March 2021
The Resilience Roundup highlights announcements, events, and funding opportunities along with links to the previous month's local, state, and national resilience news. 
Learn more about CIRCA at circa.uconn.edu
and the Resilient Connecticut Project at resilientconnecticut.uconn.edu
Resilient Connecticut Project Updates
Climate Change Vulnerability Index Webinar:
Progress and New Results for Heat and Wind 

March 23, 10:00 - 11:00 am

The Resilient Connecticut team will host a webinar on Tuesday, March 23 to highlight new results for the Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) mapping tool. The webinar will include a brief overview of the latest flood CCVI tool, with a specific focus on revisions made in response to last month’s regional workshops (to view workshop videos and materials, click here). In addition, the team will describe new heat and wind vulnerability findings, review source datasets, and answer questions from webinar participants. This new comprehensive CCVI, with combined flood, heat, and wind stressors, will inform regional resilience opportunities and pilot projects.  
Announcements
Proposed Bills Addressing Climate Change

Governor Ned Lamont laid out his administration's climate change agenda, including three pieces of legislation that address recently published GC3 Working Group recommendations (CIRCA staff serve on the GC3 and participate in each of the seven Working Groups). Click on the links below for more information: 

An Act Concerning Transportation-Related Carbon Emissions (SB 884) would have Connecticut join the multi-state Transportation and Climate Initiative Program, which caps carbon dioxide emissions from motor vehicles, requires wholesale fuel suppliers to purchase "allowances" at auction to cover those emissions, and invests the proceeds in transportation projects and initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

An Act Concerning Climate Change Mitigation and Home Energy Affordability (SB 882) would require the state's electricity supply to be zero-carbon by 2040. If passed, this bill would codify into law an executive order Lamont issued in 2019.

An Act Concerning Climate Change Adaptation (HB 6441) would allow municipalities to establish a buyer's fee on property sales and put the money toward the purchase or preservation of open space, matching state investments, or funding other environmental projects, such as planting trees. The legislation would also create an Environmental Infrastructure Fund within the Connecticut Green Bank, which is about attracting more private dollars not only for green energy projects but also for climate resilience projects.
 
In addition to these bills, three other bills that address climate change include:

Events
CT Green Bank Webinar Series:
Promoting the Renewable Energy of Community

The Connecticut Green Bank invites you to join them as they explore the Renewable Energy of Community in their 2021 webinar series. Over the next year, they will have guests that touch on topics such as clean energy policy, financial innovation, social justice and cleantech advances. 

March 2, 2021 (12-1:30) - Energy Trends and Transformations (kickoff webinar)
Join Katherine Hamilton, co-host of popular podcast The Energy Gang in exploring the rapidly shifting U.S. policy and business landscape for clean energy, cleantech, and climate. From the Biden Administration to Congress, learn what seismic policy movements are underway, and what these changes mean for states and for clean energy project activity. 

March 10, 2021 (12-1:00) - Environmental Finance
There is a growing need to mobilize resources not just to mitigate the severity of climate change, but to also adapt our infrastructure to make it resilient against expected changes. Environmental finance and related proposals are advancing from Governor Lamont and the General Assembly – including using the Green Bank to take on new missions. Learn where your voice will be helpful. With a legislative public hearing process expected, your voice will be needed.
NJ Climate Change Alliance:
Advancing Climate Justice - A Case Study from Providence, RI

March 4, 12:00 - 1:00 pm

Join Leah Bamberger (Director of Sustainability) and Jazandra Baros, Jesus Holguin, and Monica Huertas (colleagues from the Racial and Environmental Justice Committee of Providence, Rhode Island) in a presentation and discussion regarding Providence's Climate Justice Action Plan.
Climate Adaptation Forum: Think Globally, Act Locally -

March 5, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

When increased precipitation overwhelms our municipal infrastructure or when extreme heat threatens the health of our most vulnerable neighbors, we look to our municipal governments for solutions. Join the Climate Adaptation Forum to explore the role of municipalities in climate adaptation. Experts from New England and beyond will discuss innovative adaptation strategies being implemented in their communities, state programs and frameworks that are facilitating local action, and trends in financing local adaptation projects.
LISS Sustainable and Resilient Communities Working Group

March 11, 10:00 - 11:00 AM

You are invited to attend a webinar to learn about and provide feedback on a draft of the Long Island Sound Study Sustainable and Resilient Communities Integrated Work Plan. This work plan has been developed in partnership with over 30 individuals representing organizations participating in the EPA’s Long Island Sound Study (LISS), a National Estuary Program with the vision “of a restored and protected Long Island Sound”. Sustainable and Resilient Communities is one of four Themes of the LISS Comprehensive Conservation
NAAEE: First Annual Connecticut Youth Climate Summit

