#Flood Resilience Projects

[bigvolcano]

Tweed flood restoration continues two years on from disaster

A total of 3,742 road damage items were logged across the Tweed following the disaster, with additional damage to water and wastewater infrastructure, parks and sports fields, and some 90 Council-owned buildings impacted by the floodwaters.

Progress made but still a long way to go Residents survey the destruction of Blacks Drain along Tweed Valley Way at South Murwillumbah in the days following the February-March 2022 deluge. (Photo credit Toni Kelly Fleeton) Flood recovery remains a major focus of Tweed Shire Council, as the community marks two years since the worst natural disaster in the Tweed’s recorded history.Current…

[reasonsforhope]

"As climate disasters strain state budgets, a growing number of lawmakers want fossil fuel companies to pay for damages caused by their greenhouse gas emissions.

Last May [2024], Vermont became the first state to pass a climate Superfund law. The concept is modeled after the 1980 federal Superfund law, which holds companies responsible for the costs of cleaning up their hazardous waste spills. The state-level climate version requires major oil and gas companies to pay for climate-related disaster and adaptation costs, based on their share of global greenhouse gas emissions over the past few decades. Vermont’s law passed after the state experienced torrential flooding in 2023. In December [2024], New York became the second state to pass such a law. 

This year, 11 states, from California to Maine, have introduced their own climate Superfund bills. Momentum is growing even as Vermont and New York’s laws face legal challenges by fossil fuel companies, Republican-led states, and the Trump administration. Lawmakers and climate advocates told Grist that they always expected backlash, given the billions of dollars at stake for the oil and gas industry — but that states have no choice but to find ways to pay the enormous costs of protecting and repairing infrastructure in the face of increasing floods, wildfires, and other disasters.

The opposition “emboldens our fight more,” said Maryland state delegate Adrian Boafo, who represents Prince George’s County and co-sponsored a climate Superfund bill that passed the state legislature in March. “It means that we have to do everything we can in Maryland to protect our citizens, because we can’t rely on the federal government in this moment.” 

While the concept of a climate Superfund has been around for decades, it’s only in recent years that states have begun to seriously consider these laws. In Maryland, federal inaction on climate change and the growing burden of climate change on government budgets have led to a surge of interest, said Boafo. Cities and counties are getting hit with huge unexpected costs from damage to stormwater systems, streets, highways, and other public infrastructure. They’re also struggling to provide immediate disaster relief to residents and to prepare for future climate events. Maryland has faced at least $10 billion to $20 billion in disaster costs between 1980 and 2024, according to a recent state report. Meanwhile, up until now, governments, businesses, and individuals have borne 100 percent of these costs. 

“We realized that these big fossil fuel companies were, frankly, not paying their fair share for the climate crisis that they’ve caused,” Boafo said. 

Recent bills have also been spurred by increased sophistication in attribution science, said Martin Lockman, a climate law fellow at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. Researchers are now able to use climate models to link extreme weather events to greenhouse gas emissions from specific companies. The field provides a quantitative way for governments to determine which oil and gas companies should pay for climate damages, and how much. 

Vermont’s law sets up a process for the government to first tally up the costs of climate harms in the state caused by the greenhouse gas emissions of major oil and gas companies between 1995 and 2024. The state will then determine how much of those costs each company is responsible for, invoice them accordingly, and devote the funds to climate infrastructure and resilience projects. New York’s law, by contrast, sets a funding target ahead of time by requiring certain fossil fuel companies to pay a total of $75 billion, or $3 billion per year over 25 years. The amount each company has to pay is proportionate to their share of global greenhouse gas emissions between 2000 and 2024. Both Vermont and New York’s laws apply only to companies that have emitted over 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over their respective covered periods. That would include Exxon Mobil, Shell, and other oil and gas giants.

Maryland’s law is so far the only climate Superfund-related legislation to pass a state legislature this year, although Governor Wes Moore vetoed the measure late on Friday [May 16, 2025]. The original draft of the bill would have required major fossil fuel companies to pay a one-time fee for their historic carbon emissions. But over the course of the legislative session, the bill was amended...

Climate advocates decried the governor’s decision, calling it “an inexplicable reversal of a position that threatens to stymie Maryland’s climate progress for negligible budget savings.” In a joint press release by three environmental groups, Kim Coble, executive director of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, said, “This veto is not fiscal responsibility, it’s a definitive step in the opposite direction of our climate goals.”

In California, environmental groups are optimistic about the chances of a bill passing this year. This is the second year a climate Superfund bill has been introduced in the state, and the sponsors of the new bill have focused on building a broad coalition of environmental, community, and labor groups around the proposal, said Sabrina Ashjian, project director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the UCLA School of Law. This year’s legislation was introduced shortly after the devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January, which could amplify lawmakers’ sense of urgency. The bill has now passed out of each legislative chamber’s environmental committee and is awaiting votes in their respective judiciary committees. If passed, the bill will next move to the full Senate and Assembly for a final vote. 

