Today we completed the two days of VCAPs (Vulnerability, Consequences, and Adaptation Planning Scenarios) with the Sea Grant personnel, and I thank all of the department heads, elected officials and citizens for participating.
As a coastal community, we enjoy the delights of our environment – but there is a price to be paid in terms of potential climate-related costs.
The methods in which to mitigate and prepare go from the mind-bogglingly challenging to the seemingly mundane and everything in between. But here are two simple, cost-free things you can do right now:
1. Register with Code Red to be notified by your local emergency response team in the event of emergency situations or critical community alerts.
Examples include: weather alerts, evacuation notices, boil water notices, and missing child reports. (This information will remain the property of ECN and will not be disclosed.) It’s effective and it’s important.
Examples include: weather alerts, evacuation notices, boil water notices, and missing child reports. (This information will remain the property of ECN and will not be disclosed.) It’s effective and it’s important.
I have always felt more secure with this system. When severe weather approaches, my cell, my husband’s cell and our house phone ring simultaneously and we know to take cover and/or tune into the tv/radio. Every citizen should have this valuable tool so please urge your family, friends and neighbours to sign up.
The link is below - please pass it on!
The link is below - please pass it on!
2. STOP pouring grease and other obstructive matter down your sinks. That is what caused the recent 1,600 gallon spill of wastewater and that is what could make all the difference during flooding scenarios.
Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) come from meats, butters and margarine, lard, food scraps, sauces, salad dressings, dairy products, and cooking oil. When FOG goes down the drain, it hardens and causes sewer pipes to clog. Just because these things are put through the garbage disposal doesn’t render them harmless.
This can lead to a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) where raw sewage actually backs up into your home, lawn, neighborhood, and streets. Not only does this nasty mess cause health issues, it also can run into a nearby stream or river which affects our drinking water – and the cost to our infrastructure and city bank account is frighteningly high.
Please store fats and grease in a disposable container. Used cooking oil should be cooled and put into a covered container and put out for garbage collection. It may seem like a small thing – but it can make a world of difference.
Alex
Alex
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