Flooding: too little defence, too late, as the waters rise. Is Britain suffering the consequence of long neglect of flood risks – and will the damage to homes and livelihoods just get worse.
See these dramatic photos, thanks to Chris Jones.
From HSWire.com, Protecting Cities From Floods Cheaper Than Postflood Damage Repairs. Some excerpts from the article:
Researchers say that global warming is here to stay, and thus it is time to start making plans for dealing with the inevitable flooding which will occur as ocean levels rise as a result of warmer water and melting snow and ice. Approximately a billion people currently live in areas which are most at risk — low-lying coastal areas. It is not likely that towns and cities will be moved farther inland, so other measures need to be taken. The researchers say that flood prevention strategies are well established, for example, building levees, barrier islands, etc., so it is not difficult to draw up estimates for such schemes for individual areas.
Planning carries a lower cost than reacting. * * * Researches have concluded that it would be more cost effective for the economies of most coastal areas to employ flood prevention strategies rather than pay to clean up after flooding that occurs as a result of global warming. In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers discuss likely flooding scenarios in the future as global warming cause ocean levels to rise, and the costs of building structures to prevent flood damage.
A PNAS release quotes the researchers to say that global warming is here to stay, and thus it is time to start making plans for dealing with the inevitable flooding which will occur as ocean levels rise as a result of warmer water and melting snow and ice. They note that approximately a billion people currently live in areas that are likely to be at risk — low-lying coastal areas. Since it is not likely that towns and cities will be moved farther inland, other measures need to be taken. The researchers say that flood prevention strategies are well established, for example, building levees, barrier islands, etc., so it is not difficult to draw up estimates for such schemes for individual areas. What is difficult is convincing cities and towns to spend billions of dollars on preventing floods which will not occur for many years.
The full text of the article cited in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences can be found here. Adapting to sea level rise cheaper than potential flooding costs.
After Hurricane Sandy, some owners and managers of large real estate properties took steps to improve their ability to deal with disasters. See NY Property Managers Devise Survival Plans for the Next Disaster.
U.S. sets up ‘climate hubs’ to help rural communities affected by extreme weather
The Obama administration plans to announce Wednesday the creation of seven “climate hubs” to provide information to rural communities facing extreme weather conditions.
The hubs by the U .S. Department of Agriculture will provide scientific knowledge to help farmers, ranchers and landowners battle risks associated with climate change, including drought, floods, pests and fires.
From a New Zealand news source, an article that warrants serious consideration. See Quake stress hurting our young. One in five kids shows signs of stress disorder. It deals with the aftermath of the Christchurch Earthquakes of 2011 and 2012, some excerpts from the article:
Research is showing that the Canterbury earthquakes have caused more trauma in young children than expected. So how bad is it and what can be done?
It could be serious. Researchers say they do not want to alarm, but a generation of children may be carrying around the unprocessed trauma of the Canterbury earthquakes.
Canterbury University school of health sciences associate professor Dr Kathleen Liberty says a study of 5-year-olds starting primary school in east and south Christchurch is finding that as many as one in five now exhibit the classic symptoms of post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“These kids are having difficulty coping which shows through being irritable and clingy. They are aggressive and withdrawn – both reactions to anxiety. They are having difficulties concentrating, difficulties learning, difficulties working in groups with other children.”
The level of trauma is unexpectedly high. Liberty says people are probably being caught out by the myth that young children are less formed and therefore more resilient to life shocks than adults.
The belief is that any psychological effect of the quakes ought to be forgotten quickly and so the problem is going unrecognised, she says. “Parents will just think their kids are acting up.”
Thanks for Ian McLean for pointing out this article.
At the annual meeting of the National Hazard Mitigation Assoc.on January 31st in Arlington, VA , President Ed Thomas surprised the Diva when he presented her with an award and a cash gift on behalf of the Association. The award is for the Diva’s work on the RecoveryDiva blog, an effort she has sustained for almost 4 years.
The certificate acknowledges the Diva’s work “… in communicating fully and fairly the depth and breadth of our share agenda to make the world a safer and better place.” The Diva is truly pleased and flattered for this recognition of her efforts with the blog. And the Diva meet several of her readers and got some feedback on the blog.
A special thanks to Don Watson for taking the photo.
New York City’s former mayor, Michael Bloomberg, has a new job. Bloomberg appointed U.N. envoy for cities, climate change
The billionaire media mogul has been appointed special envoy for cities and climate change, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced Friday.
Bloomberg will assist Ban in consultations with mayors and others “to raise political will and mobilize action among cities as part of his long-term strategy to advance efforts on climate change,” he added in a statement.
Those efforts include bringing solutions to the climate summit Ban is hosting in September in New York.
This new report is sure to garner a lot of attention in both the U.S. and Canada. See Report: Keystone pipeline would have minimal environmental impact
A new State Department report on the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline finds that the project would have a minimal impact on the environment, an assessment likely to increase pressure on the White House to approve it. But the report sets no deadline for doing so.
Given this evaluation of environmental impact, President Barack Obama and his administration will face increased pressure to approve the project, which enjoys widespread support among Republicans, and some measure of support among Democrats and allies of the administration, like labor unions.
The seriousness of the drought in CA really hits home when you realize that many cities may not have a supply of drinking water in a matter of months. See: California drought: Clock ticking on 17 communities’ water supply
Gov. Jerry Brown huddled Thursday with water managers looking for solutions to California’s worst drought on record. The 17 communities could run out of water in 100 days, the state warned.
On January 31, the state government made it clear that it may have to stop providing water to some localities. See this HuffPost article.
One of many recent article about rail transport of oil: Accidents Surge as Oil Industry Takes the Train.
Canada has a similar situation. See this article from Feb.3 re probabilities of oil spills there.
Recovery Diva 