In the meantime, legislators are keeping a close eye on ongoing legal challenges to Vermont’s and New York’s laws...

Climate experts told Grist that with huge amounts of money and liability at stake, lawsuits from the fossil fuel industry weren’t unexpected. Boafo said that given how much financial and political support the Trump campaign received from oil and gas corporations, it’s not a surprise that the Justice Department has sued New York and Vermont. Pursuing these laws invites inevitable opposition — but avoiding the growing costs of climate devastation is even riskier, advocates said. 

Lawmakers are “passing these bills because in writing budgets, in dealing with the day-to-day operation of their states, they’re facing really serious questions about how our society is going to allocate the harms of climate change,” said Lockman. “I suspect that the lawmakers who are advocating for these bills are in it for the long haul.”"

-via Grist, May 19, 2025

[humanspinelbrainrot]

watching the new TLOU season made me re-read The World Without Us (the book that guided the overgrown, decaying world design in the games) and I'm still not over it. it isn't a super depressing read - especially the 2022 edition with the new afterword - and it makes you appreciate how resilient the earth truly is. there's so many aspects of human society that would disappear very quickly after an apocalypse, and yet so many other things would last for ages.

like the average American home would completely crumble within 50-100 years, but traces of heavy chromium metal in our farmlands would last 70,000. your seventh grade pottery project from art class is going to last longer than your house. ancient stone structures from the Bronze Age will still be intact well after our modern skyscrapers have toppled over. barring flooding, the only thing that will gradually destroy subways will be tectonic movements. New York City would be torn apart within 20 years from the reemergence of long-buried rivers and marshes, but Mount Rushmore won't completely degrade until 7.2 million. 7.2 million. much of the Panama Canal would be emptied from dam failure after only a few years, yet the holes in the ground from open-pit mining will last millions of years. glass bottles and cast iron fire hydrants and ceramic bathroom tiles will be some of the only signs that humans had ever lived in Boston or Seattle, and these too will someday fully degrade. unless something evolves to be able to digest them, plastic bags and toys and bottles will form a layer of compressed plastic that will be visible within the geologic record.

our long-term impact on Earth is simultaneously finite and insurmountable. life is beautiful and will go on. everything is Ozymandias. and that's both terrifying and oddly reassuring.

[mikeymagee]

Sam Wilson: Double Consciousness

One thing I love about Black superheroes is that they all (in their own ways) celebrate different aspects of the Black experience.

T'challa, in the first Black Panther film represented Afro-futurism and Pan-Africanism.

Shuri, in Wakanda Forever, represented Black grief and the pain of loss.

Luke Cage represented African American pride and resilience

Tyrone from Cloak and Dagger represented the fear of living as a Black person in a white dominated space.

Miles Morales in Into the Spider-Verse, represented the creation of an individual identity (he even uses his graffiti skills to paint his own Spiderman suit). Each hero represented a specific aspect of the Black experience.

But Sam Wilson has always occupied a specific space that (until this moment) had yet to be filled. Sam Wilson, as an African American man, and as an African American Captain America, represents double consciousness.

(Potential Spoilers after the cut)

Double Consciousness, in this context, is a term that was coined by WEB Du Bois in his book The Souls of Black Folk in which he states that:

"It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness,—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife – this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost. He does not wish to Africanize America, for America has too much to teach the world and Africa. He wouldn't bleach his Negro blood in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of opportunity closed roughly in his face"

In essence, to be a Black American is to be a creature of two warring worlds, and it also means that the Black American must be ever aware at the fact that every move we make is not only going to be used to judge our character, but also the character of every other Black American. And Sam Wilson is aware of that fact.

In both The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam brings up the fact that he knows the world is watching him and hating him simply for being a Black man who represents the United States. When Sam is juxtaposed against Isaiah Bradley, another Black Captain America who the country abandoned, Sam is reminded of how this country has always treated Black men and women.

And, sadly enough, Sam could also be looking at his own future. During Brave New World, Sam is ever honorable, ever compassionate and ever empathetic to everyone around him (even when their actions do not warrant Sam's kindness). Because, once again, Sam is aware that his actions (whether negative or positive) will have a greater impact on more than just himself. And that kind of pressure can lead to bitterness. It can wear a body down.

Sam states:

"Because if I’m not on point, I feel like I’ve let down everyone who is fighting for a seat at that table.”

