by admin | Mar 14, 2015 | Climate, Disaster, Government, Political philosophy, Resilience, Science, Urban Planning
Now suppose I go to Florida but decide never to utter the word “mosquitos.” Will that make the little buggers go away? Or suppose I refuse to say “cockroaches.” Does that mean they would never infest my apartment or condo? Finally, let us imagine that, on my trip to...
by admin | Mar 9, 2015 | Climate, Disaster, Science
If you live in the Midwest, you’re over, say, 50 years old, and you’ve had the impression that floods are happening more frequently than they used to, your memory is not playing tricks on you. A pair of researchers at the University of Iowa have studied the daily...
by admin | Mar 3, 2015 | Climate, Disaster, Renewable Energy, Resilience, Technology
One of the most critical lifelines for survival for many citizens in a community stricken by disaster is the electrical grid. Without power, food spoils in refrigerators. Without power, one cannot recharge a cell phone, which may be a critical means of seeking help....
by admin | Feb 5, 2015 | Climate, Disaster, Disaster policy, Government, Philanthropy, Resilience, Urban Planning
Resilience has typically been defined as an ability to bounce back from, and to withstand, shocks and crises. These can include natural disasters but also terrorist strikes, sudden economic downturns, or major industrial accidents. The term was borrowed from the field...
by admin | Jan 28, 2015 | Disaster, Science, Technology
Tectonic plates, to be specific. Those who have studied geology, formally or informally (like, reading National Geographic or Discover) know that the earth is riddled with fault lines, many of which fall along the boundaries of tectonic plates in places like the...
by admin | Jan 27, 2015 | Blogging, Disaster, Disaster policy, Economic development, Government, Public safety, Resilience, Urban Planning
Two weeks ago, I introduced a new report produced by the American Planning Association under a contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. I had the honor of managing the production of Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: Next Generation over the four years...