April 2014 Blog Posts (635)

What are the most likely natural disasters, food shortages, power outages, political crises, health outbreaks, or other social disruptions that YOU should be prepared to face with resilience? Pick one.

What different kinds of data would you track in the crisis?

What different kinds of urgent information and resources would you need to collect and share?

Hurricanes are a natural threat to the state of Florida. Because of the long history of hurricanes devastating the state,…

I like the resilience plans that reflect the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of companies all over the US. Starbucks is a company that seeks to incentivize environmentally sound habits. They offer discounts to customers that use refillable jigs for their drinks and instead of throwing away old coffee grounds, they allow customers to take it home and use it in their gardens. Another corporation that makes a positive impact on the community is the UF Innovation Hub. They allow for more…

A Girls place in Alachua county makes it their mission to help girls develop into courageous, strong and self sufficient women. By volunteering an afternoon, I was able to help with this mission. By simply playing outside after school and helping with homework, I was able to remind the girls that they can be anything they want to be. The impact that this organization has on the community is amazing and watching the girls become empowered and encouraged to be as good the boys.

In 2020, I'll be celebrating my birthday in a pole barn out on my dad's property. There will be a stage with a band, smokers are far as you can see cooking pigs, a zip line over a pond, and people dancing,singing and having a great time. This pole barn is also where my cross fit gym is which gets used Monday thought Friday through out the wh*** year. The tread mills, and any other physical equipment will be hooked up to a power saver generated from human movements. Through out the year, this…

After thinking about something I could design in order to power something I use everyday, I looked right at my bicycle. I ride my bike to school everyday and decided to design a "mouse running on a ball" idea. The energy would be generated by how far and how fast my tires rotate. This will be hooked up to an energy source which will charge my cell phone. Instead of using energy to charge my phone at night while I sleep, it will charge by the power generated by my legs on my way to school.

After conducting some research and looking for "power players", I came across an article that caught my eye. In a Nigerian hospital, Dr Stachel was shocked by the poor conditions and made a decision that would likely maker her a hero. She invented a portable solar suitcase that provides lighting and power to dual hospitals. She was one of CNN's Top Heroes of 2013 and hopes to help light up 10,000 clinics and provide healthcare to millions of babies by 2018. Dr, Laura Stachel's invention also…

It is the year 2020 and I have grown older and wiser over the years. I have seen triumph and tragedy and natural disasters and miracles. But now I must chose one piece of wisdom to pass on to the younger generations that will live and lead after I go. The best piece of information I can pass on is to always remember to study and appreciate history. The year will change, the players will change, the technology will change; but the characteristics and instincts of humans will remain constant.…

Crisis communication is vital during stressful moments in time. I think one of the 5 most important concepts to learn is to "Managing Panic in a Pandemic." Its important for the public to be in the know during times of crisis so that they can react accordingly, so as not to make things worse. The media and government play a hand in what information is dispersed through mediums of communication and therefore need to use this power in a fair, responsible way. The most important thing they can…

Water for People stands out to me because their mission focuses on the long term. They don't want to just bring water to people- they want to build and create resources that will provide water for communities. They measure success by the number of actual schools, households, and communities they provide water for. Their "blogs and stories" tab allows people to see real success stories.

Millions of unsafe abortions are performed each year around the world. Abortions are legally allowed in 98% of the countries of the world for women who are at risk for death or serious illness due to her pregnancy. There are many social, political and religious factors that play into this and cause many women to seek an unsafe abortion in fear of ridicule or excommunication from their society. Women who cannot have a safe abortion, should access healthy and safe care from a medical provider…

I chose to learn about the Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. This area is characterised by high rates of land degradation, low land productivity, proneness to drought, and chronic food insecurity. The importance of educating the people in this area is pivotal in order to preserve the land and help grow the economy. The food aid per capita for this area is one of the highest in Ethiopia, in order to improve this their needs to be education and programs…

I explored the internet to see what urban resiliency plans were in place in Gainesville and learned about an opportunity here at the University of Florida. The UF College of Design, Construction and Planning and the Program for Resource Efficient Communities in IFAS have collaborated to create the the Florida Resilient Communities Initiative (FRCI) which offers communities the technical and capacity building expertise of the faculty, staff, and students of these organizations. They provide…

I live in Gainesville, Florida and although we are landlocked and located in the center of the state, there are still major natural disasters or crises that can transpire at any moment. Most likely to occur would be a hurricane that hits the coast of Florida and moves across the state, devastating communities. This would be a prime opportunity to utilize the Ushahidi communication website. It would be important to communicate to civilians whether it was safe for them to leave their houses,…

Its 2020 and I am telling the story about the women who have benefited from the Global Giving fund for "Women's Health Book In Tamil For Village Women." This funds prints and distributes books that have educated women in Tamil about current health information to treat and prevent common health problems experienced by women, especially in remote areas. These women now have the tools to take control of their health so that they can focus on working and selling goods to raise money to feed…

I thought something interesting and important included in the reading was addressing the fact that reporters like high-outrage, low-hazard stories. It is very important to remember that reporters often like to sensationalize stories and to always take the news from traditional media with a grain of salt.