White House - Climate Change Resilience On June 25, 2013, President Obama announced his comprehensive plan to reduce carbon pollution, move our economy toward American-made clean energy sources, and begin to slow the effects of climate change. The Administration is taking steady, responsible steps to cut the carbon pollution that causes climate change and threatens public health. Reducing carbon pollution will help keep our air and water clean, protect our children, drive innovation to modernize our power plants, and create good American jobs as we move toward cleaner, more efficient forms of energy. As we act to curb the carbon pollution that is driving climate change, we must also prepare for the impacts that are too late to avoid. The President’s plan builds on the steps the Administration has taken since its earliest days to improve the Nation’s preparedness and resilience. Learn more about the President's plan: Executive Order on Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change Learn more about the Task Force
Task Force On Climate Preparedness and Resilience Across America, states, cities, and communities are taking steps to protect themselves from extreme weather and other climate impacts. As part of his Climate Action Plan, President Obama signed an Executive Order on November 1st, 2013 establishing a Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience to advise the Administration on how the Federal Government can respond to the needs of communities nationwide that are dealing with the impacts of climate change. The Task Force members include state, local and tribal leaders from across the country who will use their first-hand experiences in building climate preparedness and resilience in their communities to inform their recommendations to the Administration. The members of the Task Force are: State Officials: Governor Neil Abercrombie (HI) Governor Jerry Brown (CA) Governor Eddie Calvo (GU) Governor Jay Inslee (WA) Governor Jack Markell (DE) Governor Martin O’Malley (MD) Governor Pat Quinn (IL) Governor Peter Shumlin (VT) Local Officials:
Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience - Summary of Recommendations WA State DOT - Climate Change - Adapting and Preparing Resilient Transportation Systems WSDOT’s maintenance crews work hard to keep up with extreme storms and damage they cause. Understanding future climate threats is essential for a safe and sustainable transportation system. WSDOT Climate Change Pilot Projects In the first pilot, WSDOT full report completed a statewide assessment of climate vulnerability of state-owned transportation assets. GIS layers showing the results of the statewide vulnerability assessment are available on the Community Planning Portal. The second pilot project applied FHWA’s framework for adaptation planning and decision making. NEPA/SEPA Guidance for project teams WSDOT uses climate science and tools to estimate greenhouse gas emissions when planning and designing major projects. Our work supports Results WSDOT’s Environmental Stewardship Goal to Improve environmental conditions; leave it better than before. Partnering with others USDOT links
Adaptive Cycle | Resilience Alliance The model of the adaptive cycle was derived from the comparative study of the dynamics of ecosystems. It is meant to be a tool for thought. It focuses attention upon processes of destruction and reorganization, which are often neglected in favor of growth and conservation. Including these processes provides a more complete view of system dynamics that links together system organization, resilience, and dynamics. Traditionally ecology has focused on the concept of succession that describes the transition from a time when exploitation (i.e., the rapid colonization of recently disturbed areas) is emphasized to a time when conservation (i.e., the slow accumulation and storage of energy and material) is emphasized. Our current understanding of ecological dynamics however indicates that two additional functions - release and reorganization - are needed. For ecosystem and social-ecological system dynamics that can be represented by an adaptive cycle, four distinct phases have been identified: