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The Resilience Roundup highlights announcements and events along with links to the previous month's state, regional, and national resilience news.
Learn more about CIRCA at circa.uconn.edu
and the Resilient Connecticut Project at resilientconnecticut.uconn.edu
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CIRCA Hosted Climate Research Webinar Series
Over the past two weeks, CIRCA has held a webinar series. This series was a continuation effort after our research symposium and research seed grant and was aimed at showcasing the research efforts of UConn faculty members and fostering collaboration within the university’s community. Each webinar was centered around one of the four research areas outlined on CIRCA’s website here: CIRCA Research Interest Areas . To access the recording from each webinar, visit CIRCA's web site here: 2024 CIRCA Research Webinar Series
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CLCC: Climate Smart Land Stewardship Grant Program
The overarching goal of the Climate Smart Land Stewardship Grant Program is to increase the number of acres in Connecticut that are managed using climate smart land stewardship practices and encourage the use of climate smart practices among Connecticut’s land trusts. This grant program, and CLCC's accompanying outreach and technical assistance, will elevate the role of conserved lands in providing natural climate solutions by integrating climate mitigation, resilience, and adaptation into the stewardship of conserved lands throughout the state. This program will award $500,000 over multiple years for both planning and implementation grants. In 2024, grants will be awarded quarterly. In 2024, applications will be reviewed quarterly. Submission deadlines are at 5:00pm on: March 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. Funding decisions are anticipated approximately six weeks after application deadlines.
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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation:
Water Quality Improvement Project Grant Program
Application Deadline: July 31, 2024
The Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant application period is now! The WQIP program is a competitive, reimbursement grant program that funds projects directly improving water quality or aquatic habitat, promoting flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate resiliency, or protecting drinking water sources. Applications are being accepted through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) until 4:00 PM on July 31, 2024. A total of at least $75 million is available. Eligible project types and required matches for 2024 include: Wastewater Treatment Improvement (25%), Nonagricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control (25%), Vacuum Trucks in Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Areas (25%), Land Acquisition for Source Water Protection (25%), Salt Storage and Road Salt Reduction (25%), Dam Safety Repair/Rehabilitation and Removal (25%), Aquatic Connectivity Restoration (25%), Marine District Habitat Restoration (25%), and Fish and Wildlife Habitat Restoration and Enhancement (25%).
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EPA: Community Change Grants
Application Deadline: November 21, 2024
The Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant program (Community Change Grants), created by the Inflation Reduction Act, offers an unprecedented $2 billion in grants under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The Community Change Grants will fund community-driven projects that address climate challenges and reduce pollution while strengthening communities through thoughtful implementation. This historic level of support will enable communities and their partners to overcome longstanding environmental challenges and implement meaningful solutions to meet community needs now and for generations to come. There will be two tracks of funding under this opportunity. Track I will fund approximately 150 large, transformational community-driven investment grants of $10 million - $20 million. Track II will fund approximately 20 meaningful engagement grants of $1 million - $3 million. Grants cannot exceed 3-years in duration. Please review the NOFO for further information about the exciting opportunities under the Community Change Grants program and details about the application process.
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Yale Center for Environmental Communication:
Is Climate Change to Blame? Understanding and Communicating the Link Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather
June 12, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
After an extreme weather event, people often ask: is climate change to blame? Join the Yale Center for Environmental Communication for an insightful discussion on attribution science — a field focused on determining the influence of human-induced climate change on extreme weather events.
This discussion will be moderated by Dr. Jennifer Marlon, Director of Data Science for the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) and Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of the Environment, and will feature a panel of expert climate scientists and communicators, including Dr. Friederike Otto, Co-Lead of World Weather Attribution and Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, Dr. Andrew Pershing, VP for Science at Climate Central, and Dr. Laura Thomas-Walters, Research Specialist and Deputy Director of Experimental Research at YPCCC.