Isaiah Bradley has always had a rocky relationship with the US, just like all African Americans have, So it makes sense to me that Sam Wilson may also be thinking about Isaiah each time he picks up the shield. When African Americans create something (be it a movie, or a tv show, or a play) that centers on the Black experience, there is an added pressure to overperform to prove the validity of the project and the validity of Black narratives. When The Wiz, a film that was originally going to be seen as "The First Black Classic" bombed in 1978, many Hollywood producers and film historians credited that film's failure as the reason why Black-led franchises are/were seen as box office poison for so long. Even with the success of 2018's Black Panther film, there are still people who're gun shy about centering Black narratives in the mainstream. So, if Sam Wilson were to fail as being Captain America, or if Sam Wilson were to represent himself in a way that is less admirable, it would have an effect on Isaiah's legacy, it would have an effect on Joaquin, it would have an effect on (potentially) Isaiah's grandson.

And even still, during the prison scenes in BNW, when Isaiah is locked away and Sam comes to visit him, Isaiah states:

"The last thing I want is for any of this ugliness to touch you."

Within the MCU Isaiah and Sam's stories are linked. Not just through the fact that Sam brought Isaiah's story out into the light, but also because they are both Black men who have held the mantel of Captain America, and whether they like it or not, their destinies with that legacy are intertwined. One will affect the other. They are each other's keeper.

Sam Wilson, rather through happenstance or fate, is the embodiment of Double Consciousness. Luke Cage, in both his comic book series and his Netflix show, was free to exist as a person outside of the white gaze. He could be angry, sad, fearful, etc, and not have to worry about how his actions would affect the larger community outside of Harlem. Sam Wilson does not have the luxury. So, when Sam is faced with a microaggression (such as being called "Son" by Ross), he is forced to hold his tongue. Sam Wilson is expected to react with kindness and decorum in the midst danger or disrespect, not because he can't fight back, but because he knows how the weight of his actions will affect those who look like him.

And Sam Wilson, a Black man without the soldier serum, is still expected to do everything that Steve Rogers (and to a lesser extent John Walker) do. Sam Wilson must do twice as much work with half as many resources. And if that's not the embodiment of the African American experience, I'm not sure what is. Many African American genres of music were created out of necessity and transferring what knowledge we could salvage onto new instruments. In short, African Americans had to improvise with the tools they were already given and create something new. Jazz and Blues was created because Black slaves were not allowed to use drums, so those rhythmic patterns were transposed onto guitars and horns.

Sam is expected to carry a large amount of physical labor (simply fighting as a human being without the serum clearly takes a toll). But he's also expected to do a lot of emotional labor as well. Through BNW Sam acts more as an ambassador for the US than a soldier. It is canon that in the MCU Sam speaks English, Spanish, Arabic and Japanese and he uses those skills to extend diplomacy to other nations and other people. In BNW, it was Sam who was responsible for deescalating international tensions with Japan, and it was Sam who managed to avoid a war through peaceful negotiation rather than war mongering (as Ross wanted to do). Even during the fight with Red Hulk, Sam had to resort to other means to achieve results (something that Steve or John Walker would've just brute forced their way through). Even while Sam was being shot at in the air, he never lost his cool because (like many African Americans) he is not afforded that privilege. John Walker, in TFATWS is allowed to murder and stain the shield with blood, but no one would ever say that white men like Walker are the problem with America. Yet Sam (and Isaiah) are far too familiar with the fact that a Black man screwing up will result in the judgement of everything that is associated with Blackness and Black people. So, they must find solutions without the use of violence. Sam must be diplomatic when the easier solution would be violence. Sam must be able to communicate with others on their own turf or in their own language during tense situations (like when he spoke Japanese to the fighter pilots).

Sam Wilson does not have the serum, but he does have wings. So, he adapted. Sam Wilson does not have the super strength needed to work the shield the same way Steve does, so Sam adapted and improvised. Just like Jazz music, Sam Wilson turned a perceived fault into a creative strength. He had to use his linguistic skills, his counseling skills, his flight capabilities, psychology and his boundless optimism to do the impossible.

A very hurting thing for Black Americans - to feel that we can't love our enemies. People forget what a great tradition we have as African-Americans in the practice of forgiveness and compassion. And if we neglect that tradition, we suffer.

-Bell Hooks

The fact of the matter remains, Sam Wilson embodies so many aspects of the African American experience, even when he doesn't mean to. Compassion. Improvisation. And the constant idea that this country can choose its better angels. In a way, Sam Wilson occupies a space that Luke Cage, T'challa, Shuri, and even Erik Killmonger cannot. It is a piece of the African American experience that takes a slug in the face and still gets right back up. The Black American tradition of making the impossible a reality through nothing but sheer force of will. Steve Rogers might have been the one to say the words "I can do this all day," but Sam Wilson lives them.

And he comes from a centuries old tradition of people who have been living them.

