April 26, 2017
 
The Resilience Roundup highlights  CIRCA's presence in the news; provides links to recent local, state, and national news articles related to resilience and adaptation; and announces resources, events, and funding opportunities. Learn more about CIRCA at circa.uconn.edu.
 
announcements  
Resources
Resources

naturebasedsolutions
LISICOS


Long Island Sound (LIS) is an urban estuary with over eight million people living in its watershed.  LISICOS was established in 2003 as a component of a regional/national ocean observing system, with the initial goal of developing a capability to observe and understand the LIS ecosystem and predict its response to natural and anthropogenic changes. LISICOS monitors salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, surface wave, photosynthetically available radiation and chlorophyll throughout the sound. Nutrients, sensors, and current (CODAR and ADCP) measurements will be added in the near future. Current LISICOS activities include: 1) the integration of a three-dimensional circulation model and simple ecosystem and biogeochemical box models to predict oxygen concentrations; 2) Analysis of existing hydrographic data to infer exchange between LIS, the Hudson River, and the shelf waters; 3) Process studies of mass balances of C, N and O; 4) Development of a comprehensive regional database; and 5) Development of in situ sensors.  Besides providing critical information for resource management, LISICOS will address the needs of other users for predictions of wind and wave conditions, pollutant and sediment transport. 






Events
Events

CLEARwebinar

DEEP's Transit Oriented Development, Exploring Climate Solutions Webinar Series

Friday, April 28, 2017
12 - 1 PM EST

Learn about transit oriented development (TOD) and its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Connecticut. TOD is a type of community development that can include a mixture of housing, office, retail and/or other amenities integrated into a walkable and sustainable neighborhood, typically located within a half-mile of quality public transportation. A combination of land use and transportation planning, this approach makes transportation more accessible to all, leading to reduced individual car travel and traffic congestion, both of which contribute to local air quality issues and greenhouse gas emissions. Guest speakers will provide participants an overview of TOD strategies, impacts, and opportunities for Connecticut municipalities to access TOD grant funding.


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CLEAR

CLEAR Webinar: Climate Adaptation Legal Questions and Answers

Tuesday, May 2, 2017
2:00 - 3:00 PM EST

This free webinar will provide answers to a number of the questions raised at Legal Issues in the Age of Climate Adaptation, a conference held by UConn CLEAR and and Connecticut Sea Grant's Climate Adaptation Academy in late 2015. The questions, which came from the audience members during the course of a panel discussion with prominent land use attorneys, were reviewed by the Marine Affairs Institute & RI Sea Grant Legal Program at Roger Williams University School of Law. The Legal Program then developed four fact sheets covering the following topics: Property and Permitting Boundaries at the Shoreline, Governmental Tort Liability for Disclosure of Flood Hazard Information, Takings and Coastal Management, and Flood and Erosion Control Structures. The CLEAR/Connecticut Sea Grant climate team will be joined by two attorneys to go over the answers and discuss the issues raised in these fact sheets, including a review of recent court decisions impacting these topics.



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CIRCAeventmayfourth

 
12:30-2:30 pm

University of Connecticut, Storrs
Rome Commons Ballroom

You are invited to this free event that will bring together municipal and state agency staff, UConn faculty, and CIRCA's  Advisory Committee.  Posters will highlight the important research, products, and partnerships currently addressing resilience of vulnerable communities along Connecticut's coast and inland waterways to the growing impacts of climate change.  Rob Klee, Commissioner of CT DEEP and Jeff Seemann, UConn's Vice President for Research, will also be attending. 

This is the new date for the meeting that was postponed, due to snow, on March 10.

Please RSVP by May 1 to lauren.yaworsky@uconn.edu



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CAFMTrain

The Connecticut Association of Flood Managers (CAFM)

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Fairfield:  Fairfield Museum and History Center, 370 Beach Road, Fairfield, CT 06824

Thursday, May 4, 2017 - Old Lyme:  CT DEEP Marine Headquarters, 333 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, CT 06371

Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region I Boston office will be hosting two floodplain management training sessions for local officials.  For more information and details about the workshop, please see the attached flyer.
 
The same workshop will be repeated on two consecutive days.

Please email RSVP by May 1st to Diane Ifkovic
 
with your name, title, date of workshop and session(s) you will attend. 


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GItrain

CIRCA & NOAA present Green Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience Training

Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Check-in at 8:30 AM
Program runs 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA)
University of Connecticut Avery Point Campus
Marine Science Building
Groton, Connecticut

Join a free training on Introducing Green Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience hosted by CIRCA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management.
Training staff from NOAA and CIRCA will introduce participants to fundamental green infrastructure concepts and practices that can play a critical role in making coastal communities more resilient to natural hazards. The agenda will also feature green infrastructure projects from CIRCA grantees in Stratford and MetroCOG as well as presentations from New Haven, Eastern CT Conservation District, and the University of Connecticut Center for Land Use Education and Research. Through group discussions and activities, participants will learn what they can do to support green infrastructure implementation in their coastal communities.


