This is one more sidebar article, not directly on the mark for recovery matters, but worth contemplating I think. See: How to work for a president who loathes the civil service
In Defense of Civil Servants
Reply
“Truth Decay”
Not quite on message for this blog, but worth thinking about. New Report from RAND: When Facts Become Optional
Positive Example of Large-Scale Refugee Management
It is always good to read about something done well, especially for a huge and demanding need. See: I visited the Rohingya refugee camps and here is what Bangladesh is doing right. An excerpt;
Bangladesh’s rapid response to the refugee crisis was possible due to country’s long-term experience with disaster management.
Electric Power Systems and Disasters
The National Academy of Sciences has a new book out and is planning a workshop on Jan. 30th, on this topic. Book information is here: Innovations for Development and Deployment of Sustainable Energy. [NAS books are available in hard copy and as a free download.]
Useful Flood Graphic
See this one page flood map/graphic from DHS.
Thanks to Chris Jones for the citation.
State of CA Lawmakers are Preparing for More Disasters
How California lawmakers are preparing for more natural disasters. Here is an excerpt from the LA times article:
Dozens of Californians lost their lives in wildfires and other natural disasters in recent months.
In response to the widespread emergencies, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislators want to change insurance rules, emergency alert systems and debris removal policies and spend more money on fire protection. If passed, these new laws would add to the many protections already enshrined in state law for those who have experienced natural disasters, including substantial relief from property taxes.
State officials are warning residents should expect more natural disasters due to the effects of climate change.
“Sadly, what these communities and these members’ residents have experienced is now going to be far too common in California,” Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said last week at a news conference surrounded by state lawmakers. “We no longer have a fire season. We have year-round fire season.”
Tough Questions re Houston Recovery
Four months after Hurricane Harvey, four major questions about recovery for 2018. Harvey’s historic floods left behind epic damage — and some urgent questions that will take months, if not years, to answer.
Update on Puerto Rico
FEMA chief: Puerto Rico still in emergency response mode. Hopes to achieve 95 percent power by end of March
Nearly four months after two hurricanes hit this island, the chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s operations in Puerto Rico says he has never before had to continue emergency relief efforts like delivering food, water and temporary roofing so long after a natural disaster.
“So this far into a disaster in my experience, at least in the last 20 years, we never do that, we’re never — the food and water would have stopped weeks ago. But we can’t, and one of the driving factors for that is power,” Michael Byrne, an acting regional administrator for FEMA, told The Washington Times.
World Economic Forum Report
The world’s biggest worries are environmental disasters, not economic collapse
For the second year running, business and political leaders think the world’s biggest threat is extreme weather, according to the latest Global Risks Report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) published today.
In recent years, economic risks such as market collapses, fiscal crises, and systemic financial failures, have dropped down the list of concerns, replaced with fears about the environment. WEF, which runs the annual conference in Davos for global elites, found that three of the five most likely global risks for 2018 were environmental—extreme weather, natural disasters, and failure to mitigate climate change.
Update: Here is a related article on Global Risks from Wharton faculty.
Science Panels in Jeopardy
Here are three accounts of the recent problems with scientific panels connected to federal agencies:
Trump Administration Deserts Science Advisory Boards Across Agencies. While top-level science positions remain vacant, scientific advisory panels have been quietly diminished, disbanded or stacked with industry scientists.
Trump Administration is Sidelining Science Boards
Update on Jan.24th: Scientists Sue EPA
Recovery Diva 