[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.

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - May 8-14

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

1. An ink that boosts coral settlement by 20 times could help rebuild reefs worldwide

“Biologists have recently discovered that certain rocky pink algae, called crustose coralline algae (CCA), play an important role in attracting coral larvae and encouraging them to settle on the reef. [… Scientists] developed a transparent ink material infused with metabolites derived from CCA[, d]ubbed SNAP-X[….] By applying SNAP-X to rocks or other surfaces, researchers can create an inviting microhabitat that helps coral larvae settle and grow.”

2. New Legislation Offers Vital Support for Habitat Conservation in Cities and Towns

“The bill establishes a new dedicated investment of $1 million annually for the Urban Bird Treaty program[….] In addition to supporting birds, the program supports efforts that can deliver tangible benefits to people and businesses, from increasing green space and enhancing outdoor recreation to improving resilience to flooding and minimizing urban heat islands.”

3. Has Maine learned how to make heat pumps lower electricity costs for all?

“Over the next three years, the incentives in the plan are forecast to support 38,000 new whole-home residential heat pump systems — including 6,500 in low-income households — and weatherization for 9,900 houses. […] This strategy should decrease annual heating costs by more than $1,000 each for homes that switch to heat pumps [… and] suppress electricity rates by more than $490 million over the long term.”

4. Montana court strikes down ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors

“[Because t]he ban violates the rights to privacy and free speech guaranteed by the Montana Constitution, and it amounts to discrimination based on viewpoint, [… the court] issued a permanent injunction against its enforcement. […] Since the ruling is based on the Montana Constitution, not the U.S. Constitution, trans youth, their families, and health care providers are protected from any potential negative outcome at the U.S. Supreme Court[….]”

5. Solar, batteries and an EV charger win funding for energy resilience scheme

“[… T]he fund provides grants for projects across AusNet’s electricity distribution network […] that help build long-term community energy resilience and provide support to communities during severe weather events. [… Recipients include] nearly $50,000 for the Taggerty Community Progress Group to create a solar hybrid microgrid at its Community Hub which will act as an emergency hub for the local community.”

May 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.)

[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.

[lunamonroeao3]

Vi nods, and Caitlyn’s shoulders relax as she digs in the folds of her dress, withdrawing the same velvet pouch from before. She opens it, her fingers careful when she empties it into her other palm. And when Caitlyn opens her hand, Vi goes breathless.

In her palm sits a pendant, the flower practically blooming against her skin. The symbol is not lost on Vi, the powder blue bleeding into the brilliant white petals, equal parts delicate and resilient. The flower that shouldn’t exist, but now glows eternal in her lover’s palm, held together with a roped silver chain.

Vi can’t help but feel like the flower is alive, the details almost too exquisite to take in. The petals shimmer with an ethereal light, almost as if it were truly glowing. Vi cups Caitlyn’s hand in her own, her lungs still stuttering for breath. “Caitlyn, this is… it’s beautiful.” Vi looks down at her again, meeting her gaze through thick lashes. Her chest flutters like a thunderstorm at just how soft Caitlyn looks at her then. Nothing of the ways she would have ever imagined. “You cannot give me this.” Vi shakes her head as she says it, closing Caitlyn’s fingers around the pendant. It’s too beautiful for someone like her. Too fragile, and Vi knows she would shatter if she were to break it.

She expects Caitlyn to be angry at the rejection, but she only chuckles, her other hand prying their joint fingers open again. “It is a gift. I meant to give it to you in a few days, your name day coming but with everything I… I can’t bear for you not to have it now.”

Vi lets out a sharp exhale, overwhelmed with what floods her body. It’s the most precious gift anyone has ever given to her. “I’ll admit, this gift is also my claim on you,” she chuckles, her voice more steady now, taking the chain and lifting it over Vi’s head, her knuckles smooth against Vi’s skin. “But I hope this can protect you the way you protect me.”

Thank you to @peachesartplace for this amazing piece on this chapter!! 💕✨👑⚔️

[world-of-wales]

✦ UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS

The Prince and Princess of Wales will visit Pontypridd in South Wales on wednesday, 26 february, ahead of St David's Day on Saturday, March 1.

The couple will spend time with members of the local community, hearing about life in the town and the impact of the recent flooding.

ENGAGEMENT - I : Pontypridd Market

Their Royal Highnesses will begin their visit at Pontypridd Market, a community cornerstone since 1805.

The market, which houses businesses ranging from butchers and greengrocers to bookshops and textile companies, will welcome the royal couple to The Welsh Cake Shop.

At the establishment, which has served traditional Welsh cakes for over 25 years, the Prince and Princess will meet the current owner and have the opportunity to prepare and cook their own Welsh cakes during their visit.

