Our SAGE article is published!  Check it out and let us know what you think.  Thank you to the Sustainability and to special editors Prof. Steven Scyphers and
Prof. Dr. Michael W. Beck

Hamin, E.M.; Abunnasr, Y.; Roman Dilthey, M.; Judge, P.K.; Kenney, M.A.; Kirshen, P.; Sheahan, T.C.; DeGroot, D.J.; Ryan, R.L.; McAdoo, B.G.; Nurse, L.; Buxton, J.A.; Sutton-Grier, A.E.; Albright, E.A.; Marin, M.A.; Fricke, R. Pathways to Coastal Resiliency: The Adaptive Gradients Framework. Sustainability 2018, 10, 2629.

http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/8/2629

Every now and then I like to type in the words "coastal resilience" to see what comes up.  This time I found the US Climate Resilience Toolkit.  SAGE has come up with 8 different factors to consider when approaching a project: exposure reduction, cost efficiency, institutional capacity, ecological enhancement, adaptation over time, greenhouse gas reduction, participatory process and social benefits.  The US Climate Toolkit has five steps, one of which includes prioritizing and planning and this step includes looking at  resilience, economic impacts, environmental impacts and implementation.  However, this step does not guide groups in how to best look at their project as comprehensively as SAGE.  SAGE has a lot to offer - time to get the word out!

Here is the link to the Toolkit: https://toolkit.climate.gov/#steps

This is an interesting article by Shannon Cunniff, Director, Coastal Resilience, with contributions from Kate Zerrenner.  The article was posted this past April on the Environmental Defense Fund website and its about how Texas can better prepare for the next storm including buying out areas prone to flooding and designing more resilient natural parks able to take the brunt of the storm.

SAGE is all about using a multifaceted approach and our gradient scoring can help communities best evaluate the possible plans.  SAGE members and friends - please pass on our gradient scoring process described in our Practical Guide. 

Need a basic introduction to Green Infrastructure?  Check out the EPA's webpage on Coastal Resiliency.  It includes an introduction, basic definitions and a list of resources.  It also has a link to a NOAA animation of how green infrastructure helps to protect coastlines during flooding events. 

https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/coastal-resiliency

A new website that lets people delve into data on the world's cities has been launched.
Dr Robert Muggah from the think-tank Instituto Igarapé showed the BBC some of his favourite maps from EarthTime.
Producer: Jane Wakefield
Video journalist: Chris Foxx

Rising Sea Levels is at minute 1:08.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/technology-44575392/maps-reveal-hidden-truths-of-the-world-s-cities

Below is info on a NatureNet Postdoc program with the Nature Conservancy.  One of the opportunities (listed under "Decision Making") would be working with me (and Kelly Leo, our Resilient Coast Director) and Professor Elizabeth Fussell at Brown University.  The description of our project is below:

Understanding Human Responses to Coastal Flooding on the Eastern Shore of Maryland (Decision Making)
 
Research approaches will provide insights into how rural counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore are affected by and respond to environmental changes associated with sea level rise and climate change. Of particular interest are projects that would inform policies related to residential relocation and nature restoration. Applicants with background in anthropology, demography, economics, geography, psychology, public policy, sociology, or another social science discipline with expertise in environmental topics preferred.




Please share this general postdoctoral opportunity with great postdoctoral candidates.

Ariana



NATURE NET POSTDOC FELLOWSHIP INFO

The Nature Conservancy is pleased to solicit applications for the NatureNet Science Fellowship a trans-disciplinary postdoctoral fellowship and research grant program. The NatureNet Science Fellows program bridges academic excellence and conservation practice to create a new generation of climate change leaders who combine the rigor of academic science with real-world application. The outstanding early-career scientists in this 2-year postdoctoral program differ from other postdocs in two major ways:
 
1. They have prioritized improving and expanding their research skills— directing their efforts towards problems at the interface of climate, conservation, business, technology, and people; AND
 
2. They are committed to their professional development—  participating and applying trainings designed to improve skills in science communication, working-group facilitation, and leadership.
 
Recognizing that The Nature Conservancy’s conservation mission is best advanced by the contributions of individuals of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and cultures—  NatureNet encourages applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military or veteran status or other status protected by law.
 
