LifestyleForEnvironment / Bharat Amrutkal Trust
Disaster Reduction & Relief Operations & Climate Change | Peace, Poverty & Hunger Alleviation, Environmental Compliance
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This story is part of State of emergencya Grist series exploring how climate disasters impact voting and politics. The conspiracy theories began to swirl even as flood waters rose: Hurricane Helene, the deadliest storm to hit the United States since Katrina in 2005, was created specifically to attack Trump voters in crucial swing states. “Yes, they can control the weather,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the far-right representative from Georgia, wrote Thursday on X. “It’s ridiculous for someone to lie and say it can’t be done.” Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, best known for insisting the Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax, released a video on Why? To push people out of the region so it can mine the state’s vast reserves of lithium, a key component of the batteries that power electric vehicles and store renewable energy. The video was viewed almost a million times in three days. Hundreds of keyboard conspirators have used TikTok, X, Reddit and other social media sites to say the Federal Emergency Management Administration is withholding critical supplies from stranded communities in the Southeast. “I just came from the mountains to deliver stuff,” someone with the username “RastaGuerilla” posted on X on September 30. “As crazy as it sounds, FEMA immediately confiscates donated items and blocks volunteers from helping, churches kicking out of parking lots, etc.” The post received tens of thousands of likes, and similar posts from people claiming to be in the disaster area have racked up hundreds of thousands of views and reposts. Search and rescue teams walk along the Broad River where North Carolina Route 9 was located in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 2.Sean Rayford/Getty ImagesThere’s no telling what percentage of these bogus claims came from people who were actually in the areas devastated by Helene, let alone whether humans or bots spewed them out. Regardless of who or what wrote them, the conspiracies are patently untrue. FEMA does not confiscate deliveries. The Biden administration is not trying to kick people off land it wants to mine for lithium. And the federal government certainly has no control over the weather. For disaster researchers, the barrage of sharp conspiracies is further evidence that conspiratorial thinking is becoming something of an epidemic. “We’ve entered a space where conspiratorial thinking has gone mainstream,” said Rachel Goldwasser, who tracks far-right activity and disinformation at the Southern Poverty Law Center. “Any tinfoil hat who says the government controls the weather now feels validated because Marjorie Taylor Greene said that too.”Disasters invariably cast a cloud of conspiracies aimed at casting doubt on the legitimacy of government – the dark corners of society have long characterized FEMA as a sinister, all-powerful
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Asif Nawaz
HR Coordinator at CRBC - HBSZ (JV)'24 | BS Economics - LUMS'20 | | Technical Recruiter | Talent Acquisition | Training and Development | Labor law Compliance | Payroll | Administration
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Are you drowning in the flood of Information? Understand that the vastness of the big ocean around a small ship will not sink it. But what can and will sink the ship is the water when it gets inside it.It's not the information overload around us that confuses us, makes us indecisive; it's the stuff we let inside our heads that messes things up.It is true that we are living in the age of abundance. It is true we are bombarded by tons of marketing and temptation. What now? Can we afford staying confused for the rest of our life using this as an excuse? No we can’t. We have to tackle this problem. What are we gonna do? [X] We cannot stop all these social media platforms from shitposting us going forward.[X] We cannot stop using social media. I am sure you have tried it before. Doesn’t work.[X] We cannot stay indoors all the time. We have to meet people. And they will always tell us something new that’s up. What then can we do?Let’s use the ship analogy further. What can save a ship from drowning in the ocean of water, and us from drowning in the ocean of information, is basically 3 things:God. Yes, God. He saved Noah and his people when the flood (probably the biggest ever) destroyed the rest of the world. If God wants to drown a ship, trust me, He will do that without the need of anything going wrong. If He wants to save a ship, He will save it without the need of anything going right. We need to strengthen our relationship with God to the point that He saves us rather than drown us. How? Well. Let’s be good to God. Let’s not associate any partners with Him. Let’s obey His commandments and stay away from His prohibitions. Let’s not hurt God’s creations. And there is more. The better relationship we have with God, the better our life becomes. Secondly, just like the ship has to be watertight i.e ensuring that water doesn't seep in, we too must be information-tight. We need to mind our own business and stay away from the information that does not concern us. In ancient times, a walled city was protected by invaders by security at the gates. The gates of our being are our eyes, ears, and our mouth. We need to guard what we see, hear, and say. There is so much to work on this part. Thirdly, a ship doesn't sail aimlessly; it has to have a direction, a destination, a reason for being in the ocean. If it is just hanging around in there, it will most likely drown sooner or later. Likewise, if we are purposeless, without commitment to a goal or a direction, this information overload will drown us. We need to commit to some journey and push our best in that direction, and get there as soon as possible.I hope this was useful. If you have something to add, please do so. Till next time.
