#flood mitigation programs

[oc-ology]

How to get past the fear of OC posting

People should create for the sake of creating but people post to engage with the community. However, posting can be intimidating and anxiety-inducing for a lot of people. It’s easy to say “do it scared” but much harder to put into practice. So, I’ve put together a few steps that lead up to doing it scared. These won’t work for everyone and this is meant more as general advice.

Step One: Why are you scared?

The first step is to figure out what about posting is scary for you. Oftentimes, it’s not as simple as “what if my post flops” or “what if people think I’m cringe”. Once you’ve figured out the surface-level reason, dig a little deeper. If your post flops, does that lead to you doubting the worth of what you’re creating? If you’re worried about what people think, is that because you’ve experienced judgement before or are worried your inbox will be flooded with criticism?

Identifying why you’re scared will not only help you understand yourself better (yippee!) but you can also then work on the source of your fears and anxieties at your own pace.

Step Two: Find ways to lessen your fears

One way of working through anxiety online is to find ways to mitigate the specific source of your fear.

Some fears have easier solutions than others. If you’re worried about people criticising your work, you can turn off anonymous asks (as most people are less likely to be haters when there’s a name attached to it) or turn asks off entirely, as well as limiting replies to those who have been following for a week. This way, if someone does want to be an unpleasant individual, it’s a little harder for them to do so.

A lack of engagement is a little harder to remedy. Here, the only real solution is to try and divorce the idea that engagement = worth. Remember why you’re creating an OC. Because it’s fun! It’s an act of creation! Because you want to find a community…? A community or OC friends will never just drop into your lap. You need to seek them out yourself. Look into discord servers, forums, tumblr networks (are they still a thing?), fandom events and exchanges, and most importantly: go out of your way to send asks/questions to others and build friendships with them! If you’ve got social anxiety like me, this is going to be a big challenge. Which leads to the next step…

Step Three: Start small

It doesn’t matter how small your first step is - so long as that step is forwards! If you’re nervous about OC posting, find the smallest thing about them and post it with the expectation of getting no notes. That’s right, I want you to go in and expect it to flop. Anything over one note is an automatic win. This first post isn’t about engagement - it’s about getting over the initial fear of posting. 

It can be tempting to just go right out the gate with elaborate explanations of backstory, lore implications, power levels, everything. But the trick really is to start small. Most people scrolling tumblr aren’t going to read a few thousand words on something they’re not invested in yet. TL;DR is a curse that I’m sure we’ve all fallen victim to. 

Instead, break up information about your OC into small pieces that can be posted one by one and have some kind of visual piece with it. People are usually more drawn to images than text. For example, which of these two things are more visually interesting?

What Perseus keeps in his bag:

Amulet

Tinderbox

A broken blade

50ft of hempen rope

25gp of silver powder

Waterskin

Rations (cheese, bread, sausage)

OR

Obviously this comes down to personal preference but a lot of people would find the illustrated version to be more interesting. You don’t need to be an artist to do this either! You could make a version of that example in photoshop or a similar program. Picrews, moodboards, edits, game screenshots and photography can all be used to add a visual element to your posts.

Step Four: Why am I still scared?

Fear is not easily stamped out. Anxiety is definitely the kind of thing that lingers. These steps aren’t meant to immediately make OC posting not-scary. That’s something that will only come with time as you get used to it. Again: Do it. Do it scared. Gradually, it’ll be less terrifying and in the meantime, you might be able to make a few friends who also want to talk about your blorbo.

[cognitivejustice]

Indigenous rainforestation

Indigenous communities in the Philippines’ Mt. Kalatungan protected area have since 2021 carried out a tree-planting campaign to restore native vegetation lost to decades of commercial logging and agriculture.

Known as rainforestation, it aims to rejuvenate vital ecosystem services like flood mitigation, which benefits urban areas downstream, while also providing incentives for the communities driving the restoration.

The rainforestation program is led by community groups, making use of their knowledge of native plants, and marks a shift from the government’s decades-long, centrally managed reforestation efforts that relied on planting nonnative species.

Communities are already benefiting from exports of the coffee that they grow in the shade of larger trees, but proponents of the scheme say there needs to be more interest and funding from outside to ensure long-term success.

[aurifulgore]

Ok, y’all. I just want it to be understood how important the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is.

Tampering with NOAA would have more impacts than just the main one I've heard - privatization of weather tracking. Of course it would be catastrophic. That means their weather forecasts, guidance, and warnings would not be available for free. Weather is going to go subscription based if this happens, I bet. This undoubtedly would cause the most immediate impact on our daily lives.

Before long, however, more will come.

NOAA also administers the Coastal Zone Management Act. Under this act are the National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs), National Coastal Management Program (CZM), and the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP). 

There are 30 reserves established totalling 1.3 million acres. More are on the way.

