Join me as I dive headfirst into the world of AI and community planning, highlighting the fascinating (and sometimes slightly spooky) capabilities of AI and its role in shaping the communities of tomorrow.
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Science
As solar power emerges as the fastest-growing energy source in Louisiana, it presents both opportunities and challenges for local communities. Because Louisiana has a variety of rural, suburban, and urban areas, it’s critical that local governments tailor their regulations and policies to meet the specific needs, goals, and preferences of their communities. Sustainable development does not happen accidentally – it requires thoughtful planning in coordination with industry experts, local leaders, residents, and other stakeholders.
Louisiana is no stranger to the wrath of Mother Nature – hurricanes, flooding, and coastal erosion have long plagued our communities, leaving us to adapt and rebuild time and time again. However, this past summer, Louisiana faced an unexpected and unprecedented threat: wildfires, fueled by extreme heat, strong winds, a high-pressure heat dome, and one of the most severe droughts in our recorded history.
On a sunny day in July 2023, a group of Louisiana state legislators, representatives from state agencies, and individuals from Louisiana-based law firms, businesses, ports, and schools gathered on the deck of a chartered vessel just off the shore of Point Judith, Rhode Island.
Louisiana, this is an urgent moment. Our position on the front lines of climate change has never been more vulnerable, as the recent study from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change makes clear. We have limited time left to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and preserve our planetary health so that our way of life on the Gulf Coast remains possible.
The Governor’s Climate Initiatives Task Force met on October 9 and October 19, 2021 to take a broad look at industrial decarbonization methods of implementation and available tools, focusing heavily on challenges and benefits specific to Louisiana.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, CPEX collaborator and fellow Climate Initiatives Task Force member Professor Rob Verchick published an op-ed in The Washington Post that you don’t want to miss! The article, “The New Orleans Power Outage Shows How Urgently a Climate-Resilient Power Grid is Needed,” details how our nation’s dated electricity networks are susceptible to disaster and stresses the urgent need to invest in modernized, climate-resilient infrastructure.
One of CPEX’s priorities is to create resilient communities across the state, and flood mitigation is a key part of that. This week marks the fifth anniversary of the historic flood that devastated parts of South and Central Louisiana. At the time, I was backpacking through the jungles of Peru with my husband and friends—cut-off from the outside world—without phone service or wifi. Once we reached our next big-city destination, we were immediately bombarded with phone calls from family and friends detailing the devastation taking place back home. We watched helplessly as my husband’s grandmother was rescued by the National Guard and loaded into a military vehicle, as my friend’s mom was saved from the rising floodwaters in a canoe, and as many friends and family members lost everything.
A number of studies indicate that the single most telling determinant of your health is your ZIP code. Where you live has everything to do with how healthy you are.