"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Tag: Policy
Power Line Repair Worker Safety
07/06/20
“Why should we take regard for the safety of power line repair workers?”
Power Line Repair Workers are essential for keeping the grid running. However, their jobs are extremely dangerous and can lead to injury and even death from electrocution and falling. For this reason, Power Line Repair Worker Safety needs to be prioritized through training, proper equipment, and medical care.
Why Misreporting Grid Repairs Can Cause Wildfires
07/02/20
“How can misreporting grid repairs cause wildfires?”
Reporting grid repairs is one of the paramount duties of any electric utility. However, if none happen and the utility lies about it saying they did, then the grid can go into a state of disrepair. If this happens continually for long enough, then major breakdowns can occur, and if these happen at critical times (as in the case of the Paradise Fire) then a wildfire can occur. This is Why Misreporting Grid Repairs Can Cause Wildfires.
Climate Redlining
06/28/20
“How might climate change spur a new form of redlining?”
Climate change is causing entire regions of cities to become less inhabitable. As more data on climate vulnerabilities becomes available, investors become more aware of these risks, and may exacerbate or even deny financial services to residents in these neighborhoods. Since previous systemic exclusion has caused less-privileged groups to live in such zones, this will further perpetuate inequality and constitute a new form of Climate Redlining.
Rental Assistance and Climate Resilience
06/27/20
“How can rental assistance be apart of climate resilience?”
When a climate disaster strikes, residents may be unable to work at their normal jobs or leave their living space. This may cause them to lose income, which can land in eviction if they can not pay their rent on time. If rental assistance can be provided, then they can stay in their homes and weather out any difficulties, thereby increasing the region’s adaptive capacity. This is the connection between Rental Assistance and Climate Resilience.
Highway Construction and Racism
06/25/20
“What is the connection between highway construction and racism?”
Highways are on the staple features of modern American life. They allow for large numbers of vehicles to be uplifted and transported through the air. But how exactly where these pieces of infrastructure created? Well, since these highways need a foundation, area needs to be cleared. And since these highways were made in urban areas, communities with the least amount of systematic power were selected to be cleared. This displaced a multitude of communities of color in the U.S and forced many more to live in polluted environmental conditions that still stand today. This is the connection between Highway Construction and Racism.
And don’t forget, #BlackLivesMatter
Why Opening Up Too Early From COVID Can Wreck Great Economic Damage, Especially on the Disenfranchised
06/24/20
“Why is opening up too early from COVID an equity issue?”
In the U.S, states are beginning to open up from COVID without having their number of infected drop to an appropriate level. This will cause even more cases to spike, prolonging the amount of time the country has to spend in this special situation. This will economically devastate businesses, especially ones by politically disenfranchised minority groups who are at the forefront of the virus and typically have fewer assets in surplus to keep on going. This is Why Opening Up Too Early From COVID Can Wreck Great Economic Damage, Especially on the Disenfranchised
And don’t forget, #BlackLivesMatter
Why Anti-Harassment Policies Will Help the Climate Adaptation Profession
06/19/20
“Why will anti-harassment policies benefit the climate adaptation profession?”
It is a well-established fact that climate adaptation as a field benefits when voices from a plethora of backgrounds, particularly those with less systematic power, are heard. However, these can be silenced if a culture of harassment is present. To avoid this, anti-harassment policies can be enacted, allowing diverse viewpoints to take root. This is Why Anti-Harassment Policies Will Help the Climate Adaptation Profession.
And don’t forget, #BlackLivesMatter.
How Increasing Diverse Representation in Infrastructure Engineering Would Improve the Profession
06/16/20
“How would increasing the amount of diversity in infrastructure engineering improve the profession?”
Due to discriminatory power structures, the field of infrastructure engineering is quite uniform in terms of its demographics. This means that individuals coming from communities that are not well-represented will have fewer opportunities to make their voices heard during critical matters. This can be seen in events such as highway construction in the United States, where entire neighborhoods of black and brown communities were bulldozed to make room for these structures. These actions have left us with rotting and inequitable infrastructure that hurt all communities. To change this, increasing diverse representation in infrastructure engineering would allow such individuals to be in charge of high-level decisions and ensure that community safety is not violated. This is How Increasing Diverse Representation in Infrastructure Engineering Would Improve the Profession.
And don’t forget, #BlackLivesMatter
Why Infrastructure in Marginalized Communities Will Fail Disproportionately During Climate Change
06/15/20
“Why will infrastructure in marginalized communities be destroyed more during climate change?”
Infrastructure in marginalized communities is disproportionately in a worse state due to negligence from higher echelons of power. With the advent of climate change, this infrastructure is going to become even more damaged since not only are these same communities typically on the frontlines but the money reserved for climate impacts will mostly go towards wealthier communities. This is Why Infrastructure in Marginalized Communities Will Fail Disproportionately During Climate Change.
And don’t forget, #BlackLivesMatter
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