Category: Urban Systems

Long-Term Rainwater Storage for Droughts

Long-Term Rainwater Storage for Droughts

Long-Term Rainwater Storage for Droughts

01/10/23

“How can we use long-term rainwater storage for droughts?”

Places like California and Turkey can suffer revolving rounds of short, intense suffocating rains and long, parching droughts. This puts a strain on water resources, as infrastructure is either being destroyed or dry foliage leads to fires. However, can citizens and organizations take advantage of these patterns to build some adaptive capacity? Well, we know that we receive a plethora of rain during flooding season and a deluge during droughts. So what if we were to capture and store some of this water instead of letting it go to waste? By using Long Term Rainwater Storage for Droughts, we can make our communities more safe, resilient, and healthy.

Why Heavy Storm Water Can Damage Transmission Lines

Why Heavy Storm Water Can Damage Transmission Lines

Why Heavy Storm Water Can Damage Transmission Lines

01/09/23

“Why can heavy storm water damage transmission lines?”

Electrical transmission lines typically have water-resistant polymers coating their cables to protect them from water damage. But during heavy rain storms, some water may get through and enter. The presence of moisture can heavily speed up the current in the circuit, blowing the fuse and destroying current flow. If the grid system does not have sufficient redundancy, outages can ensure. This is Why Heavy Storm Water Can Damage Transmission Lines.

Disaster Shelters for Unhoused People

Disaster Shelters for Unhoused People

Disaster Shelters for Unhoused People

01/08/23

“How can we provide climate shelters for unhoused people?”

Shelter is essential for disaster protection. However, many unhoused people lack access to adequate cover. This can be life-threatening during more extreme events. To help, officials should implement Disaster Shelters for Unhoused People. Such infrastructure can come in many forms. Unused homes and hotels can be temporarily repurposed for safeguarding people. Trailers and cabins can be brought to centers during events. Gyms and stadiums can also be used to help people live their lives. 

Why Emergency Management Professionals Need to Consider Unhoused Peoples’ Needs During Floods

Why Emergency Management Professionals Need to Consider Unhoused Peoples’ Needs During Floods

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.

Storm Emergency Declarations

Storm Emergency Declarations

Storm Emergency Declarations

01/05/23

“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.

Why Torrents of Winter Rain in California Can Make the State More Fire-Prone in The Dry Season

Why Torrents of Winter Rain in California Can Make the State More Fire-Prone in The Dry Season

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

U.S. Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad

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

Why It Will Become a Political Liability to Cut Climate Spending

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

Why Climate Adaptation Planners Have to Select an RCP Forecast

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.