The Resilience Roundup highlights announcements and events along with links to the previous month's state, regional, and national resilience news.
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CIRCA is Hiring - Community Resilience Planner
The Community Resilience Planner will work with the CIRCA team, Councils of Government (COGs), and municipal stakeholders throughout Connecticut to advance climate resiliency through mapping, technical analysis, planning, and sustained engagement. Activities will include use of GIS in the collaborative development of plans and reports and participation in and coordination of meetings with municipalities and COGs. Applications close 11/15/22. Learn more and apply HERE.
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Mapping Tool Advisory Committee (MTAC) Members Announced
Earlier this fall, CIRCA announced the application window for the Mapping Tool Advisory Committee (MTAC), a group of community-based organizations and individuals with lived experience who receive grant funding to participate in the review of the Statewide Environmental Justice Mapping Tool currently under development by CIRCA and CT DEEP. The final MTAC recipients have now been selected, including community-based organizations and individuals with a wide range of expertise and lived experience. Further information on the MTAC’s role and its newly selected members can be found HERE.
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Municipal Energy Resilience Products - Now Available
Since comprehensive energy planning for both government operations and the town as a whole is a necessity, CIRCA created a new infographic that provides information on topics including renewables, microgrids, electrification, efficiency, storage, and demand response. Grant programs and examples of successful municipal energy plans are also highlighted in this new infographic.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was the largest climate change/clean energy investment bill ever passed in the United States. Especially when applied in concert with the various Connecticut energy incentive programs, IRA provides an opportune moment for municipalities to consider local energy resilience and clean energy projects. To learn more, read this new fact sheet.
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Event Held To Mark 10 Year Anniversary of Super Storm Sandy in CT
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DEEP Climate Resilience Fund
Track 1- Planning Deadline: November 10, 2022
Track 2- Project Development Final Deadline: December 1, 2022
The DEEP Climate Resilience Fund provides grants to help Connecticut communities initiate planning and develop projects that will help communities become more resilient to the effects of climate change. The Fund specifically is intended to support climate resilience planning at regional, municipal, and neighborhood-level scales, and to support resilience project scoping and development.
Track 1: Planning
Seek up to $250,000 to fund climate resilience planning that addresses the impacts of climate-related hazards, including how climate change increases weather-related risks.
Track 2: Project Development
Applicants can seek funds to advance resilience project scoping and development that leads to federal funding for implementation. While there is no cap on the amount of funding that can be requested, DEEP expects to fund most project development grant application requests in a range of $300,000 to $700,000.
DEEP has added office hours sessions to support applicants with last minute questions. They are scheduled for 10 - 11:00 am on Nov 21 and Nov 28.
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New Climate and Equity Grant Program
Application Deadline: November 18th, 2022.
In accordance with the recommendations from the Governor’s Council of Climate Change CIRCA, in collaboration with CT DEEP, is seeking grant proposals for a new Climate & Equity Grant Program. This program will fund projects that increase the capacity of vulnerable communities to mitigate, plan for, and respond to climate change impacts, and is open to community-based organizations. Applicants may apply for smaller projects up to $10,000, or larger projects up to $50,000, with no match required.
The program is open to community-based organizations, tribal governments, and tribal organizations. Funds can be used for planning, capacity-building, or education projects that advance community-scale climate adaptation and/or climate mitigation efforts. A virtual office hour to answer questions about this grant program will be held at noon on Monday, November 14th, on a drop-in basis. Click here for more information and the link to join.
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New Haven Climathon
Reimagining New Haven in the Era of Climate Change hosted the "New Haven Climathon" at Martinez School on Octobert 29. The half-day event focused on raising awareness about the local impacts of climate change, engaging with diverse communities, and catalyzing action. For those who missed the Climathon or want to experience it again, they have put together a narrative using video clips of presentations and discussions. Reimagining New Haven is also sponsoring a poster contest for local high school and college students. The posters will make statements raising awareness of the local impact of climate change.
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Climate Central - Sinking Tax Base Report
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Biden-Harris Administration Seeks Public Input on Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
The EPA recently announced plans for an ambitious stakeholder engagement series to gather input from the public on the design of the new Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. This unprecedented program, created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, will make $27 billion available in financing and technical assistance for projects that reduce emissions and air pollution, with an emphasis on low-income and disadvantaged communities.
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November GC3 Working Group Meetings
Science & Technology GC3 Working Group Meeting: Wednesday, November 9, 2:30 – 4 pm
Joint GC3 Working Group Meetings with Equity and Environmental Justice
Climate Smart Agriculture & Forestry + EEJ: Thursday, November 10, 4:30 – 6 pm
Mitigation Strategies + EEJ: Monday, November 14, 4:30 – 6 pm
Public Health & Safety + EEJ: Tuesday, November 15, 4:30 – 6 pm
Resilient Infrastructure & Nature- based Solutions + EEJ: Thurs, November 17, 4:30 – 6 pm
This month GC3 working groups will each be meeting with the Equity and Environmental Justice (EEJ) Working Group to discuss their current findings and apply an equity lens to their work. Please join these public meetings.