No, this isn’t just our oceans! This impacts our freshwater coasts of the Great Lakes.

Grants and funding for institutions, including the University of Michigan. They manage the Science Collaborative, which funds research and exchanges to address coastal management needs of all 30 reserves or projects in collaboration with them.

Blending new technologies with indigenous knowledge with regards to management of wetlands and estuaries, strengthen food and economic stability, water quality, coral reefs, and resilience against climate change (ie. Ola i ka Loʻi Wai, Hawai’i) 

Restore ownership of indigenous ancestral lands (ie. Conservation of Cape Foulweather Headland, Oregon)

Identify for underwater archaeological sites for research and surveys, create a draft tribal climate action plan (ie. Penobscot Nation’s involvement in the Northeast Regional Ocean Council, Maine)

Work with each participating state (regarding the CZM, as it’s voluntary to participate) to address challenges along their coastlines. Maybe reach out to your representatives to see why they’re not involved - looking at you, Alaska!

Population enhancement of coral reefs, manage the Coral Reef Information System, minimize negative impacts of fishing on reefs, mitigate impacts of land-based pollution on coral reefs (Coral Reef Conservation Program)

And much, much more.  I’ll note that the aspects of the projects I highlighted above aren’t all they do. These are just a few I want to highlight here. Links can lead you further and I encourage you to take a few minutes to explore.

Another important note: both our oceans and freshwater lakes impact our biggest trade partners!! If dismantled, it would be yet another way that our foolish president will negatively impact our economy and relationships with our most crucial neighbors of Canada and Mexico. NOAA’s efforts also help support one third of the US's commerce. One third. 

Here is a map which breaks down the 1.3 BILLION in awards from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. This includes goals towards economic development, flood, etc…

Oh and they also help with oil spills. No one likes those.

And space weather, geomagnetic storms/solar flares ie. impacts to GPS, power grids.

I really stress people to look at what the agency does overall, as well as what they do in your state. It’s more than just weather. You can find that information here. 

Just please understand what we will lose if NOAA is gutted, or even just incapacitated for a long time. We already have little time to lose to slow the impacts of climate change and these are just some of the ways they're leading the charge with that.

It’s vital for us to understand what we will fundamentally lose, and it doesn't end at weather/hurricane predictions.

On a personal note, my dad has put what I can only estimate as hundreds of hours of work into one that was begun before the pandemic. If you can, I’d appreciate it if you’re in that area that you participate when you can, or if anything, donate to the UW Green Bay’s NERR General Fund. He’s also involved with portions of the Lake Superior NERR, so your time, if possible, or a donation if you can, would mean a lot to us.

[wonlouvre]

prologue: good, but not together | masterlist

pairing: attorney!female oc x doctor!jeon wonwoo genre: fluff, angst, arranged marriage, modern royalty word count: 1.4k author’s note: the prologue is finally here! thank you all so much for waiting <3 let me know your thoughts! (i think this will be a whole lot different this time around, so if you read ifliys, you will notice it!)

Witnessing how Wonwoo fell in love made your heart drop to your stomach. The way he smiled, laughed, and brightened all over was a sight to behold. But knowing that it was because of someone that wasn’t you, it was hard to admire such a sight while holding back the pain stabbing to your chest. 

You and Wonwoo were promised at birth, both coming from kingdoms with years of deep relationships and connections. It was only natural for Their Majesties to have their children wed for the tradition to continue. However, at a young age, the Crowned Prince was already stubborn and defiant. The scorn expression of his face the first time you met at the age of sixteen was unforgettable. 

It was easy to agree with the Prince’s feelings with how he treated you, his future wife. But, seeing him almost every single day at university despite differing undergraduate programs made it difficult to dislike him. Especially, when he’s good with everything. It makes your eyes roll whenever news of his achievements reaches your household and your parents gush over him, he could most likely be their son. 

You admired him from afar, yes. It was supposed to be just like that. A simple crush. But when you finally catch a glimpse of who’s making him happy, you realize that the stinging pain inside your heart and sickening feeling inside your stomach tells you otherwise. 

You have every power and right against her.

You’re a royal and she’s not.

You’re the one betrothed to Wonwoo. 

But then again, you’re not her. 

Stumbling upon that truth woke you up. It would be pathetic to abuse your power over something so trivial compared to matters involving your kingdom and people. 

That’s why you ignored them and your feelings for the rest of the years you spent in the university. It was a silent agreement between you and Wonwoo that his parents and your parents will never find out. Even if you crossed paths in the library, the open grounds, and everywhere else, you saw nothing. 

Not until one night, over dinner hosted by Wonwoo’s family, the tension rose up when His Majesty exposed his son’s secret relationship. Your eyes met with Wonwoo’s across the table and you’re equally terrified as he was. It’s not helpful your parents reprimand you as well for aiding him in his secrecy as if what he did was a crime. 