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Yogesh Kondaskar
Cofounder Kannect - SaaS for Community Engagement | Speaker | Tech Advisor | SDG Advocate
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Houston we have a problem!Hurricane Beryl, a category 1 storm, hit southeast Texas on early Monday morning. Five days later, cities and small towns are still struggling to recover. Beyond power outages, non-emergency communication from towns to their residents remains a significant issue.Kannect: A Solution for Better CommunicationMany cities are offering cooling centers and other resources for residents, but without a reliable communication method, many may not know about these resources. Kannect is a Community Engagement platform that addresses this problem. It allows users to subscribe to community updates without sharing personal details. Users receive notifications in the Kannect mobile app whenever community managers share updates.Why Choose Kannect?- Broadcast-Only: Only community managers can send messages, ensuring no chatter or noise.- Privacy-Focused: Users don't need to share their email or phone number.- 2-Way Validation: Users must approve if manager adds them to a community, and managers can make communities private or closed.- Productivity Features: Kannect also offers productivity improvement features.We seek introductions to cities, townships, HOAs, professional associations, and community builders. Let Kannect help you engage better with your community. Contact myself, Yogesh Kondaskar, or my cofounder, Kailah Romine, to get started with Kannect Platform. More info is available on our website: https://kannect.co.If you're in the Houston metro area, join the HTX Startup Community for alerts on business networking events: Join HTX Startup.https://lnkd.in/gh49gUNtStay safe, help your community, and let's prepare better for future natural disasters.#HoustonStrong #HurricaneBeryl #Houston #Texas
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Erin O'Farrell
Mellon Fellow at University of Utah
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An essay I wrote about last summer's historic flooding in Vermont was published in the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Edge Effects Digital Magazine today. The timing of this piece's publication is especially eerie considering last week's floods that once again devastated communities within my Northeast Kingdom home region. What is the "Vermont Strong" identity, who does it serve, and how can we reconceptualize what "resilience" means as these types of climate events become more frequent and intense?Read my thoughts here: https://lnkd.in/gXXgJJ4g
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Alex Randall
Specialist: climate-driven migration
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Louisiana coastal residents face the relentless threat of climate-induced flooding, forcing many to reconsider their attachments to historically significant homes. This shift is part of a larger narrative of American climate-driven migration. 🇺🇸 The article traces the emotional and physical displacements caused by climate change in vulnerable American places, focusing on Louisiana’s bayou communities.🌊 Residents like Colette Pichon Battle and her family have deep historical ties to their land, which are being severed by increasing environmental threats.🌀 The catastrophic impact of Hurricane Katrina serves as a pivotal moment for the community, transforming their approach to future storms and their aftermath.➡️ Despite initial resistance, there is a growing acknowledgment among the bayou residents that relocation might be inevitable due to the escalating severity of climate conditions.
