Tag: Adaptation

Wildfire Buffer Vertical Spacing

Wildfire Buffer Vertical Spacing

03/09/23

“Why do we need to keep space between shrubs and trees to prevent wildfires?”

Wildfires can travel from flammable material to flammable material. This isn’t limited to one direction and can scale from the ground or shrubs to trees if they’re close enough. For this reason, it is recommended that planners implement Wildfire Buffer Vertical Spacing. This commonly comes in the form of ensuring all tree branches are at least six feet from the ground and/or four times the height of the shrubs beneath them. If done properly, this vertical spacing can make a place much more resilient to fires.

Türkiye’s Earthquake Tax

Türkiye’s Earthquake Tax

02/11/23

“Why does Türkiye have a special earthquake tax and how can you help recovery efforts?”

In 1999, a devastating earthquake near Istanbul claimed the lives of more than 17,000 people in Türkiye. To fund future recovery work, the government introduced a special earthquake tax called the Special Communications Tax. By charging a fee on the use of internet and mobile phone telecommunications, Türkiye’s Earthquake Tax has raised (adjusted for inflation) over $36 billion in a fund.

As of writing, there is no strong signal that the Erdoğan regime is using this funding for recovery work. To make a difference, please make a donation to ahbap, the Syrian White Helmets and the Anatolian Arts Institute Earthquake Relief Fund. My friends are also connecting donations through the venmo account @earthquake-relief.

Why Virtual Reality First Responder Training Can Reduce Injuries

Why Virtual Reality First Responder Training Can Reduce Injuries

02/04/23

“Why can virtual reality first responder training reduce injuries?”

First responders are the backbone of disaster assistance. However, training for the dangerous scenarios they must face provides a unique challenge. Either they must prepare by performing dangerous maneuvers and risk getting injured or do toned-down training but make themselves more liable for mishaps in the field.

So how can we get around this? Well, one solution may come through virtual reality training. With virtual reality, complex situations can be simulated without exposing trainees to injury. This will make them prepared to take on any challenge without getting hurt. This is Why Virtual Reality First Responder Training Can Reduce Injuries.

How Hospitals Can Use Weather Prediction to Determine When to Ramp up Capacity

How Hospitals Can Use Weather Prediction to Determine When to Ramp up Capacity

02/01/23

“How can hospitals use weather prediction to determine when they should increase capacity?”

Extreme weather events can lead to more people checking into hospitals. Whether it be dehydration from heat waves or frostbite from cold snaps, medical institutions are almost guaranteed to see more activity. Since measures to accompany this increased demand may take time to set up, hospitals can look to weather predictions to understand when they have to act.This can be combined with other information such as celebration of local holidays to make even more accurate preparations. If implemented correctly, hospitals can better channel their resources to people in need and save lives. This is How Hospitals Can Use Weather Predictions to Determine When to Ramp up Capacity.

Virtual Reality First Responder Training

Virtual Reality First Responder Training

01/30/23

“How can first responders integrate virtual reality into their training?”

First responders are some of the most important people during emergencies. Their skills allow them to rush to the scene and save lives. However, setting up training for these events can be quite challenging. Emergency situations are very complicated dynamic events that don’t always play well in rehearsal. For example, simulating a building collapsing from an earthquake is very expensive to perform physically.

So how can we use current technology to fix part of this gap? Well, what if we were to simulate a virtual world using virtual reality? This way, we can perform countless different complex scenarios without ever having to build anything in the physical world. Virtual Reality First Responder Training gives us the opportunity to put first responders in any situation they need to prepare for.

Why Community Resiliency Assessment Metrics Need to Be Co-Developed With the Communities Being Assessed

Why Community Resiliency Assessment Metrics Need to Be Co-Developed With the Communities Being Assessed

01/27/23

“Why do community resiliency assessment metrics need to be co-developed with the communities being assessed?”

Urban Planners develop community resiliency assessment metrics to determine the adaptive capacity of a place. However, if these planners do not have any connection with the communities, the methodology they develop may miss important nuances and give an inaccurate portrayal. For example, an economic evaluation of a low-income neighborhood may make it sound like it has no hope when a disaster strikes. But the community may be tight-knit and well-organized, positioning itself to be self-reliant during climate impacts. To capture these elements, the communities will need to be a part of the metrics development process. This is Why Community Resiliency Assessment Metrics Need to Be Co-Developed With the Communities Being Assessed

Why Building Codes Should Incorporate Future Temperature Projections

Why Building Codes Should Incorporate Future Temperature Projections

01/26/23

“Why should building codes incorporate future temperature projections?”

Building codes often take into account local temperatures in their guidance. For example, California’s Title 24 building energy efficiency codes require residential units to have minimum ceiling and wall insulation values corresponding to their local climate zone. With the advent of climate change, the temperatures in such climate zones will shift, and the buildings built today must withstand this new paradigm. To illustrate, the Californian city of Fresno is projected to experience 10 times as many heat days per year between 2050 and 2099 than what it experienced from 1961 to 2005. Policymakers should start considering Why Building Codes Should Incorporate Future Temperature Projections to protect their citizens.

Why Public Utility Commissions Will Need to Integrate Climate Adaptation into Utility Regulations

Why Public Utility Commissions Will Need to Integrate Climate Adaptation into Utility Regulations

01/25/23

“Why will public utility commissions need to integrate climate adaptation into utility regulations?”

Climate change has arrived. Vast swaths of California are burning. Bangladesh is flooding. The Sahel is turning more and more into a desert. Utilities are going to have to adapt to this new paradigm. However, if there are no regulations to govern them, they might propose solutions that don’t benefit their customers. For example, they could harden their infrastructure to climate pathways that are considered too extreme by most scientists, just so they can extract as much money as possible. To solve this, public utility commissions will have to step in and enforce regulations on these organizations. Actions to undertake this range from bringing climate adaptation matters into rate case proceedings to forcing adherence to particular standards. This is Why Public Utility Commissions Will Need to Integrate Climate Adaptation into Utility Regulations

Why Emergency Management Professionals Need to Consider the Effects of Contaminated Rainwater on Residents’ Teeth

Why Emergency Management Professionals Need to Consider the Effects of Contaminated Rainwater on Residents’ Teeth

01/22/23

“Why will emergency management professionals need to consider the effects of contaminated rainwater on residents’ health?”

During disasters, people may need to become reliant on stored rainwater. However, if it is not properly kept, the water may become contaminated. This could lead to a myriad of health effects, including dental hygiene issues. Bacteria and chemicals in the water can rot teeth and harm gums. Preventive measures include issuing boil water notices, providing residents with adequate dental supplies, and having dentists available on call. This is Why Emergency Management Professionals Need to Consider the Effects of Contaminated Storage Water on Residents’ Teeth.