ENGAGEMENT - II : Fountain Café

Following that, they will join local business owners at the market's Fountain Café. The discussion will focus on the market's vital role within the local community and its significance to Pontypridd.

Business owners will also share their experiences of the recent December flooding and its impact on their establishments.

ENGAGEMENT - III : Meadow Street Community Garden and Woodland

The royal couple will then visit Meadow Street Community Garden and Woodland, a community space established in January 2021.

The community project, developed in partnership with Pontypridd Town Council, aims to provide a safe and welcoming environment for residents to connect with nature.

William and Catherine will meet with volunteers who will share the story of the site's development and explain how the garden promotes well-being through nature and helps build resilience within the community.

They will also learn about the garden's swift recovery following the December floods, demonstrating the strong community spirit that helped restore this vital local space.

[thekoalapastriesbakery]

darling you are about to be flooded

(if i resent something just dm me the link and you can delete the ask)

autistic!oscar

that is all - spoon

you couldn't pay me to give up autistic!oscar <333

in the last ask for this concept, i talked about things oscar does/has done that made me project onto him (oops) so now let's talk about helping austistic!oscar through life :)

he doesn't like unexpected loud noises (expected noises like his car, music, fireworks, etc don't bother him because he can brace himself for it) so you always have noise cancelling headphones on hand

he's always half a second away from a panic attack in the paddock and when he gets overwhelmed he just kinda looks at you with his eyes a little wider than normal. to everyone else it looks normal but to you that's your signal to get him the fuck out of there

you keep his safe foods on hand! they're always stocked up in your apartment (especially the more meal-oriented ones) but you'll bring safe snacks with you literally everywhere. that way he doesn't feel too weird if everyone else is eating but he doesn't have anything safe.

you have to stop buying shirts with tags. oscar is resilient. he can handle a lot of things. but the stupid tag scratching and tickling the back of his neck? absolute no. get it off him right now. he'll default to wearing your clothes if you're not with him because they smell like you and help him regulate.

sometimes he's absolutely touch repulsed and will kinda just awkwardly tense up if you get too close. most of the time he'll kind of use you like his own personal heater/chair. if you're going anywhere with him you must expect him to sit on your lap no matter what. and also he's going to fall asleep on you at some point.

oscar is very particular about his pre-race rituals. he needs you to be there to make sure he has time to do all of it and also to give him his four good luck kisses (a forehead kiss and a normal kiss, both before and after he puts on the helmet)

he doesn't like talking to the media because it's so easy to misinterpret their tone so you stand behind whoever's interviewing him and give him hints about what they mean. it doesn't always work, but it makes it a lot less stressful for oscar if he knows he's not the only one struggling with tone.

after race rituals include completely flopping down on top of you while you binge watch either how i met your mother or bluey

[darkeagleruins]

NOAA funneled $1.2 million taxpayer dollars into bureaucratic planning exercises rather than tangible flood solutions for New Orleans—classic D.C. misprioritization. While communities face chronic flooding, this grant prioritizes "holistic water management visions" and public relations campaigns over fixing broken infrastructure or drainage systems. Compare that to United Houma Nation’s $56.5 million award for actual resilience hubs and migration strategies—even there, millions vanish into "capacity building" workshops instead of boots-on-ground fixes.

The real issue? Bloated climate initiatives under Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act shovel cash into equity-focused paperwork while ignoring practical engineering needs. New Orleans deserves levees that work, not another policy manual gathering dust on a bureaucrat’s shelf:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant (2024)

Amount: $1,208,108

Recipient: New Orleans Community Support Foundation

Purpose: Empower: enabling meaningful progress for water equity and resilience through the greater New Orleans regional water plan recipient:

This project builds on more than a decade of planning and collaboration across the greater New Orleans region to adopt a holistic, adaptive water management vision that centers the leadership of black, indigenous, and people of color communities.

This vision will enable greater cohesion in selecting community green infrastructure projects and ensure the investments address multiple climate hazards and realize multiple benefits.

This project will result in 1) a regional approach to making key water management and climate adaptation data more accessible to the community; 2) a policy manual for holistic, adaptive management of green infrastructure projects; and 3) a public communications campaign that highlights the collaboratives efforts and findings with media, events, workshops, and facilitated conversations about management efforts across the region.

[reasonsforhope]

"Amsterdam’s roofs have just been converted into a giant sponge that will make the city more climate resilient.

The Dutch have always been famous for their ability to control water, born out of the necessity of their homeland, much of which is below sea level.

Now, their expert water management skills are transforming the city skyline in the capital city of Amsterdam from one of terracotta tile, concrete, and shingles into green grass and brown earth.