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The Connecticut Association of Flood Managers 9th Annual Conference
November 15, 9:00 a.m. - 4:05 p.m.
The Connecticut Association of Flood Managers (CAFM) will convene its 9th Annual Conference and Meeting in person atthe University of Hartford, Harry Jack Grey Conference Center. CAFM will have sessions with informative presentations by expert speakers, and invite you to share your experiences as municipal and state officials, industry leaders, consultants, and other interested parties to promote a more resilient Connecticut. See the 2022 CAFM Conference Registration Form and Schedule for conference details.
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EBC Climate Change and Air Webinar: Why Climate Change Engagement Matters – Real Solutions Require Hearing Real Stories
November 17, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
This EBC Climate Change and Air Webinar will explore how we can more effectively and responsibly use storytelling in our project engagement around climate change and air quality issues, especially in terms of engaging and centering the concerns of historically underrepresented communities. Presentations and activities will invite participants to think about new ways to make the technical more accessible and reach a broader portion of the community, whose stories are being told (or not) with our climate resilience work.
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OCTO Understanding Disaster Finance: New Tools for a More Resilient Future
December 1, 1:00 p.m.
Insurance, an often confusing and unpopular tool, is critical to recovery from the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disaster. Associate Vice President for Economics and Policy at the Environmental Defense Fund and author of Understanding Disaster Insurance, Carolyn Kousky, will present in this Open Communications for the Ocean (OCTO) on why traditional insurance markets fall short in meeting the needs of a world coping with climate change and how new insurance and risk transfer markets can help create thriving and resilient coastal communities and ecosystems.
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1st Annual LIS Sustainable & Resilient Communities Workshop
December 1, 12:30 - 4:00 p.m.
This virtual Long Island Sound (LIS) workshop will bring together local government, Indigenous, tribal, and community leaders, nonprofits, and other stakeholders from both CT & NY to learn more about opportunities to increase the resilience of coastal LIS communities to various environmental challenges. Sessions will include: tips for success with Long Island Sound funding opportunities, information on a new grant-writing assistance program, and breakouts for focused discussion on shoreline planning, using green infrastructure for stormwater management, and managed retreat.
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EBC: Nature-Based Adaptation: Getting to Scale
December 9, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Join this EBC webinar to learn about the opportunities and barriers to scaling up nature-based approaches to climate adaptation, from planning to permitting to implementation. Funders, regulators, adaptation professionals, and the public now view nature-based adaptation as no longer an aspiration, but a priority or requirement. Pilot projects are being scaled up to billions of oysters, miles of shoreline, and hectares of wetlands. But how feasible and effective are these projects? And how do we effectively regulate and build the capacity to plan and implement them at scales that match the urgency of risks?
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Under Pressure: Rethinking CT’s Coastal Land Use and Adaptation Strategies
UConn Today - October 12, 2022
By 2050 – just 28 years from now – the sea level along the Long Island Sound shoreline is projected to be 18 inches above today’s levels. By 2100 it could be as much as six and a half feet higher than current levels. Climate change-driven severe weather events, like intense hurricanes, are also projected to increase in frequency.
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Smart Responses to Immediate Needs: Assessing the Scale of CT’s Urban Heat
UConn Today - October 20, 2022
Connecticut is experiencing hotter days and nights, and the warming trend is expected to continue in the coming years with larger cities bearing the brunt of heat stress. Now is the time to prepare and CIRCA researchers Assistant Director of Research Yaprak Onat and Legal Policy Fellow Louanne Cooley ‘20 JD are partnering with the City of Norwalk to monitor heat to inform public health responses and direct policy tools for more resilient communities.
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State and Industry Leaders Address Grid Resiliency at
UConn Engineering Conference
UConn Today - October 25, 2022
Leaders from industry, along with policymakers and elected officials from the state and federal governments met with UConn in Hartford on Monday, Oct. 24 to discuss New England’s electric grid and how it can be made more resilient over the next five years in the face of climate change and geopolitical strain.
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Superstorm Sandy – A Look Back on Its Impact 10 Years Later
NBC CT - October 26, 2022
Hurricane Sandy formed like most October hurricanes in the Caribbean on Oct. 22, 2012. New York and New Jersey took a direct hit from the storm, with scenes of devastation stretching from the Jersey Shore to New York City. Here in Connecticut, Sandy struck at low tide, but the damage on the shoreline was still substantial.
