Airbnb Diaster Response
Being displaced by disaster is difficult enough without being relegated to cot in a makeshift shelter. Now the same service that helps you find low-cost lodging while on vacation can help offer disaster victims the comforts of a home during emergencies. The initiative, which was born during Hurricane Sandy, works the same way as the regular Airbnb service, but for free. Those looking to share their space can list it on the site, and disaster victims will be matched with possible hosts. What a truly great way to be of service during a disaster.
Socioeconomics and Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region
Every region should be so lucky to have an interactive atlas detailing how climate change might affect their economy, infrastructure, and vulnerable populations. Perhaps this project, created by the University of Michigan and the Great Lakes Adaptation Assessments for Cities, will serve as a guide. The map includes a variety of data on more than 225 counties in the Great Lake regions and can help public officials, policymakers, and others determine how their corner of the region might fare based on historic climate data.
The First Sue Nami
Meet Sue Nami, a force of nature kind enough to take a moment from creating huge earthquake-generated waves to explain what to do when you encounter her work on the beach. The U.S. Geological Survey, which created Sue, was hoping to promote tsunami awareness among 18-34 year olds with this quirky public service announcement. The short video explains tsunami signs, causes, and what to do to avoid catching the waves (but not why Sue changes her clothes so often). Check out the video and get behind-the-scenes insight at the link above.
RapidFTR
There’s an app for almost everything these days, and now reuniting children and their parents during disaster is no different. RapidFTR (for Rapid Family Tracing and Reunification) was created to help overcome the ponderous, paper-driven processes that waste precious hours in connecting lost children with their caregivers in disasters and humanitarian emergencies. Using just a mobile phone, the app can collect a child’s information and picture and share it with other app users to get children what they need—medical care, protection, and a hug from mom and dad.
A National Framework for Ground-Water Monitoring in the United States
With a large portion of the United States in the throes of continuing drought, the time is right to create a nationwide system to measure the quantity and quality of ground water in the nation’s aquifers. So says this recently released report that from the Advisory Committee on Water Information. The report provides information on the current state of U.S. groundwater and recommends creating a national groundwater Monitoring Network that would collect and distribute data to water planners and others who work to keep water flowing.