It’s part of a new climate-resiliency trend in architecture and civic planning known as the ‘sponge city concept,’ in which a garden of water-loving plants, mosses, and soil absorbs excess rainwater before feeding it into the building for use in flushing toilets or watering plants on the ground.

If heavy rains are predicted, a smart valve system empties the stored rainwater into the municipal storm drains and sewers in advance of the weather, allowing the roof to soak up water and reduce flooding in the city.

In this way, the rooftops of buildings can be wrung out and filled up just like a sponge.

In Amsterdam, 45,000 square meters, or 11 acres of flat metropolitan rooftops have already been fitted with these systems, and the contracting firms behind the technology say they make sense in dry climates like Spain just as much as in wet climates like Amsterdam...

A 4-year project of different firms and organizations called Resilio, the resilient network for smart climate adaptive rooftops, rolled out thousands of square meters of sponge city technology into new buildings. As with many climate technologies, the costs are high upfront but tend to result in savings from several expenditures like water utilities and water damage, over a long-enough time horizon...

All together, Amsterdam’s sponge capacity is over 120,000 gallons.

“We think the concept is applicable to many urban areas around the world,” Kasper Spaan from Waternet, Amsterdam’s public water management organization, told Wired Magazine. “In the south of Europe–Italy and Spain–where there are really drought-stressed areas, there’s new attention for rainwater catchment.”

Indeed the sponge city concept comes into a different shade when installed in drought-prone regions. Waters absorbed by rooftops during heavy rains can be used for municipal purposes to reduce pressure on underground aquifers or rivers, or be sweated out under the Sun’s rays which cools the interior of the building naturally.

Additionally, if solar panels were added on top of the rooftop garden, the evaporation would keep the panels cooler, which has been shown in other projects to improve their energy generation.

“Our philosophy in the end is not that on every roof, everything is possible,” says Spaan, “but that on every roof, something is possible.”

Matt Simon, reporting on the Resilio project for Wired, said succinctly that perhaps science fiction authors have missed the mark when it came to envisioning the city of the future, and that rather than being a glittering metropolis of glass, metal, and marble as smooth as a pannacotta, it will look an awful lot more like an enormous sculpture garden."

-via Good News Network, May 15, 2024

[cherie-doll]

Omg I realise I’m probably flooding your ask box Cherie, so sorry about that.

But gosh today nearly drove me nuts(in a bad way) and I went home and accidentally went back to binge eating by accident.

And so I thought “Hey, what if the COD men have a S/O who binges on food when they are stressed or angry and they don’t realise it until they feel quite unwell, on the edge of puking sort. And then they calm down and feel a bit guilty about ‘wasting’ unneeded food and calories. They’re also worried about putting on weight cuz in the past they did had to go through that process of being teased and went through a process to slim down and control their eating habits.”

Heavily projecting myself here ngl 😂😂😂 Of course, this might be uncomfy for you to write so all’s chill!

Thank again for writing and posting Cherie 💖 your social media presence is always so delightful

Never apologize for sending an ask, I love having my inbox flooded with asks!

𖧧̣̥ Price, Ghost, Soap, Gaz, Roach

Price

He has learned to pay attention to your behavior

You never ask him to buy it for you, you rummage through what's already in the house

It's addicting, and so easy to pop in another cookie, a couple more chips, a handful of m&m's... until the container is empty

Would pick you up in his strong arms when your body starts to feel the effects, whispering softly "oh, lovey" over and over again in your ear until the guilt is washed out and nothing else is stagnant in your mind but his touch and voice

Ghost

He's always been the observer, so he notices before you catch yourself doing it again

Did research when he was alone because it hurt him to see you crying in the bathroom afterwards, hearing your sniffles through the door

Once he found out that it wasn't the food but the behavior that was harmful he started working on tackling that next, with lots of patience and the guidance of a professional

Soap

He knows you likely won't stop until it's gone

And when you come to him, embarrassed of his reaction when he finds out how much food you've eaten only for him to comfort you

Broke it down for you and explained that even if you consumed a lot of calories it won't show overnight, he kept you focused on being easy on yourself

"You're resilient, I know you are. You can do this"

Gaz

When he noticed you being unusually quiet after a social event where foods of many different kinds had been served, he knew what had happened

It's easy to get overwhelmed, he understands you

Knows what foods and drinks will help

Made tea to make you feel better whilst you were lying in bed

"Tomorrow is a new day, and we'll take control of it"

Roach

It's a vicious cycle: going to sleep scared after another day of wallowing in shame, curling up in bed afraid of the next day being the same as the last; painful

The overwhelming emotions and inability to stare at your bare body in the mirror do not go away easily, yet he's always by your side

He makes it your focus on how you feel rather and how you look, and so every day he cooks for you to make sure you're eating and drinking plenty of water

He even accompanies you on your walks and says assures you everything will be fine

[bumblebeeappletree]

✅ Making cities resilient to floods

About 44% of all disaster events around the world are flood-related.