More info. 

FundingAnouncment
Funding


2017 Responsible Growth and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Grant Program

The Office of Policy and Management (OPM) is pleased to announce a Request for Applications (RFA) for the 2017 Responsible Growth and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Grant Program.  Municipalities and Regional Councils of Governments (COGs) are invited to apply for grants ranging between $10,000 and $2,000,000, for a wide range of planning and construction projects to advance State, regional, and local goals for responsible growth and transit-oriented development.  Joint applications and  partnerships are encouraged, and may also include non-profit and private entities, where appropriate.  Priority may be given to applicants which have received implementation grants under CTNext's Innovation Places program.
 
Interested applicants must meet the project eligibility requirements and submit a completed Application Form as detailed in the RFA.  Applications will be evaluated by OPM, in consultation with other agencies, based on the degree to which they satisfy the Program Objectives identified in Section C of the RFA.  Proposals will be selected on a rolling basis, and selected applicants will be expected to collaborate with OPM, and other State agencies, to develop contract agreements and a scope of work structured around the applicant's initial proposal.
 
Applications for the 2017 program are due Friday June 23, 2017.
 
All correspondence relating to this program shall be directed to the Official State Contact, Matthew Pafford, at either Matthew.Pafford@ct.gov or Office of Policy and Management, 450 Capitol Avenue MS# 54ORG, Hartford, CT 06106-1379, in accordance with the requirements of the RFA.
 
The 2017 Responsible Growth and Transit-Oriented Development RFA is available at the following links:
 




 
News

Local & State News Clips


  CTfiresback

April 20, 2017- CT Fires Its First Shots In Battle With Trump Over Environment

Connecticut is ready for battle. But no guns, no grenades, no things that go boom here. Just a platoon of lawyers armed with the Clean Air and Water acts and a lot of guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court.

The goal is just that - clean air and water - but also vigilance in combating climate change in the face of Trump administration actions to roll back, alter or even eliminate existing environmental regulations and programs.

California, the longstanding face of cutting-edge environmental policy, has hired Obama Attorney General Eric Holder to spearhead its anti-Trump environmental action. Considerably smaller Connecticut is running its offense with a dozen or so attorneys in Attorney General George Jepsen's office.

The state could turn out to be one of the most uniquely qualified to challenge the Trump administration on environmental policy.

"Connecticut fights way above its weight in a number of the areas on the national scene," Jepsen said. "Environmental issues is one of those areas."

Especially on matters related to air quality. That's because, after California, Connecticut has some of the worst air in the country - and it's not its own fault - more on that later. Policies threatened by Trump during the campaign and now beginning to take shape could make it even worse.



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CTenvirocc

April 20, 2017- Report Warns Connecticut Environment At Risk From Climate Change, Trump Policies, State Cuts

Connecticut's environment showed little improvement in 2016 and is facing a risky future involving climate change, state funding shortages, and worrisome federal policy shifts, according to a watchdog agency's latest report.

The state's Council on Environmental Quality's annual report warned that Connecticut's air, land and water quality doesn't appear to be getting much better despite all the programs underway at the state and local levels.

Lawmakers and the CEQ's executive director, Karl Wagener, warned that staffing cutbacks at the state's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection agency have become so severe that the agency can no longer properly do its job.

"It's pretty clear they can't do everything they're supposed to do," Wagener said at a Wednesday news conference.

"The DEEP is at a tipping point in its ability to meet its obligations," said State Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport.

DEEP spokesman Dennis Schain acknowledged Wednesday that, "With state budget challenges over the past several years, we have faced reductions in staff through attrition, which has had some impact on our operations."




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Eversource

April 17, 2017- Eversource Facility Aims To Predict Storm Severity, CT Threats

The Eversource Energy Center at UConn - a weather, climate and energy research hub - has already helped electric utilities better prepare for storms and potential power outages since it was established in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene in Aug. 2011 and the Halloween weekend storm two months later.

Those storms left hundreds of thousands of customers without electricity, some for more than a week, caused millions of dollars in economic losses and proved the need for better science to help predict storm severity, potential power disruption and assist emergency preparedness. Hurricane Sandy hit in Oct. 2012, doing significant damage as well.

After those storms, "we realized there was a need, to be able to scientifically, with precision and accuracy, predict damage that would occur on our electric grid and be able to plan for that and ... ultimately build our system in a different way to help prevent that," said Ken Bowes, Eversource Energy's vice president of transmission performance.