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Jared M. Meyers
A Human Being, Just Like You | Championing Compassion, Interconnectedness, and Equity with a People-Centered Approach through B Corps, Net Positive Action, and Love | Advocate for Inclusion, Regeneration, and Justice
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Climate Change Destroys Lives—Even for Republicans Who Might Not Believe in It#HurricaneHelene has torn through #Florida, devastating counties like Taylor, Dixie, Jefferson, Columbia, and more—where #Republican voters are the overwhelming majority. This isn't a partisan issue anymore; it’s a matter of survival for our communities. While our state's leadership continues to deny #climatechange and block meaningful action, the reality is that climate change doesn’t care how anyone votes.Here are the facts:⏺ Taylor County: 80.1% voted for Trump in 2020.⏺ Dixie County: 82.4% voted for Trump in 2020.⏺ Jefferson County: 58.7% voted for Trump in 2020.⏺ Columbia County: 74.9% voted for Trump in 2020.⏺ Pasco County: 58.9% voted for Trump in 2020.⏺ Suwannee County: 78.7% voted for Trump in 2020.⏺ Levy County: 78.1% voted for Trump in 2020.⏺ Madison County: 60.6% voted for Trump in 2020.These Florida areas are some that were hit hardest by Helene. Whether one fully believes in human induced climate change or not, the damage is real and growing. Voting for politicians who continue to deny climate science is, unfortunately, a vote that perpetuates this cycle of destruction.In the upcoming election, we all have a choice. It’s not about how you voted in the past—this is about the future. Why continue to support leaders who ignore what’s happening to us and around us, when we can choose those who will act to protect our homes and communities from further harm?Our state, our families, and our future deserve better. Now is the time to think critically about what’s at stake and vote for leadership that will make meaningful change. It’s not too late, but the clock is ticking.#HurricaneHelene #FloridaStrong #RepublicansForChange #ProtectOurHomes #LeadershipMatters #VoteForTheFuture #StopIgnoringScience #ClimateReality #FloridaVoters #HomeAndCommunityFirst #ThinkBeyondParties #ProtectOurState #FutureGenerations #BigBend #Floridapanhandle #beaches #vacation https://lnkd.in/enaHfJth
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Lisa Dobbs
Lisa Jones Dobbs - Owner of Lisa J Dobbs Agency Inc
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Be ready for whatever comes your way! This season, take proactive steps toward emergency preparedness in Atlanta. From natural disasters to unexpected events, we're here to offer tips to help you stay prepared. #EmergencyKit #EmergencyPreparedness #Atlanta
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Seth Schalet
CEO, Board Member, Foundation Trustee, Advisor, Bridging Philanthropy, Technology, Public & Private Sectors
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Chimney Tops, Tubbs, the Marshall Fire, the devastating Paradise & Lahaina Fires highlight an escalating & seemingly runaway wildfire crisis in America. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲? 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱!These fires burned in wildly different environments – amid the forested foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, across a rumpled valley in Northern California, and along the grassy Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. They burned trailer parks, modern subdivisions, and mature cities. They all started from human causes, near but outside the city proper, then initiated structure fires that spread as urban conflagrations. Against them modern firefighting was ineffective and unprepared. What was once dismissed as a California quirk, an episodic concern of rural life, and a nuisance that would wither away with better firefighting, is becoming a national issue, a systemic problem, and like a drug-resistant bacterium that cannot be treated by increased dosage, a threat that will not succumb to increased firefighting capabilities. A long-festering concern has become a national crisis that will only worsen without aggressive, appropriate, re-imagined intervention. This intervention will likely be much different than the current approach.Terrific work by Kimiko Barrett, Headwaters Economics, David Calkin, Jack Cohen, Stephen Pyne, Steve Quarles, Paul Hessburg, Michele Steinberg, Matthew Thompson, Sara Brown, and Jeff Marsolais.#wildfire Jacob Knutson Istvan Kereszy
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WeatherX
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Unfortunately, this time in France, a severe weather event has resulted in tragic losses. Lives have ended, and communities are grappling with the disruption.This weekend, southeastern #France faced a devastating natural disaster. Severe weather, including violent storms and unprecedented flooding, has resulted in the disappearance of seven individuals, devastating families and communities. Among the missing are two children, a testament to the indiscriminate nature of this tragedy.The #Gard region, usually known for its picturesque landscapes, now narrates a story of loss and urgency. Families attempting to navigate floodwaters have been swept away, highlighting the critical need for immediate response and support.In Dions and Goudargues, communities reel from the shock, with rescue operations underway to find those still missing. This situation is a stark reminder of nature's force and the importance of preparedness and solidarity in times of crisis.As the region remains under orange alert, with emergency services and citizens banding together in the face of adversity, let this serve as a call to action. We must support those affected and work towards stronger measures to predict and respond to such events in the future.Let's unite in support of southeastern France. Share this message, raise awareness, and contribute to relief efforts. Together, we can face this challenge and emerge stronger. Resource:https://lnkd.in/e2bpJQ3n#severeweather #extremeweather #climatechange #Europe #WeatherX
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