Briefly summarize what Arroyo explains her talk will be about. Arroyo is basically saying that we need to be aware of the danger we could faced due to the weather. Because the changes in weather wont affect everyone its better to just be prepared in general incase we face things like floods. It is very important for us to adapt to a newer of living but with caution.
What are the three examples Arroyo gives for how we can prepare for the massive impact climate change will have on all of us? Have better planning systems for evacuation. We need to better understand how people think in a crisis. By doing this you need to be prepared and figure out how to access transportation or go to a near by shelter.
According to Arroyo, how can we better prepare and adapt to violent storms and floods? Wherever you live should have a higher blockage (twin spans?) By having this, it will block out the rain by preventing it from flooding over into the town(s). Also to have satellites and warning systems would be very effective.
According to Arroyo, the second thing we need to prepare for is heat and droughts. What are some ways in which people are better preparing to handle these effects of climate change? Have farms build hillside terraces and find other ways to conserve the water. Another way is to have green roofs installed, they save energy and keep the area cooled. The best way is to make sure you have insurance. By having that it will mostly cover anything that you need when it comes to being able to access water, and gives you a low credit.
Although Arroyo does not mention the term “watershed,” it was discussed in the unit as being closely related to and impacted by drought and floods. Please discuss how the watershed relates to drought and heat. How might Arroyo have integrated the term watershed into her talk? Watershed is basically a small body of water that drains off into one big common area. Knowing where the nearest watershed to you is extremely important. This is because you will then be able to access water for you during a time of need. Not only that but it also would be a unlimited supply since its coming from many different sources. I think if she had talked about it she would have mentioned to locate ahead of time as a back up plan.
The third example that Arroyo talks about is rising sea levels. What are some of the ways rising sea levels can be highly dangerous and damaging? What are some of the solutions being implemented to prepare for the future? They can be damaging for anyone living on the coast. If the water overflows it means that it could cause flooding and damage anything in the surrounding area. The best way to prepare for this type of situation is to redesign water and sewage treatment. This is because if the water rises too much in the sewer it can cause it to go onto open land. This is extremely unsanitary and there is likely harmful bacteria.
At the end of her talk Arroyo says, “Adaptation’s too important to be left to the experts.” Explain what she means by this, if you feel this is a valid point and why. What she means by this, is we no longer can wait for the people “in charge” to make big changes. Everyone needs to help themselves in a time of need. Not everyone will have to make the same backup plans. Each person should be aware of the dangers they may face depending where they live and by knowing this they need to create a plan that will later on help them. I do agree with her. I think that we shouldn't rely on others to fix our problems even if they are major. Its better to be safe and have a back up plan before anything gets too bad.
4 ways we can avoid a catastrophic drought
The unit discusses the mass abundance of water on our planet and in our oceans which is a stark contrast to Sedlak’s highlighting massive droughts and cities in danger of having no drinking water. Briefly explain the reason that Sedlak gives for water shortages. There are many factors that contribute to this. One being the population as well as climate. These are two major changes that have occurred over the past couple years. The population has clearly increased dramatically, which means more people need access to water to survive. Another impact is simply the climate change. By having climate changes this can cause drought which means no new water coming in.
What are the four water sources, referred to as “taps,” that Sedlak believes will solve our urban water crisis? 1, gather water from rainfall. Make sure to collect as much as possible incase its needed later on. 2, we need to build several water recycling systems. 3, a water conservation will be needed. And the last one is seawater desalination.
Sedlak closes his talk by pointing out the benefits to creating and reinventing how we obtain our water supply. Discuss some of those benefits and explain how they relate to what you learned in the unit. He has many ideas, each one of them being very different from each other. I think one of the most interesting one is the seawater desalination. I personally think its a really good idea especially if we are in drought. Our oceans contain the most amount of water so if we are in drought wouldn’t it be easier to make that into freshwater and use it? We would always have a endless supply of it and its very easy to access.
