Category: Policy

Asset Resilience Prioritization

Asset Resilience Prioritization

Asset Resilience Prioritization

10/02/19

“How should we prioritize assets for resilience?”

Many institutions and communities all over the world have to deal with limited resources. And this applies to the world of resilience. Sometimes we will not be able to have enough backup power in the case of a large-scale power outage. As a result, different assets will have to be given different levels of priority of power. This Asset Resilience Prioritization is one of the most important parts of resilience planning and is necessary for every planner.

Transmission Bottlenecks

Transmission Bottlenecks

Transmission Bottlenecks

09/30/19

“What are bottlenecks to electricity transmission?”

Electrons moves along transmission lines analogous to cars through a freeway. And like cars, if there is too much trying to get through at the same time, it leads to complete obstruction. These transmission bottlenecks are the bane of every utility, and will become a hindrance for renewable energy as peak electricity production hours often leads to a sudden surge of new electrons.

How Levees Can Perpetuate Climate Inequality

How Levees Can Perpetuate Climate Inequality

How Levees Can Perpetuate Climate Inequality

09/28/19

“How can levees perpetuate climate inequality?”

Levees are used by civil engineers to prevent rivers from overflowing. However, this can cause the flood to become worse at the other end of the levee, and harm an area further down which does not have the capabilities to defend themselves. This is How Levees Can Perpetuate Climate Inequality.

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Single-use Plastics

Single-use Plastics

Single-use Plastics

09/23/19

“What exactly are single-use plastic and why are they so bad?”

Plastic is a very useful material. It’s flexible, fairly non-reactive, and strong, making it applicable for single-use grocery bags. However, the fact that Single-use Plastics are not recyclable and biodegradable means that they will end up in a land-fill and release toxic chemicals into the environment. To solve this crisis, a new generation of thinkers will have to come up with innovative policy and technical solutions. This could be anyone, from a regular Joe to someone whose name rhymes with Narina.

Rural Electrification

Rural Electrification

Rural Electrification

09/19/19

“How can we bring electricity to rural households?”

Much of the developing world still has no access to electricity. More than 15% of people in India and 87.5% of rural sub-Saharan Africans are unable to enjoy the right to modern infrastructure. This can be solved with Rural Electrification, which entails expanding the grid or distributed energy resources to marginalized communities.

How the Speed of the Energy Transition Is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

How the Speed of the Energy Transition Is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

How the Speed of the Energy Transition Is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

09/13/19

“How might the speed of the energy transition be a self-fulfilling prophecy?”

One of the most hotly-debated topics in the world right now is how fast the transition from a coal and fossil-fuel based energy paradigm to a cleaner renewable ones will be. Many say that it will be fast and exponential thanks to the precipitous price-drops in solar PV technology and others say that infrastructure lock-in will slow it to a crawl. However, the public’s belief in how fast the transition will go will modify support and pressure for new technologies and systems to be available. Therefore, if people believe that it will go fast, it will! This is How the Speed of the Energy Transition Is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.

Resilience Vulnerabilities

Resilience Vulnerabilities

Resilience Vulnerabilities

09/12/19

“How can we identify internal vulnerabilities in infrastructure?”

In the physical world, imperfections can be found in every little structure. This also holds true for infrastructure. Resilience Vulnerabilities are the parts of infrastructure that may be liable in case a situation happens. Examples include not having backup generators or having structurally weak cement for the building. 

Resilience Threats

Resilience Threats

Resilience Threats

09/11/19

“How can we quantify external threats against resilience?”

Unexpected events such as natural disasters and power outages can cause unexpected damage to infrastructure. In resilience analysis, these are often quantified as Resilience Threats. Example resilience threats include sea-level rise against coastal installations and natural gas pipeline bursts.

Why Infrastructure Stakeholders Should Look for Existing Resilience Plans Before Creating New Ones

Why Infrastructure Stakeholders Should Look for Existing Resilience Plans Before Creating New Ones

Why Infrastructure Stakeholders Should Look for Existing Resilience Plans Before Creating New Ones

09/10/19

“Why should we look for already existing infrastructure plans before creating new ones?”

Resilience is one of the hottest topics in civil engineering right now. Whether it be protecting cities against hurricanes or finding new ways to implement renewable energy, there always seems to be something going on. However, before any new plans are made, people should look out if there are already plans in place instead of reinventing the wheel. This is Why Infrastructure Stakeholders Should Look for Existing Resilience Plans Before Creating New Ones.