Ecosystems

New Climate Maps Show a Transformed United States According to new data analyzed by ProPublica and The New York Times Magazine, warming temperatures, rising seas and changing rainfall will profoundly reshape the way people have lived in North America for centuries. ProPublica

According to new data from the Rhodium Group analyzed by ProPublica and The New York Times Magazine, warming temperatures and changing rainfall will drive agriculture and temperate climates northward, while sea level rise will consume coastlines and dangerous levels of humidity will swamp the Mississippi River valley.

There are many definitions of resilience from simple deterministic views of resilience anchored in Newtonian mechanics to far more dynamic views of resilience from a systems perspective, including insights from quantum mechanics and the sciences of complexity.  One baseline perspective of resilience sees it in terms of the viability of socio-ecological systems as the foundation for sustainability.  For those that are ready to look beyond resilience as the ability to return to the "normal state" before a disaster, take a look at:

http://www.resalliance.org/

Empowering Sustainability in San Francisco’s Neighborhoods

Using a Cloud Computing-based Distributed Smart Grid

There is a saying that trends are built in San Francisco, and when these innovations (born in the Bay Area and tested in California) hit New York, they are already beginning to fundamentally change the world we live in.

Overview

The San Francisco Bay Area has one of the largest concentrations of high technology companies and venture capital firms in the world.  As a result of its innovative cultures, history of strong earthquakes, and the recent economic downturn in California under conditions of rapid global change, the City of San Francisco is ratcheting up not only its emergency preparedness, but also its resilience and sustainability initiatives.  The goal is to create a new type of vibrant citizen-based leadership facing forward into the 21^st century that enables San Francisco neighborhoods and communities of interest to thrive under otherwise uncertain and challenging times.