The call for applications features two post-doctoral opportunities. Read the Eligibility and Award Terms carefully to determine the best fit for your research program. For both programs, applicants should identify a project and mentors from the available list: https://naturenetsciencefellows.org/
 
FULL POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP
Applicants will work with a Nature Conservancy mentor and a senior scholar (or scholars) from our 2019 Partner Universities- Brown University; Columbia University; Stanford University; Science for Nature and People Partnership, University of California – Los Angeles; University of Minnesota; University of Virginia; or the University of Queensland to develop a research program. The Conservancy expects post-doctoral appointments to start between May and September. Each Fellow will receive a non-negotiable annual salary of $50,000 plus benefits, with the postdoctoral position expected to run for two consecutive years. In addition to the stipend, each Fellow receives an annual travel budget of approximately $5,000 and an annual research fund of approximately $20,000. Second-year renewal of the fellowship is contingent upon satisfactory progress and contribution to the collective program.
 
RESEARCH GRANT
Applicants and a university mentor from their host institution collaborate with a Nature Conservancy mentor to develop a research application. Each grantee will receive a research stipend of $20,000, with the grant period expected to run for two consecutive years. Second-year renewal of the grant is contingent upon satisfactory progress and contribution to the collective program. The Conservancy will distribute grant funds between May and September. Funds are awarded directly to the grantee's institution and may be used by the grantee for such purposes as equipment, technical assistance, professional travel, trainee support, or any other activity directly related to the grantees's research. Salary support is limited to a maximum of three months of the established academic salary (not including IDC).
 
For more information on the NatureNet Science Fellowship and to apply please visit: https://naturenetsciencefellows.org/
​

SAGE member Melissa Kenney was quoted in this interesting article about climate change and public perceptions.  "Melissa Kenney, an environmental decision scientist at the University of Maryland, says she generally cites five primary indicators people should keep an eye on to get “the pulse of the planet:” global temperature, carbon dioxide levels, global sea level rise, Arctic sea ice, and ice sheets and glaciers. But sounding the alarm does little good if it isn't accompanied by proposed actions, she says."

Click here for the rest of the Christian Science Monitor article:
https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2018/0525/From-peak-CO2-to-record-low-sea-ice-making-sense-of-climate-news

This report, sponsored by the Boston Green Ribbon Commission with generous support of the Barr Foundation found that shore-based climate adaptation strategies have significant advantages over harbor-wide strategies for the region.

The project team included faculty, students and staff from the School for the Environment (SFE) and the Urban Harbors Institute (now part of SFE) as well as Arcadis, Woods Hole Group and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Paul Kirshen, Academic Director of the Sustainable Solutions Lab was the Principle Investigator.

Press Coverage

This eagerly anticipated report is already garnering lots of press coverage this morning:

The Boston Globe

The Boston Herald

WBUR

WGBH

Commonwealth Magazine

Boston Business Journal

Associated Press

Professor Dale Webber, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Studies and Research at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has been appointed Campus Principal of the Mona Campus in Jamaica.  His appointment takes effect from October 1, 2018.  

Congratulations Dale!

Click here for full article.

"Puerto Rico lost electricity again on April 18, seven months after Hurricane Maria first knocked out the island’s power grid. For people in some remote rural areas, the blackout was more of the same. Their power had yet to be restored.

The dangerous fragility of Puerto Rico’s energy systems has put other Caribbean countries on high alert. Across the region, electric grids are dated, ailing and overburdened – making it easy work for a powerful passing storm. 

Caribbean nations also rely heavily on oil and diesel imports to fuel their power plants – a dirty and expensive way to produce energy. So even before the 2017 hurricane season, Caribbean governments were trying to integrate renewable energy sources like wind and solar into their existing grids.
Now that task seems far more urgent. To move beyond fossil fuels, Caribbean countries must transform their energy systems by building in new, greener sources of power. That will also make electric grids more resilient to weather extremes because they will be decentralized – pulling from a diverse array of power sources."

​Click here for the rest of the article.

by Masaō Ashtine
Lecturer in Alternative Energy, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus
Published by The Conversation
​