Yes, he broke your heart. But, you would never hold that against him. 

His father, The King, ordered his only son to make a choice. A choice between giving up his throne or giving up the love of his life. It was cruel and you saw how the light in Wonwoo’s eyes died. 

At twenty-seven years old, you witnessed Wonwoo’s world fall apart. 

Wonwoo decided to leave his kingdom less than two weeks after breaking things off with his girlfriend. Putting your respective royal public affairs office under pressure to mitigate the flood of rumors and fake news surrounding his love life, crown, and even the most awaited union. His leave of absence was guised as furthering his studies, a statement released by the Kingdom eventually. When in reality, he really had to leave for the sake of his sanity. He was given permission by the Their Majesties under the condition that there will be no more about her. 

Wonwoo left with no goodbyes and you don’t blame him. If anything, he could blame you for being the Crowned Princess instead of the one he truly loves. He could blame you because he couldn’t be selfish and choose what his heart wanted. He could blame you for being born to a kingdom that his badly needs. 

But no, Wonwoo silently left and you don’t know if it’s relieving or not. 

A part of you should be happy that everything is falling into place. You should be happy because you didn’t have to do anything to get her out of the picture. You should be happy because Wonwoo could be all yours now. But, why do you still feel sad? 

Why is Wonwoo still not yours? 

Because a bigger part of you can’t bear to see him hurting. You have seen him smile and laugh before. You have seen him happy before. But with everything that has happened, you probably won't anymore and you’re afraid you really are the one to blame. 

You and Wonwoo are still betrothed to each other. The wedding is postponed to another three years or until the time the Crowned Prince returns. That is if he ever returns. It hurts that he had to leave. But it also hurts to see him in pain. 

You just want to look at things in a different light and maybe focus on yourself a little bit more. With Wonwoo around, you tried your best to conform to being the suitable wife for him. This time you’ll do your best to be the worthy Crowned Princess for your Kingdom and people. 

You’ll get used to it. You’ll grow out of it. You’ll forget about it. 

You love Wonwoo, but maybe your love isn’t really meant for him to even begin with. 

–

Even just for a brief moment, Wonwoo believed that in some way, his love would triumph over all things. Their love. He thought their plans, their hopes, and their dreams would come to be until the very end. He wanted to introduce her to his family. She was kind, smart, and beautiful. 

She was the love of his life and there were too many good things to say about her. 

His heart aches over the thought that even with the power he has, he couldn’t be hers. His love couldn’t be hers. All his tears and anger didn’t matter. The mess in his room and the mess in his head, they all didn’t matter. Even when he begged on his knees, His Majesty couldn’t acknowledge his heartbreak. 

When Wonwoo left, he wasn’t quite sure where he should be going. He had some places in mind, but at the same time he couldn’t choose where exactly he wanted to be. In his head, he just had to go. He had to leave. He had to leave because his home was tearing him apart. 

He didn’t promise anything to her after the relationship ended. It was too selfish of him to do so. It was already cruel enough to let the person he loves go through so much pain and humiliation, what more to give her false hope. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he continued her suffering. 

Wonwoo was already across the globe and trying to settle down when he remembered you. It wasn’t intentional, but he lost track of the other people in his life. He asked his closest friend, Soonyoung, about you. He knows he should have reached out to you directly, but he’s too embarrassed at the time. Unfortunately, Soonyoung had nothing to say other than you seemed to be fine and heavily guarded by your security 24/7, on and off campus. 

Eventually, Wonwoo gave you a call. His number was unknown and he wasn’t quite sure if you'd give him an answer, but you did. 

“Hello?”

Wonwoo was silent for a few seconds before he cleared his throat, “Hey, it’s Wonwoo.”

He heard your faint gasp before replying, “Oh. Hey. How are you?”

His small smile was bittersweet. He’s happy to hear someone calmly ask him if he’s doing okay, but also sad because he still doesn’t understand why he had to go through all of this. 

“I’m good, I’m good,” he said twice, trying to convince you and himself. “I just… I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything and for disappearing.”

Wonwoo listened to you tell him that you’re grateful for his apology and that it’s okay, he has nothing to worry about. He doesn’t know why, but it’s comforting to hear what you had to say. You were on good terms, but you were never friends. Sometimes, a part of him thinks he doesn’t need to explain anything to you. But, another part of him also thinks he owes you for everything you have done just to keep everything under wraps. 

The call didn’t last long. You told him your thanks and promised that not a single soul will ever know about his phone call and whereabouts. You also whispered to him in the hopes that he wouldn’t hear, that you miss him and you’re hoping that he’s doing well despite all that had happened. 

Wonwoo heard and he cried that night, wishing to forget and let go until he fell asleep. 

