Thursday, December 5, 2019

Global Congress for Climate Change & Sustainability Professionals. Chicago. Dec 9-12, 2019


Virtual Sessions Announced ...
3 Ways to Participate in the Global Congress ...

Participation in the Global Congress is being extended to remote participants through a series of online sessions taking place on December 10-11, 2019 and after the Congress.
About the Virtual Plenary Sessions
Read the detailed descriptions at https://accoissp.org/plenary
Plenary #1: The Evolution of Climate Change & Sustainability in the Public & Private Sectors
The Global Congress kicks off with an inspirational group of climate change and sustainability leaders who have blazed the trail and led some of the most compelling and impactful programs in the public and private sectors. The session closes with an early look at findings from GreenBiz's 7th annual professional salary survey and ACCO’s research conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on the state of climate preparedness capacity in critical infrastructure sectors.
Plenary #2: Integrating Climate Change & Sustainability into Other Occupations
Join credentialing body and sector association leaders for a discussion on the state of efforts to address climate change and sustainability in their respective communities of practice. Discussion topics will include incorporation of expectations into aspirational codes of ethics, professional standards of conducts, continuing education requirements and the future trends.
Plenary #3: Conversations on Leveraging Natural Systems, Overcoming Adversity & Coping with Impossible Missions
ISSP Hall of Fame inductee Janine Benyus is interviewed by GreenBiz's Joel Makower in this armchair conversation. Afterward, hear a discussion on the uphill battle we have faced as the agents of change aiming to transform businesses and communities. How are we coping with the stresses that come with this challenge and what can we do maintain our own health and strength as we tackle this critical mission?
About the Virtual Working Sessions
Real-time discussions with peers at the event and online!
Quantifying the Difficult to Quantify: Improving Metrics for Sustainable and Climate-Related Financial Decision Making
Tuesday, December 10 (3:00pm - 4:15pm central)
Embedding Knowledge & Requirements Across an Organization
Tuesday, December 10 (4:30pm - 5:45pm central)
Communicating Our Expertise Professionally
Wednesday, December 11 (10:45am - 12:15pm central)
Continuing the Discussions after the Congress
Add your voice to the dialogue as we continue the working session discussions online after the Congress.
Join fellow participants in online discussion forums designed to continue the working session discussions that took place at the Global Congress.
Access to these discussion boards will open on Thursday, December 12, 2019 and will be available through December 20, 2019.
 









At this crucial covening, your peers from across sectors will work together to power up the climate change and sustainability fields of practice.
The Time is Now
In every sector, region and occupation, in every business and every community, bold actions and unprecedented transformation are needed to address climate change -- and those actions will never be more timely than now.
Top Reasons to be at the Global Congress
Achieving higher stature and increasing impact -- we an be SO much stronger together
25 facilitated working sessions with peers tackling our greatest challenges
An awards dinner featuring insights from the most innovative and successful champions of our fields
11 training sessions, 6 side events & 3 off-site tours rounding out your learning and development experience
Structured networking activities and an event ap designed to ensure you walk away with a plethora of important and diverse new relationships
Learn more about the Congress at www.ACCOISSP.org
© Copyright 2019 by the Association of Climate Change Officers and International Society of Sustainability Professionals. 
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Wednesday, December 4, 2019

A “Vaccine” for Violence. December 2019


violence

A “Vaccine” for Violence


In a country rife with gun violence, Philadelphia still stands out. In the past month alone, 12 children have been shot—the youngest just 10 months old.

Increasingly, Philadelphia treats gun violence like a contagion, with several programs to prove it—including a branch of Cure Violence Global at Temple University.

What does that mean in practice? 
  • Prevention—not with vaccines—but with community outreach aimed at de-escalating disputes.
  • Identifying risk factors—like poverty and inadequate education—the same way high blood pressure points to heart disease.
  • Deploying point people with close community ties.
 All that, plus a heavy dose of patience.

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Join the December Global Climate Strikes. Friends of the Earth U.S.


The September 20th Climate Strike was the largest youth-led climate mobilization in U.S. history. Activists like you stood up and fought back against big corporations taking advantage of our planet and leaving the most vulnerable communities to clean up their mess.
But our fight isn’t over. We won’t rest until we achieve a real and just solution to climate change. On Friday, December 6th, people across the world will strike again to demand bold action on the climate crisis. Will you join us?
The clock is ticking -- we’re running out of time to prevent climate chaos. Our leaders must take ambitious action before it’s too late. 
We need climate solutions that empower the communities most impacted by the crisis. Solutions that eliminate all fossil fuels. Solutions that provide a just transition for workers and others who have been caught in an extractive economy for far too long. We need to address these problems now -- we can’t continue passing them off to the next generation. And we need your help to do it.
Together, we can move mountains. Activists like you have worked tirelessly to stop pipelines around the country and hold corporations accountable to the destruction they cause.
Now, we’re counting on you to take action again. The planet can’t wait any longer. We need to stand together, adults and youth alike, and ensure the strike has maximum impact. Together, we can show our elected officials we won’t back down. 
So, can we count on you to step up for a future free of climate disaster, Charles?
Standing with you
Liz Butler,
VP of organizing and strategic alliances,
Friends of the Earth



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Tuesday, November 12, 2019

EFFECTS OF A BIOLOGICAL PANDEMIC”. Sun, December 15, 2019 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST

 EFFECTS OF A BIOLOGICAL PANDEMIC”

EFFECTS OF A BIOLOGICAL PANDEMIC”


“TRAINING AND A MOVIE:  THE EFFECTS OF A BIOLOGICAL PANDEMIC”

This workshop is intended to showcase the ‘unrealized’ effects a biological outbreak will have on a community and to prompt discussion amongst attendees as to what planning and preparation needs to be done beyond the basic State Health Department plans to dispense medication.

