We can have one without the other
In a previous blog (The Port that Transformed Barrio Playa’s Shoreline),I examined the physical transformation of Barrio Playa, Ponce, through a hydrocolonial lens. The discussion attempts to illuminate how U.S. colonial expansion and port development reengineered the coastline and displaced vulnerable communities in the name… Read More »Erasing Communities: How Progress Displaced the Playeros of Ponce
The shipping cranes and cargo terminal at Puerto Rico’s Port of Ponce are linked to a powerful, official discourse that can be traced across a century. Less visible is the dispossession required to create port infrastructure, dispossession that is largely absent from academic and planning… Read More »The Port that Transformed Barrio Playa’s Shoreline
Let me begin by plainly stating what I do, something I hinted at in my first blog, “The Ethical Disclosure that Begins this Story.” In the past year I deepened relations in my geographically focused area of investigation, Barrio Playa in the Municipality of Ponce,… Read More »What I Do and How: Embedded Research for Hazard Adaptation
In November 2024, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) held their Greenbuild International Conference andExpo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania––my home for two years now, so, of course. I had to go. USGBC is the organization that developed the LEED certification that is now commonly used all… Read More »Attending the Greenbuild Conference in Philadelphia in November 2024
Today is Monday, January 13th. This morning’s news cycle announced that the death toll in the Los Angeles fires continues to climb, and while some are now contained, strong winds through Wednesday threaten to make the remaining blazes even more dangerous. The ultimate magnitude of… Read More »Georgism and the Coming Climate Diaspora (Part II of II)
As the rest of the country watches L.A. burn with horrified, rapt attention, it is with a mix of compassion and heartbreak, and more than just a tinge of foreboding. This is, after all, exactly what we’ve been told would happen as a result of… Read More »Georgism and the Coming Climate Diaspora (Part I of II)
Community resilience hubs have emerged as powerful means to address social and environmental inequities in the face of climate change. Yet despite their virtues and popularity, I’ve begun to question if resilience hubs effectively respond to neighbors’ climate traumas in ways that foster emotional resilience.… Read More »Beyond Bricks and Mortar: Fostering Emotional Resilience Through Community Hubs in Puerto Rico’s Coastal Neighborhoods
By David Southgate As the climate crisis intensifies, it is time to recognize the emotional and psychological toll on communities facing the brunt of these impacts. Environmental challenges, from rising sea levels and extreme weather to pollution and resource depletion, affect physical and psychological health.… Read More »Climate Change and Community Mental Health: Important Learnings from Leaders on the Frontline
“Este es nuestro momento (This is our moment),” is the message I share with neighbors of Playa de Ponce as an embedded community participatory action researcher. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal (The Infrastructure and Jobs Act of November 15, 2021) provides unprecedented opportunities to take action… Read More »“Este es nuestro momento; a message amongst neighbors in Playa de Ponce.”
Southern Brazil has suffered five extra tropical cyclones in the last 12 months, but the most recent disaster has caused flooding which led to immense devastation to everything from farms, infrastructure to homes. Southern Brazil is currently experiencing the effects of an especially strong El… Read More »Southern Brazil Faces Unprecedented Flooding: The Impact on Lives and Infrastructure
