters larger and stronger than ever before. Whether it be the fires raging in Northern California or the Hurricanes blasting Puerto Rico, things are definitely not what they used to be. This can cause locations to be temporarily uninhabitable, and only after infrastructure reaches a certain level of repair can these Short-Term Climate Refugees return to their home. An example of this can be found in Hurricane Katrina, where numerous families from New Orleans had to spend extended time outside of the city before returning.

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Why Education Will Be Necessary to Build a Resilient Society

Why Education Will Be Necessary to Build a Resilient Society

Why Education Will Be Necessary to Build a Resilient Society

12/03/19

“Why will education be a vital part of building climate change resilience?”

 

On this blog, we have talked about how building resilience will involve large investments in infrastructure and policy. However, another aspect is often overlooked but just as vital, education. Since people will need to learn about what resilience and climate change is and how to prepare for it, they will need to receive some form of education. This could through a myriad of different ways, such as through standard classrooms, billboard signs explaining what to do in case of an emergency, or even on Twitter. This is Why Education Will Be Necessary to Build a Resilient Society.

Climate Resilient Urban Design

Climate Resilient Urban Design

Climate Resilient Urban Design

11/30/19

“How can urban designers incorporate resilient design into their profession?”

 

Urban designers are at the forefront of creating new visions for urban metropolises. And with the advent of climate change, Climate Resilient Urban Design will become a critical component in the profession, whether it be looking at how to make housing structures able to weather wildfires better or creating urban drains in city centers.

Wildfire Fuels Management

Wildfire Fuels Management

Wildfire Fuels Management

11/29/19

“How can we manage the amount of burnable fuels found in wildfires?”

 

Wildfires are becoming an increasingly difficult problem in dense, forested, dry regions as a result of climate change. One of the most critical vulnerabilities in these areas are the fuel, or material that can ignite wildfires on the ground. Through Wildfire Fuels Management, we can look at what might be igniting these fires and ensure that proper mitigation is achieved.

 

Image credit http://people.forestry.oregonstate.edu/

How a Circular Economy Enhances Societal Resilience

How a Circular Economy Enhances Societal Resilience

How a Circular Economy Enhances Societal Resilience

11/28/19

“How can a circular economy enhance climate change resilience?”

 

The circular economy is touted as a strong pathway to curb emissions and material waste. But since it also reduces the amount of materials that a society needs to consume, it also ends up increasing societal resilience as there are less choke points that can harm it. For example, a community with a localized supply-chain for critical items such as food can keep themselves stable in case of a natural disaster and an economy that can recycle some of the rare-earth minerals it uses will not need to rely as much on suppliers which may act against their interest given conflict. This is How a Circular Economy Enhances Societal Resilience.