We will begin with a brief training overview of some known biological agents: their classification, signs and symptoms, and what makes them a threat.  The review will be followed by a modified-tabletop exercise using scenes from a movie that accurately depicts the ripple effects of a biological outbreak as the scenarios for our group discussions.  We will track an unknown biological agent from its initial appearance in ‘patient zero’ to its explosion as a worldwide pandemic. As the movie progresses, we will stop it, look at the events that have taken place up to that point and discuss what effect these events would have on Prince Georges County and the surrounding areas.

Who should attend this workshop? … Government officials and other community leaders, law enforcement, fire, first responders, health department and medical personnel, business leaders, CERT members & other community response organizations … basically everyone!.  

If/when this happens, it will truly take a community working together to make it through.


If you know anybody who would benefit from this workshop please have them sign in at Eventbrite

Date And Time

Location

Berwyn Heights Senior Center
8603 57th ave 2nd Floor
Berwyn Heights, Md 20740

Baltimore is at the Vanguard of a National Black Vegan Movement




FEMA Private Sector Advisory -- FEMA Announces the Publication of the Interim Policy: "Consensus-Based Codes, Specifications and Standards for Public Assistance"


Private Sector Advisory
FEMA Announces the Publication of the Interim Policy:
“Consensus-Based Codes, Specifications and Standards for Public Assistance”

November 8, 2019

The policy defines the requirements for consistent and appropriate implementation of construction codes, specifications and standards for use in the Public Assistance program.
Previously, FEMA provided federal funding to restore disaster-damaged facilities on the basis of pre-disaster design and function, with applicable codes, specifications and standards. This policy is meant to increase the resiliency of communities post disaster and support the efficient use of federal funds, while reducing future vulnerabilities.
Disasters declared on or after the date of this interim policy must apply the relevant consensus-based codes, specifications and standards. The permanent work projects include buildings, electric power, roads, bridges, potable water and wastewater. Applicants who fall into any of the following categories have 60 days following date of policy publication to opt-in to the guidelines of this interim policy:  
  • Incidents declared between Aug. 1, 2017, and the date of policy publication;
  • Projects for incidents declared before Aug. 1, 2017, but without an obligation based on a finalized cost estimate as of the date of policy publication; or
  • Projects associated with a cost estimate on appeal as of the date of policy publication.
Applicants wishing to participate must make their determination no later than Jan. 5, 2020. The applicants will need to contact their FEMA Regional Recovery Office and complete the opt-in notification form included in Appendix B of the policy.

###

Monday, November 11, 2019

BEMA International Community\Civil Society Imperative. "As climate and disaster threats rise, let’s double down on resilient infrastructure"


BEMA International emergency management and community members

Each of us has to step up our A-Game in preparing for disasters and awareness, and understanding of the impact of climate change now not later when danger is at your door.  Get involved locally in CERT (community emergency response team) training, local exercises, local council and challenge elected officials and candidates.

Community\Civil Society Imperative does not exist without the individual and community members.

BEMA International



As climate and disaster threats rise, let’s double down on resilient infrastructure

·       SAMEH WAHBA
·       MAMI MIZUTORI
|NOVEMBER 08, 2019

From tsunamis in Asia and earthquakes Latin America, to hurricanes in the Caribbean and cyclones in Africa, disasters caused by natural hazards claimed some 1.3 million lives between 1998 and 2017, and wreaked untold havoc on livelihoods and infrastructure worldwide.

A primary school in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo credit: Quang Vu/Shutterstock

We see no sign of the risk posed by natural hazards decreasing, particularly having witnessed the devastating impact of Cyclone Idai on families and communities in Africa earlier this year. What’s worse, climate change is making storms, floods, droughts, and heatwaves even more frequent, damaging, and deadly.