---

buy me a coffe? ☕

[saywhat-politics]

Law Holds Fossil Fuel Companies Responsible for Impact of Pollution on New York Communities

Bill Signed to Broaden State Ban on Hydraulic Fracturing

Actions are Latest Move to Strengthen State’s Climate Actions and Environmental Protection Laws to Prevent Harmful Impacts to New Yorkers

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed landmark legislation to bolster New York’s efforts to protect and restore the environment by requiring large fossil fuel companies to pay for critical projects that protect New Yorkers. Legislation S.2129-B/A.3351-B creates a ‘Climate Superfund’ to support New York-based projects that bolster New York’s resiliency to dangerous climate impacts like flooding and extreme heat.

“With nearly every record rainfall, heatwave, and coastal storm, New Yorkers are increasingly burdened with billions of dollars in health, safety, and environmental consequences due to polluters that have historically harmed our environment,” Governor Hochul said. “Establishing the Climate Superfund is the latest example of my administration taking action to hold polluters responsible for the damage done to our environment and requiring major investments in infrastructure and other projects critical to protecting our communities and economy.”

This landmark legislation shifts the cost of climate adaptation from everyday New Yorkers to the fossil fuel companies most responsible for the pollution. By creating a Climate Change Adaptation Cost Recovery Program, this law ensures that these companies contribute to the funding of critical infrastructure investments, such as coastal protection and flood mitigation systems, to enhance the climate resilience of communities across the state.

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - January 8-14

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles!

1. In Chicago, all city buildings now use 100 percent clean power

“As of January 1, every single one of [Chicago’s municipal buildings] — including 98 fire stations, two international airports, and two of the largest water treatment plants on the planet — is running on renewable energy, thanks largely to Illinois’ newest and largest solar farm.”

2. California Rice Fields Offer Threatened Migratory Waterbirds a Lifeline

“Cranes need nighttime roosting sites flooded to a depth of about 3 to 9 inches, so they can easily hear or feel predators moving through the water. [... Bird Returns pays] farmers to flood their fields during critical migration periods [... and] provide foraging sites by leaving harvested rice or corn fields untilled, so cranes can access the leftover grain.”

3. New York Climate Superfund Becomes Law

“[Funds recovered “from major oil and gas companies” will be used to pay for] the restoration of stormwater drainage and sewage treatment systems, upgrades to transit systems, roads and bridges, the installation of green spaces to mitigate city heat islands and even medical coverage and preventative health programs for illnesses and injuries induced by climate change.”

4. Austin says retooled process for opening overnight cold-weather shelters is paying off

“[... T]he city's moves to lower the temperature threshold to open shelters and announce their activation at least a day in advance were the result of community feedback. [Shelter operators also passed out hot food.]”

5. Helping Communities Find Funding for Nature-Based Solutions

““From coastal oyster reefs to urban stormwater greenways, nature-based solutions are becoming the new normal.” That’s because these types of projects are often less expensive to build and have additional community benefits, such as improving water quality or creating parkland.”

6. Saving the Iberian lynx: How humans rescued this rare feline from extinction

“Back in the early 2000s, fewer than 100 individuals roamed the wild, including only 25 reproductive females. [...] Conservation staff [...] shape these cats into resourceful hunters and get them ready for life outside the center. [...] They’re fine-tuning captive-breeding routines, improving veterinary procedures, and pushing for more wildlife corridors.”

7. Biden cancels student loans for 150,000 more borrowers

“The 150,000 new beneficiaries announced Monday include more than 80,000 borrowers who were cheated or defrauded by their schools, over 60,000 borrowers with total and permanent disabilities and more than 6,000 public service workers[...] bringing the number whose student debt has been canceled during [Biden’s] administration to over 5 million[....]”

8. PosiGen wins another $200M for lower-income rooftop solar

“PosiGen offers a ​“no credit check” [solar panel installation to] those with a higher percentage of their income going to power and fuel bills[....] “somewhere between 25 and 75 percent” of the consumer’s monthly energy savings could come from efficiency measures such as sealing heating and cooling leaks, replacing thermostats, and installing LED lights[....]”

9. Indigenous communities come together to protect the Colombian Amazon

“At this year’s COP, Indigenous peoples celebrated the [protection of] traditional knowledge, innovations and practices[... and] the Cali Fund, which ensures that communities, including Indigenous peoples, receive benefits from the commercial use of [...] genetic data derived from the biological resources that they have long stewarded.”

10. How the heartland of Poland’s coal industry is ditching fossil fuels - without sacrificing jobs

“[Katowice, a former coal city] committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 40 per cent compared to 1990, prioritising investments in green infrastructure, and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. [...”]The gradual departure from heavy industry did not bring high social costs in our city,” says Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice City.”