In our new explainer episode, we show how ‘sponging’ cities can help them overcome the challenge of flooding while strengthening the local ecology, and boosting the economic and social well-being of residents.

In this episode, you will learn:

🟡 What a sponge city is (and how it works)

🟡 The benefits of ‘sponging’ cities (beyond flood-resilience)

🟡 Projects that demonstrate the principles and benefits of a sponge city at various scales (and what we can learn from them)

🟡 Why developers should be in favour of sponge city initiatives (they can save millions in costs)

And much more!

💚 If you gain value from this conversation, we hope you will subscribe to the channel 💚

Thank you to Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction for supporting season 5 of Ecogradia.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:43 What is a sponge city?

02:08 Features of a sponge city

04:16 Is 'sponging' expensive?

04:44 Benefits of a sponge city

08:19 The man who pioneered sponge cities

09:01 Yanweizhou Park | Jinhua, China

09:46 Why Bangkok and Jakarta are sinking

10:39 Tebet Eco Park | Jakarta, Indonesia

11:36 Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park | Bangkok, Thailand

12:13 Copenhagen's Cloudburst Management Plan

13:14 Sankt Kjelds Plads | Copenhagen, Denmark

14:06 How sponge cities can profit: Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park | Singapore

15:46 How sponge cities can profit: Portland | USA

16:21 Outro

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This episode features the following projects:

Yanweizhou Park | Jinhua, China (2014)

Designed by Turenscape

Tebet Eco Park | Jakarta, Indonesia (2022)

Designed by SIURA Studio

Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park | Bangkok, Thailand (2017)

Designed by LANDPROCESS

Sankt Kjeld's Square & Bryggervangen | Copenhagen, Denmark (2019)

Designed by SLA

Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park | Singapore (2012)

Designed by Henning Larsen

Also featuring:

Fish Tail Park | Nanchang, China (2022)

Designed by Turenscape

Benjakitti Park | Bangkok, Thailand (2022)

Designed by Turenscape + Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect

Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park | New York City, USA (2018)

Designed by SWA/Balsley + Weiss/Manfredi in collaboration with Arup

Houtan Park | Shanghai, China (2010)

Designed by Turenscape

High Plains Environmental Center | Loveland, USA

Designed by Hauser Architects

Thammasat Urban Rooftop Farm | Bangkok, Thailand (2019)

Designed by LANDPROCESS

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital | Singapore (2010)

Designed by CPG Consultants in collaboration with RMJM Architecture

Shangrao Xinjiang Ecological Park | Shangrao, China

Designed by Turenscape

Telok Blangah Hill Park | Singapore

Interlace Apartments | Singapore (2013)

Designed by OMA in collaboration with RSP

Jiangsu—Victoria Sponge City Innovation Park | Kunshan, China

Designed by CRC for Water Sensitive Cities

Quzhou Luming Park | Quzhou, China (2015)

Designed by Turenscape

OCT OH BAY Retail Park | Shenzhen, China (2021)

Designed by Laguarda.Low Architects

Tanghe 'Red Ribbon' Park | Qinhuangdao, China (2007)

Designed by Turenscape

Sanya Mangrove Park | Sanya, China (2019)

Designed by Turenscape

----------------------------------------------------------------------

We are also available on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.c...

Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple...

Website

https://www.ecogradia....

Read about sustainable projects on

https://www.ecogradia....

Subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter

https://ecogradia.us5....

No spamming here! :)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow us on 🖱️

Instagram:   / ecogradia  

LinkedIn:   / ecogradia  

Twitter: https://x.com/Ecogradia

#Ecogradia #Sustainability #Architecture #SpongeCity #FloodproofCity #ResilientCity #FloodProofCity #GreenSpace

[sustainability, architecture, sponge city, green spaces, floodproof city, resilient city]

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

Projects continue apace. My current (Jan 2025) focuses are

Processing the paperwork for incorporation (LLC with long term goals of NFP or cooperative structuring)

We've moved onto product testing folks! Some of the things we're working on all designed in tandem with my lovely wife @loreofthejungle: cloth dolls and Creature Plushies (weighted and unweighted, all designed by @loreofthejungle and patterned by me!), stickers, embroidered pieces (buttons, pins, bookmarks, pendants), and scent pack pairings for other items

Continuing to develop the Pilot Program for Community Food Forestry as a protective feature against food insecurity in the region (build greenhouse and continue to build modular chicken run, monitor hurricane and flood resilience, track supply capacity and timeline, plant appropriate food crops and companion flora, discuss "food fridge" shed affiliation with local food banks and coordinate to fund the construction, etc)