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Yale Center for Environmental Justice: Centering Equity in Climate Change Resilience Planning in Connecticut
The Yale Center for Environmental Justice partnered with the Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3) Equity and Environmental Justice Working Group to complete Centering Equity in Climate Change Resilience Planning: A Guide for Connecticut Municipalities, under the supervision of Dr. Mark Mitchell. Inclusive planning grounded in environmental and climate justice results in more resilient communities. Centering Equity in Climate Change Resilience Planning outlines a nine-step framework that is grounded in developing partnerships between municipalities and low-income communities and communities of color that have historically been excluded from planning processes. This guide illustrates how planners can center equity by incorporating a variety of questions, techniques, requirements, and practices into planning processes. It should be used as a complement to existing technical and planning guidelines. Using this guide, municipal and regional planners will develop a Resilience Assessment and Prioritization Plan with and for their communities.
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Inflation Reduction Act Home Energy Rebate Programs
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. The law included $391 billion to support clean energy and address climate change, including $8.8 billion in rebates for home energy efficiency and electrification projects. Through these IRA provisions, Connecticut is eligible to receive $49,830,560 for the Home Efficiency Rebate program (HER) and $49,732,517 for the Home Electrification and Appliance program (HEAR), together referred to as the Home Energy Rebate Programs. HER allows for “whole house rebates” related to energy savings. HEAR will offer rebates for electric appliances and other efficiency equipment. The rebates offered through HER and HEAR will help Connecticut households save money on energy bills, upgrade to clean energy equipment, improve energy efficiency, and reduce indoor and outdoor air pollution.
DEEP held a public Technical Meeting on Thursday May 16, 2024, 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM to discuss these programs with stakeholders. This was a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting. Download the meeting agenda here and see the recording HERE.
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State and Regional News Clips | |
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UConn Hosts Just Transitions Symposium
UConn Today - May 23, 2024
This month, UConn hosted the Just Transitions Symposium, a collaborative platform uniting scholars, students, and experts to explore sustainable and equitable strategies for addressing climate change. The event emphasized the necessity of a holistic approach and diverse voices in creating a low-carbon future. Originating from a faculty reading group, the symposium featured six panels on themes like climate justice, socio-economic policies, and green energy innovations. The gathering highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, connecting participants across fields like history, geography, economics, and the arts. CIRCA Legal Fellow Louanne Cooley’s artwork, part of the Tempestry Project, was showcased, illustrating the role of art in visualizing climate issues and sparking conversations.
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Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins June 1.
Here's What Connecticut Officials Want You to Know
Stamford Advocate - May 28, 2024
June 1, will kick off a new hurricane season along the East Coast — and experts are already warning that it could be an exceptionally busy one. Two major forecasts released this spring predict that as many as 23 to 25 named storms are likely to form in the Atlantic Ocean during the season, which runs until November 30. Abnormally warm ocean temperatures, along with La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean are what’s fueling predictions for an active hurricane season, experts say. Both events have been linked to the ongoing impacts of global climate change, which is exacerbating the impacts of hurricanes in places like New England.
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Vermont Becomes 1st State to Enact Law Requiring Oil Companies to Pay For Damage From Climate Change
AP News - May 31, 2024
Vermont has become the first state to enact a law requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a share of the damage caused by climate change after the state suffered catastrophic summer flooding and damage from other extreme weather. Republican Gov. Phil Scott allowed the bill to become law without his signature late Thursday, saying he is very concerned about the costs and outcome of the small state taking on “Big Oil” alone in what will likely be a grueling legal fight. But he acknowledged that he understands something has to be done to address the toll of climate change.
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'Turning Point in Energy History’ as Solar, Wind Start Pushing
Fossil Fuels Off The Grid
Yale Climate Connections - May 16, 2024
Solar and wind energy grew quickly enough in 2023 to push renewables up to 30% of global electricity supply and begin pushing fossil fuels off the power grid, the Ember climate consultancy concludes in a report released May 8. The report projects that fossil-fueled electricity generation will decline 2% next year, because while demand is expected to grow rapidly, renewables will grow even faster.
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The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Will Be 'Extraordinary,' Forecasters Warn
NPR - May 23, 2024
This year’s Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be extremely active, putting tens of millions of Americans in the eastern half of the country at risk from flooding and damaging winds, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warn. The increased activity is partially caused by abnormally warm ocean temperatures driven by climate change.
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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).
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