March 18 - 19
The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) is hosting a youth climate summit. At this event, students will participate in sessions that develop an action project for their school or community while meeting leaders from across Connecticut. Prior to the summit, the student and their team will discuss with an adult leader or teacher what they would like to do at school or in the community that creates progress toward a lower carbon future.
CAFM Coastal Webinar Series

March 24 and March 31

CAFM is pleased to announce our March coastal webinar series with presentations by the Connecticut DEEP regarding coastal structures and coastal permitting and enforcement. Continuing education credits have been approved for CFMs and AICPs. These webinars target zoning enforcement officers, building officials, town planners, land use administrators, town engineers, wetlands agents, design professionals and consultants who work in the coastal boundary municipalities. The events are free, but registration is required.  

March 24 (10:00 - 11:00)
Coastal Shoreline Protection in Connecticut
Susan Jacobson, CT DEEP

March 31 (10:00 - noon)
Coastal Permitting and Enforcement
Brian Golembiewski, CT DEEP
NESSBE 2021: Northeast Summit for a Sustainable Built Environment

March 25-26

The Northeast Summit for a Sustainable Built Environment (NESSBE) is a biennial regional summit meant to include a larger community of building professionals, owners, academics, policymakers, advocates and students in a conversation about sustainability in the built environment. NESSBE organizers are the Connecticut Green Building Council and the Connecticut Living Future Collaborative. The Summit will engage a broad audience to explore solutions for meeting the challenge of the climate crisis in the built environment, while lifting up vulnerable communities. 

March 31, 3:00 - 4:00 pm

A critical component for safeguarding coastal communities against increasing storm risks is maximizing the protection natural features, such as coastal wetlands. This NERR webinar will feature a project that examined one saltmarsh in New York and used modeling to evaluate the marsh’s capacity to protect an adjacent village against impacts from a range of potential storms. Two members of the project team will share key takeaways from the research and explain how the findings inform planning for the marsh and shoreline infrastructure.
Resources
C2ES Climate Policy Priorities for the
New Administration and Congress

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) has worked closely with leading companies to assess policy options for decarbonizing the U.S. economy. Drawing on these discussions, this policy brief recommends a comprehensive set of policy priorities to drive climate innovation, reduce emissions, strengthen climate resilience, remedy inequities and—in many cases—support the post-pandemic economic recovery. Taken together, these steps would establish the essential foundations of an ambitious, just, durable, bipartisan climate policy putting the United States on the path toward carbon neutrality.
Impact of compound flood event on coastal critical infrastructures considering current and future climate

A new publication in the Journal Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences presents case studies of compound flood hazards affecting critical infrastructure in coastal Connecticut. The research team, including two faculty from UConn’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, studied seven coastal river reaches where eight power grid substations lie in proximity to riverbanks and are prone to flooding caused by coastal storms (such as hurricanes) that combine heavy precipitation and high storm surge surge. This research provides a framework for assessing the risk factors of our modern infrastructure located in vulnerable coastal areas. 
Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast Viewer

Total water level (TWL) at the shoreline is the combination of tides, surge, and wave runup. The USGS National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards project is working in collaboration with NOAA's National Weather Service and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction to make total water level and coastal change forecasts. The TWL and Coastal Change Forecast Viewer displays operational total water level forecasts and coastal change predictions for select regions of the U.S. coastline and can provide guidance on potential coastal erosion and flooding hazards.
Low Income Homes Face Triple Flood Risk by 2050
 
In November 2020, new analysis conducted by researchers at Climate Central and the National Housing Trust highlights the equity implications of climate change and the threat to affordable housing in coastal states from sea level rise. The study adds to a growing body of research showing the disproportionate impacts climate change is having on low-income, disadvantaged and minority communities across the country. Climate Central has also introduced a new interactive online mapping tool. An executive summaryreportkey concepts, and one hour video of a workshop entitled, "The Sea Level Rise Threat to Affordable Housing" are also available.