January 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this Chicago Tribune story:

Thirty million acres of unprotected wetlands across the Upper Midwest, including 1 million acres in Illinois, are at risk of being destroyed largely by industrial agriculture — wetlands that provide nearly $23 billion in annual flood mitigation benefits, according to new research. In the long term, these wetlands could prevent hundreds of billions of dollars of flood damage in the region.

“Wetlands can help mitigate flooding and save our homes. They can help clean our water. They can capture and store carbon. They support hunting and recreation, and they support the commercial fishing industry by providing habitats for the majority of commercially harvested fish and shellfish,” said study author Stacy Woods, research director for the Food and Environment program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nationwide nonprofit science advocacy organization.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court stripped protections from freshwater and inland wetlands in its Sackett v. EPA ruling, allowing private property development in wetland areas that don’t have a “continuous surface connection” to permanent bodies of water.

But environmentalists say wetlands are rarely truly “isolated” from a watershed, no matter how inland they may be. Some experts worry that after President-elect Donald Trump takes office, he might roll back President Joe Biden’s effort to counter the Supreme Court ruling by expanding federal regulations of small bodies of water and wetlands under the Clean Water Act. Undoing those protections would leave control of wetlands up to the states, some of which — like Illinois — have no strong safeguards in place.

Half of the nation’s wetlands have disappeared since the 1780s, and urban development and agriculture in Illinois have destroyed as much as 90% of its original marshy, swampy land. Nowadays, its wetlands are vastly outnumbered by the 26.3 million acres of farmland that cover almost three-fourths of the state.

While urban and rural development and climate change disturbances contribute to the problem, the expansion of large-scale agriculture poses the biggest threat to wetlands, according to the study. Advocates see an opportunity in the next farm bill in Congress to support and encourage farmers to protect wetlands on their property.

A wetland is a natural sponge, said Paul Botts, president and executive director of The Wetlands Initiative, a Chicago-based nonprofit that designs, restores and creates wetlands.

By absorbing water from storms and flooding, wetlands can effectively reduce the risks and destructive effects of these disasters, which are intensifying and becoming more frequent because of a changing climate. Previous research estimated that 1 acre of lost wetland can cost $745 in annual flood damage to residential properties, an amount that taxpayers fund through local, state or federal assistance programs.

[cleoselene]

Sharing this on behalf of a Marine Biologist friend, not my words.

Tumblr loves sea creatures, and this is important. Have a cool pic of an octopus before digging into this big post from someone who is in the trenches (but not the really deep ones like the Mariana):

"Hi all! I have a personal request for everyone!

I need you to write a letter/email. Please write your congressional representative in support of the value that your state (or state(s) you love) Sea Grant Program means to you personally. Please send a copy of your email/letter to your state Sea Grant director as well. I can tell you for a fact that these messages are critically important and do in fact make a difference.

If you do not want to write your representatives, please still write your Sea Grant directors.

Unsure about what/who the Sea Grant Programs are? The Sea Grant Programs were created specifically to connect science between local, state, and national needs. Sea Grants make sure up-to-date science is informing decisions made in our home states and regions. Each of the State programs conducts marine and coastal research, education, and outreach tailored to their regional needs. If you’ve ever been to the beach and seen rip current education signs, seen disaster readiness material, enjoyed a coastal natural area, enjoyed fishing, ate local seafood, have a military installation near you, and much more, you’ve been positively impacted by your state’s Sea Grant Program.

Economic Benefits: Sea Grant programs provide direct economic benefits contributing to job creation, industry resilience, and sustainable economic growth.

• Works with local businesses, tourism operators, and maritime industries to enhance profitability and ensure longevity of businesses.

• Supports jobs in fisheries, marine engineering, coastal construction, and tourism through workforce development, training programs, and fellowships.

• Provides technical assistance to commercial fishers, shipbuilders, and port workers, including development of new and innovative technology that improves entire industries.

Fisheries & Aquaculture: Sea Grant programs support seafood production and sustainable fisheries management to ensure the health of marine ecosystems and economies.

• Offers training on best practices for commercial and recreational fishers.

• Helps reduce bycatch and overfishing through gear modifications and conservation efforts.

• Advances shellfish farming techniques (e.g., oysters, mussels, clams) to boost seafood production while improving water quality.

• Provides resources to help small-scale aquaculture businesses thrive.

• Monitors seafood safety and waterborne diseases to protect public health.

• Conducts research on invasive species like zebra mussels, lionfish, and green crabs; and, develops early detection and removal strategies to prevent ecological and economic harm.

Public Safety & Community Resilience: Coastal communities face unique challenges, from hurricanes and flooding to rising sea levels and water pollution. Sea Grant programs work to keep people safe through risk mitigation, education, and emergency preparedness.

• Helps communities create hurricane evacuation plans and build disaster-resilient infrastructure.

• Provides flood mapping and modeling to predict storm surges and coastal erosion.

