By Lisa Novick has a very good blog on what Los Angeles should do to boost it’s resilience on the Huff Post Los Angeles. The blog includes a nice definition of resilience: “Resilience is defined as the capacity of a system to absorb shock and still maintain its identity and function.
Facing extended drought, Texas policy makers focus on water planning
Stunted corn due to extended drought. Photo: Tim McCabe, National Resources Conservation Service An article in today’s New York Times paints a surprising picture of bipartisan support for planning in Texas–a state known for neither planning nor bipartisanship. With a two-year drought continuing and being called the third-worst in the
Why the Dutch Can Implement Flood-Control Measures
There’s a fascinating article in today’s online issue of The Atlantic Cities: “We’re In This Together: What the Dutch Know About Flooding That We Don’t. The short article explores why residents of The Netherlands can pull together to put in place flood-control measures, even if they cost a lot of
2012 Temperatures – One For the Record Books
For those who have made a habit of following temperature records over the past few decades, what’s most surprising with today’s news isn’t that 2012 set a record for U.S. temperatures (that had been expected for months), but rather the extent of that record. If you go back to the
Alex speaking at the Sustainable Cities Roundtable – Kirkland, WA
Alex will be presenting (via teleconference) at the Sustainable Cities Roundtable this Thursday, January 10th, from 12:00 noon to 1:30 Pacific Time, in Kirkland, Washington. From the website: King County GreenTools has pulled together an exciting lineup to launch the 2013 Sustainable Cities Roundtable Series theme: “Beyond Net Zero: Resilience,
Presentation in NYC on January 22nd
I’ll be speaking at a Green Drinks SPARK event Tuesday evening, January 22nd at The Moderns near Union Square in New York City. The topic will be “Resilient Design: The New Imperative.” Green Drinks SPARK is a networking event, so there will be plenty of time for conversations over drinks
Vulnerabilities to Climate Change and the Need For Resilience in the Western U.S.
The January, 2013 issue of Land Lines, a publication of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, has an excellent article on climate change impacts in the Intermountain West and the need for resilience. “Uncertainty and Risk: Building a Resilient West” addresses drought, growing incidence of wildfire, population growth, and factors
Biomimicry and Resilience
There was a great online article in the New York Times yesterday (1/4/13), “Will Biomimicry Offer a Way Forward, Post-Sandy?” about the relationship between resilience and biomimicry. This is an issue I’ve thought about quite a bit recently: the idea that nature can provide models of how to incorporate resilience
Maryland taking sea level rise seriously
On December 28, 2012, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed an executive order that will boost Maryland’s resilience. The executive order, “Climate Change and Coast Smart Construction,” requires sea level rise, flooding, and extreme weather to be taken into account in the construction or reconstruction of all state buildings and facilities.
New York City Task Force Convened to Respond to Superstorm Sandy
Flooded New York City subway on October 30. 2012. Photo: Hector Mosley, USACE. Public Domain photo. Superstorm Sandy took a major toll on New York City, but if a newly created task force succeeds, the impact of future such events should be lessened. At the request of City Council Speaker
It’s Raining in California
California residents love to complain about the weather. When my daughter went to college in Santa Cruz, she found that the least bit of drizzle would inspire a chorus of whining about the weather. Growing up in New England, she just didn’t get it. Northern California residents may be more
Gas Lines Point to a Need for Resilience
Gas line in Summit, New Jersey following Superstorm Sandy. At this gas station, only doctors and nurses were allowed to get gas, with supervision by local police. Photo: Tom Sulcer, Create Commons license By now we’ve all seen the photos of houses buried in sand along the Jersey Shore, burned-out
Hurricane Sandy and the Case for Resilient Design
Flooding of FDR Drive in Lower Manhattan on October 30. 2012. Photo: Beth Carey, Wikimedia Commons While most of us in the Northeast were making last-minute preparations for the massive storm on Monday, I was sitting in Hartford’s Bradley Airport, about to catch one of the last flights out before
Hand Pumps: An Option for Back-Up Water Pumping
Last month Jerelyn and I enjoyed a four-day vacation in Maine—a combined trip to visit family, explore Acadia National Park, and go to the Common Ground Fair—my first visit there in two or three decades! The highlight of the Common Ground fair for me was coming across a little company,
Gasoline Shortages in Southern California
Gasoline prices in San Diego. Photo: Glenn Batuyong, Creative Commons license A series of disruptions in petroleum refineries in Southern California has resulted in surging gasoline prices in recent days and spot shortages. A New York Times article Saturday morning (10/6/12) described makeshift signs at gas stations that had run