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Looking Back at Superstorm Sandy, Ten Years Later
CT Public Radio - October 27, 2022
Superstorm Sandy hit Connecticut back in October 2012. Since then, residents of Connecticut’s coastal towns have tried to rebuild, but some have also moved on. This podcast includes discussion about the anniversary of Superstorm Sandy and how climate change is impacting our aging infrastructure, with CIRCA's Exec. Director, Jim O'Donnell.
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Symposium Explores Climate Change and Environmental Justice
UConn Today - October 28, 2022
The transition to more sustainable energy practices must be intentional and thoughtful to ensure that it is also just and equitable for the communities most threatened by climate change, panelists agreed at the Connecticut Law Review's recent symposium, "Climate and Environmental Justice in the 21st Century: A Just Transition."
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Ten Years Post-Sandy, Next Big Storm is ‘Predictably Unpredictable’
The Day - October 28, 2022
The direct impact of climate change came ashore ten years ago with Superstorm Sandy, presaging the kind of recurring destruction that state environmental experts say can’t be reversed, only mitigated. CIRCA's Executive Director Jim O'Donnell said storms will remain more impactful going forward due to the rise in sea level.
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Fair Haven “Climathon” Shines A Light On Flooding Risks
New Haven Independent - November 1, 2022
New Haven's first-ever “Climathon,” was organized and hosted by Reimagining New Haven in the Era of Climate Change. Over 100 residents, public officials, and environmental activists attended. They listened to a line-up of presentations on topics ranging from sustainable farming to climate migration and rising sea levels and temperatures. After hearing from speakers, attendees broke out into table groups for workshops to discuss solutions.
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Hurricane Ian May Have Caused $67 Billion in Damage, a Top 5 U.S. Storm
AXIOS - October 7, 2022
Hurricane Ian likely caused $53 billion to $74 billion in insured losses from Florida to the Carolinas, with a "best estimate" of $67 billion, according to new data released today from modeling firm RMS. These preliminary damage totals would make Hurricane Ian the costliest storm in Florida history and second nationally to Hurricane Katrina.
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New Data from NOAA Provides Insight into How Flooding Affects Employment
ASFPM - October 15, 2022
As the need for coastal resilience planning becomes more urgent, communities often struggle to access all the necessary information that will help them understand their vulnerabilities and develop strategies to mitigate associated risk. One key metric that is especially hard to find is data on is the number of businesses and employees that could be impacted by flood events.
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New England States Poised to Capitalize on New Federal Climate Law Incentives
Energy News Network - October 24, 2022
Years of work crafting climate and clean energy plans have left New England states in a prime position to take advantage of renewable energy incentives in the historic climate bill enacted by Congress over the summer, advocates say. The Inflation Reduction Act, will allocate an estimated $369 billion over 10 years for energy security and climate change measures.
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Regional 'sand bank' Part of Coastal Resiliency Plan Underway
With $546K State Grant
Provincetown Banner - October 26, 2022
The third phase of the ongoing project aimed at increasing coastal resiliency through intermunicipal shoreline management can now begin thanks to a $546,180 grant. Three Cape towns have been working together on a multi-phase project to pursue a regional approach to shoreline management for the eastern shores of Cape Cod Bay.
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Here's How Far Behind the World is on Reining in Climate Change
NPR - October 27, 2022
World leaders will begin climate talks in Egypt soon and tensions are expected to run high in the negotiations to reduce heat-trapping emissions. Now, new research shows the world has already fallen drastically behind in adopting the changes needed to avoid a future with even more extreme storms, heat waves and floods.
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How Belize Cut Its Debt By Fighting Global Warming
New York Times - November 7, 2022
A marine biologist offered the Prime Minister a novel proposal: Her nonprofit would lend the country money to pay its creditors if his government agreed to spend part of the savings this deal would generate to preserve its marine resources. The resulting deal, known as blue bonds, is a novel approach that has allowed developing nations to cut their debt by investing in conservation, giving them a larger role in the fight against climate change.
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COP27: Ukraine a reason to act fast on climate change
BBC - November 8, 2022
The war in Ukraine is a reason to act faster to tackle climate change, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has told the UN climate summit COP27. "Climate and energy security go hand-in-hand," he said in his first international appearance since taking office. Leaders from 120 countries are meeting in Egypt to discuss next steps in curbing climate change.
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The Resilience Roundup highlights CIRCA's presence in the news, provides links to recent local/state/national news articles related to resilience and adaptation, and announces upcoming events and seminars.
The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation's (CIRCA) mission is to increase the resilience and sustainability of vulnerable communities along Connecticut's coast and inland waterways to the growing impacts of climate change and extreme weather on the natural, built, and human environment. The institute is located at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus and includes faculty from across the university. CIRCA is a partnership between UConn and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP).
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State and Regional News Clips |
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