• Develops tools like real-time weather alerts and emergency response strategies.

• Monitors pollution levels in oceans, rivers, and lakes to ensure safe drinking water.

• Identifies and mitigates harmful algal blooms (like red tide) that threaten human and marine life.

• Leads efforts to reduce plastic pollution in oceans, including microplastics research.

• Runs community beach cleanups and educational programs on waste reduction.

• Helps coastal communities upgrade ports, harbors, and public infrastructure to withstand extreme weather.

• Promotes nature-based solutions (e.g., living shorelines) to prevent coastal erosion and property damage.

• Partners with local governments to design smarter zoning laws for flood-prone areas.

Military Readiness & National Security: Sea Grant programs help ensure the safety and effectiveness of naval operations, coastal military installations, and maritime security.

Protecting Naval Bases & Infrastructure

• Assists military installations in climate resilience planning to prepare for sea-level rise and extreme weather.

• Works on coastal erosion control to protect bases and training grounds.

• Supports advancements in sonar, remote sensing, and underwater drones for naval and marine research.

• Provides oceanographic data crucial for submarine navigation and surveillance.

Education & Workforce Development: Sea Grant invests in the next generation of scientists, engineers, and marine professionals.

• Supports STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education focused on marine science.

• Provides internships and fellowships for students pursuing marine research careers.

• Runs public engagement programs to promote environmental stewardship.

• Helps local governments understand disaster preparedness, flood management, and coastal zoning laws.

State & Regional Sea Grant Programs

East Coast and Caribbean

• Connecticut Sea Grant – University of Connecticut, Director: Sylvain De Guise (sylvain.deguise@uconn.edu)

• Delaware Sea Grant – University of Delaware Director: Joanna York (jyork@udel.edu)

• Georgia Sea Grant Director: Mark Risse (mrisse@uga.edu)

• Maine Sea Grant – University of Maine, Director: Gayle Zydlewski (gayle.zydlewski@maine.edu)

• Maryland Sea Grant – University of Maryland Director: Fredrika Moser (moser@mdsg.umd.edu)

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant – Director: Michael Triantafyllou (mt@mit.edu)

• (Massachusetts) Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Sea Grant – Director: Matthew Charette (mcharette@whoi.edu)

• New Hampshire Sea Grant – University of New Hampshire Director: Erik Chapman (erik.chapman@unh.edu)

• New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium

• New York Sea Grant – Cornell University & SUNY Director: Rebecca Shuford (rebecca.shuford@stonybrook.edu)

• North Carolina Sea Grant – NC State University Director: Susan White (snwhite3@ncsu.edu)

• Pennsylvania Sea Grant – Director: Sarah Whitney (swhitney@psu.edu)

• Puerto Rico Sea Grant – Director: Ruperto Chaparro Serrano (ruperto.chaparro@upr.edu)

• Rhode Island Sea Grant – University of Rhode Island Director: Tracey Dalton (dalton@uri.edu)

• South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium Director: Susan Lovelace (Susan.Lovelace@scseagrant.org)

• Virginia Sea Grant – Virginia Institute of Marine Science Director: Troy Hartley (thartley@vims.edu)

Great Lakes Region

• Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant – University of Illinois & Purdue University Director: Tomas Höök (thook@purdue.edu)

• Michigan Sea Grant – University of Michigan & Michigan State University Director: Silvia Newell (senewell@umich.edu)

• Minnesota Sea Grant – University of Minnesota Director: John Downing (downing@d.umn.edu)

• New York Sea Grant – Cornell University & SUNY Director: Rebecca Shuford (rebecca.shuford@stonybrook.edu)

• Ohio Sea Grant – Ohio State University Director: Christopher Winslow (winslow.33@osu.edu)

• Pennsylvania Sea Grant – Director: Sarah Whitney (swhitney@psu.edu)

• Wisconsin Sea Grant – University of Wisconsin Director: Christy Remucal (Interim Director) (remucal@wisc.edu)

Gulf of Mexico

• Florida Sea Grant – University of Florida Director: Sherry Larkin (slarkin@ufl.edu)

• Louisiana Sea Grant – Louisiana State University Director: Julie Lively (julieann@lsu.edu)

• Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium Director: LaDon Swann (ladon.swann@usm.edu)

• Texas Sea Grant – Texas A&M University Interim Director: Laura Picariello (lpicariello@tamu.edu)

West Coast and Pacific

• California Sea Grant – Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego Director: Shauna Oh (caseagrant@ucsd.edu)

• University of Southern California Sea Grant – Director: Karla Heidelberg (kheidelb@usc.edu)

• Oregon Sea Grant – Oregon State University Director: Karina Nielsen (karina.nielsen@oregonstate.edu)

• Washington Sea Grant – University of Washington Director: Kate Litle (Interim Director) (kalitle@uw.edu)

