October 30, 2020
Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP, LEED AP
President, Chen Moore and Associates
Last week: Last week included a relatively unheralded day called “Imagine a Day Without Water.” Started in 2014, the day is a national education campaign that brings together diverse stakeholders to highlight how water is essential, invaluable and in need of investment. Not all Americans have to imagine a day without water. More than 2,000,000 Americans live without basic access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Even in these divided times, 73% of Americans support investing in water infrastructure to increase resilience to climate change, even with a $1.27 trillion price tag. Let’s not turn “imagining” into “realizing” this loss.
Looking ahead: Next week, almost everyone will be talking politics, for good or bad. Next week, though, also includes a day that has no political bounds. In December 2015, the United Nations General Assembly designated Nov. 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day, calling on countries, international bodies and civil society to raise tsunami awareness and share innovative approaches to risk reduction. By the year 2030, an estimated 50% of the world's population will live in coastal areas exposed to flooding, storms and tsunamis. It may not sound important in South Florida, but there is a potential risk, so please pay attention!