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Let's Stop Improvising Disaster Recovery

Sun, 2014-08-17 21:28 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by John Patten

rockinst.org - by James W. Fossett - July 2013

“We can surge troops and equipment, but you can’t surge trust.” - General Carter Ham

The American intergovernmental system needs to stop improvising the way it manages long-term recovery from major disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and the terrorist attacks of 9/11. From financing to decisions about the proper response to long-term climate change, the American system for disaster recovery is ad hoc, uncoordinated, and reinvented from scratch after every major disaster. As a result, recoveries have been lengthy and conflictual, imposed considerable welfare costs on families and businesses, and have resulted in only marginal improvement in the vulnerability of areas afflicted by these disasters.

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Northeast Hurricane Modeling Outdated

Sun, 2014-07-27 00:10 — Kathy Gilbeaux

URI professor of oceanography Isaac Ginis. (Tim Faulkner/ecoRI News)

submitted by Sarah Slaughter

ecori.org - by Tim Faulkner - July 26, 2014

NARRAGANSETT — Hurricanes bound for New England will get about 10 percent more powerful by 2100, but the state lacks the tools to access their impacts, according to University of Rhode Island professor Isaac Ginis.

Hurricanes are powered by warm water, and the predicted increase in ocean temperatures caused by climate change is expected to make hurricane season longer and the storms stronger in the years ahead. .

. . . Numerous studies and models suggest the frequency of category 4 and 5 hurricanes are expected to increase by 81 percent, while the volume of rainfall is expected to increase 20 percent by 2100, Ginis said.

However, a key current modeling method used to measure the impacts of hurricanes and set flood insurance maps is outdated, he said.

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Red Cross: How We Spent Sandy Money Is a Trade Secret

Sun, 2014-07-06 17:19 — Kathy Gilbeaux

(Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images)

The charity is fighting our public records request for information on how it raised and spent money after the superstorm.

propublica.org - by Justin Elliott - June 26, 2014

Just how badly does the American Red Cross want to keep secret how it raised and spent over $300 million after Hurricane Sandy?

The charity has hired a fancy law firm to fight a public request we filed with New York state, arguing that information about its Sandy activities is a "trade secret."

The Red Cross' "trade secret" argument has persuaded the state to redact some material, though it's not clear yet how much since the documents haven't yet been released.

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Chikungunya Virus Disease Cases Reported to ArboNET - United States, 2014 (as of June 2)

Tue, 2014-06-10 13:50 — Kathy Gilbeaux

*Chikungunya is not a nationally notifiable disease.

†Countries or territories visited include Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Indonesia, Martinique, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten.

‡Three additional cases were identified in residents of other countries visiting the United States.

http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/geo/americas.html

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Webinar - Resilience & Resilience Systems - Considerations for NYC Coastal Communities

Mon, 2014-05-12 22:34 — Kathy Gilbeaux

ncfpd.umn.edu - April 4, 2014

Webinar - Community Resilience and Impacts of Interdependent Infrastructure Disruptions as Experienced from Hurricane Sandy (One hour long)

Presented By:
Michael D. McDonald, Dr.P.H.
Chairman, Global Resilience Inititatives
Executive Director, Health Initiatives Foundation, Inc.

Facilitated By:
John T. Hoffman, Col., USA, Ret.
Senior Research Fellow, National Center for Food Protection and Defense

Under the dynamic conditions of rapid climate change and broader global changes, resilience and sustainability are not being achieved through traditional emergency management and humanitarian approaches alone. While community-based resilience networks are now beginning to emerge in a race to stabilize New York City's coastal communities significantly impacted by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, many impacted neighborhoods are still trending toward greater vulnerability plaguing recovery and preparedness for the next wave of potentially larger storms.

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Shelter From the Storms

Mon, 2014-05-05 12:21 — Kathy Gilbeaux

nytimes.com - by Sheri Fink - October 27, 2013

WHEN the floodwaters rose around New Orleans hospitals after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, doctors wondered whom to rescue first. Sick babies? Critically ill adults? The elderly?

More than seven years later, as Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, Bellevue Hospital’s basement filled with millions of gallons of floodwater from the East River. The physician heading the intensive care unit was told that most backup power was likely to fail. She would have six power outlets. Which of her 50 patients should get one?

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American Red Cross Spending for Sandy Relief Still Unclear

Wed, 2014-04-23 21:39 — Kathy Gilbeaux

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New York’s 2014 Energy Plan – GHG-Reductions Ahead

Wed, 2014-04-09 22:38 — Kathy Gilbeaux

vliscony.com

Green Finance reform should be the central focus of our climate change efforts, for under proper analysis reducing Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goes hand in hand with improving property values. The 2014 New York State Draft Energy Plan indicates a paradigm shift. The stated benchmark objectives are:

50% GHG emissions reduction by 2030
80% GHG emissions reduction by 2050

There is only one way to get anywhere close to that, and that is with massive adoption of renewable energy (RE), and in particular Site Derived Renewable Energy (SDRE), and green finance needs to catch up.

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NCFPD Webinar - Community Resilience and Impacts of Interdependent Infrastructure Disruptions as Experienced from Hurricane Sandy

Thu, 2014-04-03 17:43 — Kathy Gilbeaux

ncfpd.umn.edu - Friday, April 4, 2014

Under the dynamic conditions of rapid climate change and broader global changes, resilience and sustainability are not being achieved through traditional emergency management and humanitarian approaches alone. While community-based resilience networks are now beginning to emerge in a race to stabilize New York City's coastal communities significantly impacted by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, many impacted neighborhoods are still trending toward greater vulnerability plaguing recovery and preparedness for the next wave of potentially larger storms.

10amCT / 11amET (One hour long)

Presented By:
Michael D. McDonald, Dr.P.H.
Chairman, Global Resilience Inititatives
Executive Director, Health Initiatives Foundation, Inc.

Facilitated By:
John T. Hoffman, Col., USA, Ret.
Senior Research Fellow, National Center for Food Protection and Defense

CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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coalition of concerned Canarsie neighbors

Fri, 2014-03-21 11:37 — debbiefook

Subject: Stop Unfair NYC Property Tax Increases Now

Hi Neighbors

We created a petition to NYC Commissioner of Finance, Beth E. Goldman, City Councilman Alan Maisel, NYC Mayor Bill deBlasio:

"We, a coalition of Canarsie homeowners, tenants paying property taxes and purchasers hereby request:(1) NYC Department of Finance to lower assessed tax rate and (2) outreach to taxpayers by suspending the placement of property tax liens on property owners financially impaired by sewage back-ups and by the devastation of Superstorm Sandy. We ask that property owners be given more time and the opportunity to make reasonable payment arrangements. We encourage Canarsie property owners or their designated representative to contest property tax increases by March 17, 2014. Please sign this petition and submit Grievance Form RF-524 to NYC Dept of Finance./Office of Real Property Services."

Will you sign this petition? Click here:

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stop-unfair-nyc-property?source=c.em.cp&r_by=2862017

Thanks!

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Sustainable Development

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