Purchasing equipment for long term growth and expansion (carpentry tools, looms and spinning wheels, sewing findings and notions, wire and bead work equipment, smoker and hot house, etc)

Continue monitoring and documenting Canine Behavioral Rehabilitation model for maintenance of recovery from stress-related reactivity (track recovery of current subjects, monitor the human-canine clinical interactions and their role in prognosis and recovery, document the process and identify common areas of resistance, setback, or difficulty, etc)

Document and create educational/outreach material for Stress Modeling and anti-psych community mental health initiatives/alternatives suggested by the research

Maintain access to infusions (current access to specialist who can prescribe is delayed until Sept. 2026 with some possibility of sooner availability via consultation with non-specialist care management) to manage the severity of my OH/dysautonomia symptoms and reduce my risk of falling/head trauma

If you want to help me with my work or support me in doing what I do, there are a few options!

I accept cash donations and can currently do so digitally via: Venmo at morbidly-queerious, CashApp at $RazTalks

You can send digital gift cards to the email subsistence_botanicals@proton.me from any of the following online shops: webstaurantstore.com, seedsavers.org, southernseeds.com, sowrightseeds.com, tractorsupply.com, rowhouseyarn.com, dickblick.com

It's not necessarily my preference due to the company practices, however here is an Amazon Wishlist for those who may prefer to purchase specific gifts or donations for the work. It includes low-, mid-, and high-budget options, and the most helpful items are typically either seeds or animal feed, but folks are always welcome to reach out and ask directly if there are any currently pressing needs!

As always, I would prefer people only support us if they can genuinely do so in comfort and without sacrifice. We do the work we are doing so that we and others can be safer, not for anyone to put themselves at risk to support us.

[embodiedfutures]

image description under the cut

when i was 12, i was ambitious. a heart of gold, in the words of earth, wind & fire, i truly believed that nothing could stop me so long as i gave it my all. no obstacle was too large, no goal was too distant. now, at 20, my dreams are shattered in many ways. yet in many ways i am still grateful (and i am aware that i have so much left to live). i owe it to the family i have created to tell this complex truth over a neatly told lie:

for the nearly 8 years that better future program, inc. (bfp) has existed, i have run it almost entirely alone. each time that we gained momentum, it was as though the narrow visions of others dragged us right back to the depths of the void. and i was the one always left to pick up the pieces. you see, for nearly 8 years, i fought and cried, chased and fell, lived and died. but it was through my struggles that i made lifelong friends to kiss the very scars this organization has graced me with. i will always hold a place in my heart for the volunteers who showed up, who bleed alongside me as these words rip into our spirits.

you see, i am writing this because i am a changed person. called every name in the book right down to ngger whore*, something about my soul is hurting. my children and i, my wonderful children, have spent 8 years begging our white peers to care. it does something to you… to look into someone’s eyes, to say that you feel as though you could die, that the world has cursed you with this endless sense of urgency, and for them to only center their themselves whiteness in the end. even in the home we had created, we could not escape white supremacy. i refuse to sugarcoat just how heartbreaking a revelation this was. in the words of one of our truest and most gentle-hearted allies, internally, we had become parasitic, only existing to serve the needs and wants of our white members. and of course, we were disposable. when cycles of harm were disrupted, they left us without a single word of remorse.

my children and i, we are a broken people. torn from our homes, our hearts cracked open, we are a people whose throats are hoarse from screaming, who eyes flood like the mississippi river, whose soles are calloused from chasing after dreams (after humanization) across red-hot coal. we are burnt out.

so where does this leave us? what does any of this mean? crucial details highlighted below:

better future program, inc. (bfp) is changing. our nonprofit status will remain. but our volunteer positions will not. our liberation library will remain. but our discord server will not. we will no longer accept donations. our current funds will be redistributed through mutual aid networks. our 3,000 free resources will still be available. but our capacity for material change has truly been diminished. we hope to continue to provide marginalized youth with educational materials for as long as we possibly can. and so we will do so, for as long as we possibly can.

you see, my children and i, we are a resilient people. borne of slave ships and reservations, occupation and colonization, abuse and grief, we are survivors. our hands grasp one another’s tightly so that we may never lose each other in this world. we have held hands since before we ever even met. as we venture back out into our local communities, we will never stop being intentional in our relationships (in fact, we already have a new project in the works so that may stick together). better future program, inc. (bfp) has still given us so much. and for that we will always be grateful.

if you have any further questions, which i imagine you might, feel free reach out through info@betterfutureprogram.org, instagram (@bfpnola), or tumblr (@bfpnola), as these socials will remain available.

thank you so much for supporting us for as long as you have. it’s time we take a new path.

sincerely,

reaux (she/they)

founding executive director