The climate is changing, but is our infrastructure?
The climate is changing, but is our infrastructure?
A short recap on my Christmas weekend and thoughts on Winter Storm Elliot. Happy Holidays!
12/28/22
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to send a short message to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Left to right: Anita, Colton, Jr, Mom, Dad, Audrey, Jasmine, Alyssa, Shelby, and Benji
I spent the Christmas holiday with my family in Roswell, Georgia, which is a suburb outside of Atlanta. I expected Georgia to be cold, but I was not prepared for the wind and freezing temperatures! Thankfully, we made it out just fine. No snow or frozen pipes.
However, I couldn’t help but to think about the others who didn’t fare so well. I heard about dozens of weather-related deaths due to frozen power substations, poor home insulation, and dangerous road conditions. What would have been the impact of Winter Storm Elliot if we — residents, governments, service providers (utility companies, hospitals, etc.) — were truly prepared?
The climate is changing, but is our infrastructure?
I’m sure you all heard the horror stories about the flight cancellations and delays that occurred over the weekend. The winter storm, coupled with understaffing issues and overbooking, led to thousands of cancelled flights.
This event has changed the perception of flying, and potentially the future of mass transportation. Now, more consumers will view flying as a last report, which will lead to a shift in consumer demand and behavior. But is America’s infrastructure ready to handle this new demand?
Climate change is disrupting our markets — transportation, energy, housing, etc. Our federal government has tried to take some climate action by passing the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which uses tax credits to incentivize market players to reduce their greenhouse gases emissions, primarily through electrification.
However, we’re not seeing this leadership on a local level: we still have a closed Amtrak station in Tallahassee, an outdated StarMetro bus system, and incomplete sidewalks.
We’re not doomed, but we are behind.
Climate change will require us to identify our vulnerabilities, but also to find solutions to fix them. I’m not stuck in the “we’re doomed” mindset, but I do realize that we have a lot of work to do to build a more resilient society, where everyone has access to a well-insulated and energy-efficient home, community centers that also operate as shelters, and a plethora of travel options (from e-scooters to trains).
I really think we can build that future, but we need all of our civic, government, and market leaders to work together to make that a reality. That will not happen without coordination of resources and proper preparation.
How did y’all make out with the storm?
Any issues or noticed things that could’ve done better? Did anyone get caught with flight delays or cancellations?? Benji and I are heading to Salt Lake City tomorrow and I’m hoping that our flight arrives on time. Keep your fingers crossed for us.
What would you do next time to better prepare for the storm? Let me know!
For me, I would’ve worn better clothes. Benji and I had to buy boots when we were in GA and started wearing multiple layers. This might seem like common knowledge, but we really don’t know how to dress for the cold weather. 😅
Local news update: Max Herrle charged with embezzlement.
Last thing, and this is a bit unrelated, but before the Christmas break, news came out that Our Tallahassee co-founder, Max Herrle, was being sued for allegedly embezzling company funds.
If you don’t recall, one of my very first posts on Substack was about my affiliation Our Tallahassee. I will be talking more about the court case in the future, but wanted to make sure y’all were aware of that developing story!