Disasters can erase decades of hard-won development gains in a matter of seconds, with a painful and costly impact that can last for years, and even generations to come. Today, around 90% of urban expansion in developing countries takes place near hazard-prone areas.  Without urgent action, climate change and disasters may cost cities worldwide $314 billion each year and push up to 77 million urban residents into poverty.
When disaster strikes, we are all at risk; but it is usually the poor that get hit the hardest.  Research shows that the impacts of disasters and climate change are more than twice as significant for poor households, because they tend to live in the most vulnerable areas, often with weak housing standards. Over the next 15 years, and in the absence of adequate investment in housing and slum upgrading, we can expect to see the number of people living in substandard housing more than double.
In an era of worsening climate and disaster risks, countries and cities have no choice but to plan better and invest more in resilient infrastructure – homes, schools, and roads – to meet urbanization challenges and sustain economic growth.
In fact, it pays to make our homes safer and our schools more resilient.  Recent research suggests that investing in resilient infrastructure can provide a net benefit of $4.2 trillion in low and middle-income countries, with $4 in benefit for each $1 invested. Such investments can then improve essential services – such as transport, or water and electricity supply – and contribute to more resilient and prosperous societies.
Resilient infrastructure saves lives. In October 2019, the World Bank’s Global Program for Safer Schools (GPSS) launched its Global Library of School Infrastructure (GLOSI) and the updated Roadmap for Safer and Resilient Schools with the support of the Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction (GFDRR). These tools will help policymakers and school communities better understand and prepare for the natural hazards that put them at risk.
Just like families living in unsafe homes, children and youth studying in poor quality school buildings are also vulnerable to climate and disaster impact.   Disasters damage or destroy school infrastructure, harming or even killing students, teachers, and other members of the school community. In Ecuador, for example, the 2016 earthquake damaged almost 1,000 schools and left more than 120,000 children temporarily without education. In Mozambique, 4,000 classrooms were destroyed by cyclones this past year. These disasters also have a devastating effect on children’s education and learning environments.
That’s why the World Bank and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) are both committed to helping cities and communities mobilize global resources and take local actions to build climate-smart, disaster-resilient infrastructure.
Cities can only be as resilient as their infrastructure, which is why UNDRR, together with the Government of India co-developed the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. Launched by Prime Minister Modi at the UN Climate Action Summit in September, CDRI will support countries to risk-proof investment plans by providing technical input, exchanging best practice, and capacity building.  
UNDRR is also committed to leading action in this area through the Making Cities Resilient Campaign, which more than 4,200 cities have joined over the past 10 years. In consultation with partners, and in response to a clear request from the cities with which the campaign has worked, a new campaign will launch in 2020, supporting cities to reduce disaster and climate risk through improved technical support and enhanced capacity for raising finances to implement change.
Similarly, as the World Bank continues to build back better to reduce annual disaster-related losses, its Global Program for Resilient Housing is stepping up efforts to help countries, cities, and communities build better before the next disaster by making homes safer and more resilient to natural hazards. For example:
  • In Guatemala, a rapid, low-cost, and AI-enabled assessment approach – combining drones and car-mounted camera imagery – helped identify and map a significant share of the buildings at risk of collapse in an earthquake. In Saint Lucia, the same approach was used to assess rooftop damage risks from a Category-5 hurricane.
  • In Indonesia, the government is making resilience a central part of their home improvement subsidy program, one of the largest in the world.
  • In Mexico, the authorities are upgrading their housing programs to make them more inclusive and resilient.
  • In Peru, automated property valuations and vulnerability assessments have been conducted to support municipalities.
Investing in safe and resilient infrastructure – including homes and schools – saves lives, protects livelihoods, and safeguards development.  As we just marked International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and World Cities Day last month, let’s double down on our resolve and scale up our action to make the future of our cities and communities more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable for all.
********************

  
Black Emergency Managers Association 
    International 
1231-B Good Hope Road.  S.E.
Washington, D.C.  20020
Office:   202-618-9097 

bEMA International

“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today.  We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. 
In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late. 
Procrastination is still the thief of time. 
Life often leaves us standing bare, naked and dejected with a lost opportunity. 
This may well be mankind’s last chance to choose between chaos or community.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ‘Where Are We Going From Here:  Chaos or Community’.

Cooperation, Collaboration, Communication, Coordination, Community engagement, and  Partnering (C5&P)            

A 501 (c) 3 organization.


Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Community Emergency Response Teams and Exercise Involvement. November 2019

CERT Teams and other at community level.  Participation in not only developing your local response plans when disasters occur, but plan development in international drills, exercises, and local exercises with those you will be interfacing when disasters occur.

Update of contact lists, primary & secondary contacts, an the ability to know shortfalls before the disaster occurs

BEMA International

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FEMA EMI News
Website Update

1555 - Training Opportunity - L0050 Exercise Control and Simulation Course - PILOT

Emergency Management Institute Mission

To support the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA’s goals by improving the competencies of the U.S. officials in Emergency Management at all levels of government to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the potential effects of all types of disasters and emergencies on the American people. Read more...
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Emergency Management Institute
16825 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727

Switchboard: (301) 447-1000
Office of Admissions:
(301) 447-1035      Fax: (301) 447-1658
netc-admissions@fema.dhs.gov
FEMA Independent Study Program Office:
(301) 447-1200     Fax: (301)447-1201
L-0050 Exercise Control and Simulation Course - PILOT
Course Description:
This course is designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of Exercise Control and Simulation as defined by the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). Read more in Training Opportunity 1555.
EMI Clock Tower

 

(800) 621-FEMA / TTY (800) 462-7585

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