• Alaska Sea Grant – University of Alaska Fairbanks Director: Ginny Eckert (ginny.eckert@alaska.edu)

• Hawai‘i Sea Grant – University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Director: Darren Lerner (lerner@hawaii.edu)

• Guam Sea Grant – University of Guam Director: Austin Shelton (shelton@uog.edu)

Please, if you love the sea critters, do this!! You know this website owes so much to the crabs.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ray Hartmann at Ray Hartmann's Soapbox:

This is what you might call an unnatural disaster. It has been four days and counting since a killer EF-3 tornado devastated St. Louis – killing five people, injuring dozens more, destroying more than 5,000 buildings and wreaking more than $1 billion in damages. It’s one of the most severe tornadoes to hit the U.S. in recent years. But the one radar the storm has not landed upon is that of the Trump Administration. The decimated Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hasn’t mustered a yawn in response to the tragedy. Not a peep. FEMA has had its famous ups and downs over the years, but in 2011, when another killer Midwestern tornado – admittedly an even deadlier one – annihilated Joplin, FEMA was on the ground in less than 24 hours coordinating an awesome relief effort. Of course, there was a grownup in the White House back then. Let’s be clear: What’s happened to FEMA in the past four months is not the stuff of normal partisan discord. It’s part of a full-scale assault on the very notion that the federal government should care for the most vulnerable people it purportedly serves; rather than only those who invested wisely in ownership of ruling politicians. In related news, world’s richest man Elon Musk giddily inflicted a chainsaw massacre on unfavored parts of the federal government before slinking away. Don’t think for a second that this very partial list of his DOGE treachery isn’t directly related to the new normal felt today by the victims in St. Louis: · Roughly 20% of FEMA’s staff is gone. Thanks to DOGE’s layoffs and buyouts, the agency lost over 1,000 experienced emergency workers in recent months. · $646 million was cut from FEMA’s preparedness and state grant programs. That includes funding Missouri communities rely on to train first responders, modernize emergency systems and prepare for exactly this kind of disaster. · Hazard mitigation funding was pulled back for the first time in nearly 30 years. Trump’s FEMA decided this spring to stop automatically providing post-disaster mitigation funds — which help communities rebuild stronger and safer. That policy is now the default, even as tornadoes and floods intensify, and St. Louis is about to understand what that means. · FEMA Corps was eliminated. The youth-led AmeriCorps program that deployed to disaster zones is gone. That’s hundreds of would-be helpers who will never be dispatched to St. Louis or anywhere else. This is just a sampling of the damage inflicted by Trump’s “Project 2025” ideological surrogates — all in the name of “returning primacy” to the states to handle disasters. Pretty ironic that one of the first states punished severely for the arrogance of these heartless bastards is also one of America’s Trumpiest: Missouri. Gov. Mike Kehoe faces an uphill battle at best to meet the challenges facing St. Louis — not because he won’t try, but because it’s hard to imagine that he can muster the needed resources. That’s in part because of his Republican Party’s obsession with shrinking state government, but more broadly it’s a consequence of FEMA having checked out.

Ray Hartmann wrote a good Substack column on the recent tornado event in the St. Louis area juxtaposed with the Trump Regime/DOGE’s cuts to FEMA.

[mariacallous]

Upheaval at the nation’s top disaster agency is raising anxiety among state and local emergency managers — and leaving major questions about the whereabouts of billions of federal dollars it pays out to them.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency still has not opened applications for an enormous suite of grants, including ones that many states rely on to pay for basic emergency management operations. Some states pass on much of that money to their most rural, low-income counties to ensure they have an emergency manager on the payroll.

FEMA has blown through the mid-May statutory deadline to start the grants’ application process, according to the National Emergency Management Association, with no word about why or what that might indicate. The delay appears to have little precedent.

“There’s no transparency on why it’s not happening,” said Michael A. Coen Jr., who served as FEMA’s chief of staff under former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

FEMA’s system of grants is complex and multifaceted and helps communities prepare for and respond to everything from terrorist attacks to natural disasters.

In April, the agency abruptly rescinded a different grant program that county and local governments were expecting to help them reduce natural hazard risks moving forward. The clawback of money included hundreds of millions already pledged. FEMA also quietly withdrew a notice for states to apply for $600 million in flood mitigation grants.

On top of that, on June 11, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem began requiring that she review all FEMA grants above $100,000. That could slow its vast multibillion grants apparatus to a crawl, current and former FEMA employees said.

[bumblebeeappletree]

How can we work with water, rather than against it, to prevent flooding? Professor Kongjian Yu of Peking University, a pioneer of the “sponge city” concept, dives into holistic, nature-based solutions that can be used in water management. He describes how water is like a beast when it’s backed into a corner: it always wins. But if we can adapt and mitigate, we can work with water to solve the problem both locally and globally. Drawing on the story of how he almost drowned as a child during monsoon season, he advocates for naturalized waterways, which can capture carbon as well as act as a sponge to absorb excess water. He envisions a world where everyone can participate in the sponge cities concept! 