A seven minute video from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Rising Waters Series, discusses high tide flooding (also known as sunny day or nuisance flooding) that is occurring as a result of sea level rise.  Sea level rise is often spoken of in future terms, but in many communities sea level rise is already a factor in people's lives in the form of high-tide flooding. The video visits Annapolis, Maryland that has seen a dramatic increase in floods in recent years. Waters sometimes breach flood walls, or more often, back up through storm sewers to flood nearby streets. 
State and Regional News Clips
‘Yes on 2’ campaign launches in support of $74 million 2021 Beach, Clean Water, and Green Bond Question
UPRISE RI - February 2, 2021

A coalition of community partners from throughout Rhode Island, including leaders from state and local government and environmental and labor organizations, kicked off a campaign in support of the 2021 Beach, Clean Water, and Green Bond. The $74 million bond will appear as Question 2 on the ballot for Rhode Island’s March 2 special election and gives voters the opportunity to approve major investments in clean water, state beaches and parks, outdoor recreation, farm and forested land, and community resilience to climate change.
Baker Sends Climate Bill Back with Amendments
wbur - February 7, 2021

Gov. Charlie Baker still is not on board with the climate policy bill overwhelmingly passed by the Legislature twice in about a month, but this time he has sent it back with proposed amendments he says would make the legislation more palatable.. The bill is designed to push Massachusetts toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, establish interim emissions goals, adopt appliance energy efficiency standards, and address needs in environmental justice communities.
Lamont Administration Lays Out Legislative Agenda
on Climate Change
The Day - February 18, 2021

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes and Gov. Ned Lamont on Wednesday laid out the administration's climate change agenda, discussing the three pieces of climate legislation the governor has submitted and saying the proposals will prioritize vulnerable communities.
National News Clips
Parts of Britain Are Already Hitting 2030 Carbon Targets
Bloomberg - February 2, 2021

Regions of the U.K. powered by a combination of nuclear and wind are already hitting 2030 climate targets, according to an industry report. Britain has pledged the deepest cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in the Group of 20 nations to put the U.K. at the vanguard of the fight against climate change. The prime minister’s goal to slash pollution by 68% in the four decades through 2030 could put Britain on track to deliver net-zero emissions by the middle of the century.
National Green Bank Bill Targets $100B for Business Sectors Key
to Biden’s Climate Agenda
GTM - February 3, 2021

More than a decade after its first introduction, a national green bank bill is back before Congress, with much more funding than previous versions proposed over the past two years and a far greater chance to be passed into law, its backers say. The bill would direct $100 billion to the Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator, a nonprofit entity tasked with making loans and investments into sectors of the economy that need to grow rapidly to meet the Biden-Harris administration’s aggressive decarbonization goals. 
Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council Takes Technical Lead in Statewide Flood Mitigation Planning
83 Degrees Media - February 9, 2021

Although Florida's coastal communities excel in disaster preparedness in the face of storm surge and rising sea levels, Regional Planning Councils statewide recognize a necessity to innovate and improve flood mitigation strategies for the state's inland regions. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) awarded $1.49 million in grant funding to a partnership of six Regional Planning Councils to create a statewide approach to flood planning and mitigation. Funds are allocated through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Mitigation program. 
A Glimpse of America’s Future:
Climate Change Means Trouble for Power Grids
New York Times - February 18, 2021

Huge winter storms plunged large parts of the central and southern United States into an energy crisis, with frigid blasts of Arctic weather crippling electric grids and leaving millions of Americans without power amid dangerously cold temperatures. The grid failures were most severe in Texas, where more than four million people woke up Tuesday morning to rolling blackouts. Separate regional grids in the Southwest and Midwest also faced serious strain.
Flood Risk is Growing for US Homeowners Due to Climate Change. Current Insurance Rates Greatly Underestimate the Threat
CNN - February 22, 2021

Wildfires and hurricane-force winds produce stunning videos and headlines, but flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States. And almost no place in the country is immune as 98% of all counties in the US have experienced at least one flooding event. In the last decade alone, floods have caused more than $155 billion worth of damage, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As the climate changesthe risk of financial loss from flooding for millions of homeowners is increasing.
Maryland Capital Sues Oil, Gas Companies Over Climate Change
The Washington Post - February 23, 2021

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland’s capital city has filed a lawsuit against 26 oil and gas companies, saying their industry was taking the environment to a point where fighting climate change would be difficult. The City of Annapolis filed the lawsuit Monday in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, and names ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP and Shell among its defendants. Annapolis says it’s the 25th state or local government to file such a lawsuit.
The Resilience Roundup highlights CIRCA's presence in the news, provides links to recent local/state/national news articles related to resilience and adaptation, and announces upcoming events and seminars.
 
The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation's (CIRCA) mission is to increase the resilience and sustainability of vulnerable communities along Connecticut's coast and inland waterways to the growing impacts of climate change and extreme weather on the natural, built, and human environment. The institute is located at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus and includes faculty from across the university. CIRCA is a partnership between UConn and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP). 
State and Regional News Clips