Eversource provided $9 million over five years to fund research and development at the center - seed money that's already attracting additional investment.

NatlNews

National News Clips

NewOrleansRisingSea

April 20, 2017- Rising sea to displace 500,000 New Orleans area Residents, Study Says; See Where They Might Go

Texas, brace yourself. Over the next 83 years, a half-million southeast Louisiana "climate migrants" might be headed your way.

A study published this week predicts that sea level rise will push hundreds of thousands of people out of U.S. coastal cities such as New Orleans. It says the population will boom in nearby inland cities such as Austin.

The University of Georgia study is considered the first detailed look at how inland cities might be affected by sea level rise. It estimates more than than 500,000 people will flee the seven-parish New Orleans area by 2100 due to sea level rise and the problems that come with it, including frequent flooding and greater exposure to storm surges. That's more than one third of metro New Orleans's current population.

The study predicts that about two thirds of coastal Louisianans will move to higher ground but still within the state. The rest are seen as bound for Texas and, to a much lesser extent, Mississipp i and Georgia .
These inland refuges might want to plan ahead for the challenges that come with steeply rising populations, said Mathew Hauer, the study's lead author. "We tend to think of sea level rise as just a coastal issue," he said Wednesday (April 19) after his findings were published in the journal Nature Climate Change. "But a lot of people will have to move inland if we don't do adaptive management."


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TinkerEnviro 

April 18, 2017- Is It O.K. To Tinker With The Environment To Fight Climate Change?

For the past few years, the Harvard professor David Keith has been sketching this vision: Ten Gulfstream jets, outfitted with special engines that allow them to fly safely around the stratosphere at an altitude of 70,000 feet, take off from a runway near the Equator. Their cargo includes thousands of pounds of a chemical compound - liquid sulfur, let's suppose - that can be sprayed as a gas from the aircraft. It is not a one-time event; the flights take place throughout the year, dispersing a load that amounts to 25,000 tons. If things go right, the gas converts to an aerosol of particles that remain aloft and scatter sunlight for two years. The payoff? A slowing of the earth's warming - for as long as the Gulfstream flights continue.

Keith argues that such a project, usually known as solar geoengineering, is technologically feasible and - with a back-of-the-envelope cost of under $1 billion annually - ought to be fairly cheap from a cost-benefit perspective, considering the economic damages potentially forestalled: It might do good for a world unable to cut carbon-dioxide emissions enough to prevent further temperature increases later this century.




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CitiesClimateAction

April 12, 2017- Cities' Climate Actions Show Resilience

Cities are increasingly facing extreme storms, floods, heat waves, or rising seas because of the changing climate-and the toll of human suffering and economic costs are too great to ignore. Since 1980, there have been
208 U.S. weather and climate events, with total damages over $1 trillion.

That's why many state and local governments are now taking firm action to prepare for these impacts, often while also reducing their own climate-change-causing emissions. This is not a partisan issue. Among the scores of U.S. mayors who are making their cities more resilient to the growing impacts of climate change are both Democrats and Republicans. The private sector is stepping up as well.

For example, New York City, after suffering nearly $20 billion in damage from Hurricane Sandy, is building a $335 million 10-mile flood protection system for Manhattan.  As part of the planning for future storms, Mayor Bill de Blasio is working to ensure that lower-income neighborhoods are not disproportionally affected. Companies are responding too. The real estate company for Empire Stores in Brooklyn has invested $1 million in 1,100 feet of deployable flood barriers to protect against big storms.

Louisville and Washington, D.C., two fast-warming U.S. cities, are investing in green infrastructure, tree canopy, and parks in areas most vulnerable to searing heat waves. Norfolk, Va., a Navy hub, is working with military leaders to combat sea-level rise. The flood-prone coastal city is also planning living shorelines and other green infrastructure to reduce flooding from rain as part of its winning National Disaster Resilience Competition proposal.


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SeaRiseCali

April 12, 2017- Sea-level Rise In California Could Be Catastrophic

A state-commissioned report on climate change released Wednesday raises the stakes for fighting global warming, offering a clearer and, in some cases, more catastrophic picture of how much sea levels will rise in California.

The Bay Area will see the ocean swell as much as 3.4 feet by 2100 if significant action isn't taken, the report says. The scientists who produced the study pegged the prospect of that outcome at 67 percent. Tougher action on greenhouse gases would mean a lesser rise of up to 2.4 feet, the study says.

The scope of the likely rise is largely in line with earlier estimates, but not completely. One worst-case scenario says ocean levels could rise 10 feet by century's end, which would swamp countless homes, roads, harbors and even airports along the coast.

"We have learned that the potential for a higher sea level is greater than we thought," said Gary Griggs , a professor of Earth sciences at UC Santa Cruz and one of seven climate experts who prepared the report.


 
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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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