Thanks to the James and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation for organizing Professor Yu's visit and for supporting this collaboration with the Stone Living Lab.

Earthshot:    • Earthshot  

Among the world's largest science centers, the Museum of Science engages millions of people each year to the wonders of science and technology through interactive exhibitions, digital programs, giant screen productions, and preK – 12 EiE® STEM curricula through the William and Charlotte Bloomberg Science Education Center. Established in 1830, the Museum is home to such iconic experiences as the Theater of Electricity, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, and the Mugar Omni Theater. Around the world, the Museum is known for digital experiences such as Mission: Mars on Roblox, and traveling exhibitions such as the Science Behind Pixar. Learn more at https://www.mos.org/

Copyright © 2024. Museum of Science. All rights reserved. This video is owned by the Museum of Science and may not be reproduced, redistributed, or used in any manner without prior written permission from the Museum of Science.

[jadestormcloud2]

"A group of 20 states sued the Trump administration on Wednesday seeking to block what they say was an illegal termination of a program that provided federal funding for natural disaster mitigation projects.

...

The states suing are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Most have Democratic state leadership and have filed other lawsuits challenging Trump administration actions. North Carolina was ravaged by mudslides and flash flooding last fall after Hurricane Helene made landfall in late September.

The lawsuit comes as FEMA in recent weeks has faced scrutiny about its response to floods in Texas that killed more than 130 people, including at least 37 children. It also comes just days after heavy rains and flooding inundated communities in states ranging from New York and New Jersey to New Mexico."

[considerourknowledge]

Report: X-Men Better Hurry the Fuck Up And Fix This Dark Timeline

With the passage of Donald Trump's evil as shit measure extending tax cuts and slashing the social safety net, as well as deadly floods in Texas that could have been mitigated had Trump and Elon Musk not cut key programs, it is becoming clearer that we are in a dark alternate timeline. The only thing to counteract this rapidly worsening situation is for the X-Men. led by Prof. Charles Xavier, to use their mutant powers to alter the past to change the future. "We have a plan and we are going to put it into place soon," said Xavier from his school for gifted youngsters in New York. "Our team will not allow this to escalate and have Elon Musk create the Sentinels."

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Hay River, N.W.T., has introduced a new fire-smarting program as the region prepares for another high-risk wildfire season.

At a public meeting about wildfire and flood preparedness Tuesday evening, town officials encouraged residents to put their hand up for the program. They also used the meeting as a chance to talk about the emergency communication issues that happened last year and what's being done to improve the situation this year.

Glenn Smith, Hay River's senior administrative officer, said the fire-smarting program offers assessments that identify potential fire hazards on properties and suggests ways to mitigate them.

"Sign up for an assessment. We'll go to the property, we'll give them a report saying this is where some of your issues lie. And here's how you might rectify them," he said.

This service also includes a seven-point plan and supports community members by providing free waste pickup. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Amazon drought disrupts river transportation, raises manufacturing costs in Brazil

Estimates suggest the dry season will impose R$1.3 billion in additional costs on the Manaus Free Trade Zone

The Negro River in Amazonas has reached 12.1 meters this year, its lowest level in over a century. In some tributaries, what used to be waterways has turned into fields dominated by wild rice and mud. A local saying encapsulates the situation: “During the floods, you lose everything, but the drought kills you.”

For the second consecutive year, the state of Amazonas is enduring a severe dry season. In 2023, the Negro River in Manaus measured 12.7 meters, the lowest level since official records began, in 1902. Still, that was more than half a meter higher than the level recorded in 2024. By comparison, the previous record low occurred in 2010, when the river reached 13.63 meters.

Last year, images of dead river dolphins and stranded cargo vessels were common due to the low water levels. This year, with conditions even worse, the scenes have repeated. In a region where rivers serve as the main transportation routes both within the state and beyond, the impacts range from daily life to the balance sheets of companies based in the Manaus Industrial Hub (PIM). The most severe effects are felt socially, as low water levels lead to forced isolation, supply shortages, and challenges in registering for social programs.

The Amazonas State Industry Center (CIEAM) estimates the drought has added over R$1.3 billion in costs for Manaus Free Trade Zone companies. This amount is slightly lower than the extra expenses reported in 2023. To mitigate the worsening effects of the drought, companies have extended their stockpiles and even relocated floating ports. Despite these measures, a survey of PIM sectors revealed that 87% of companies were affected by the so-called drought surcharge, which includes increased freight costs, storage fees for products in third-party warehouses, and additional charges from container transport ships.

Continue reading.