United States

RELIEF provides an environment that fuses interactive community building and knowledge sharing activities with concept-based socio-technological experimentation.

Since 2009, RELIEF has brought humanitarian practitioners, technology developers, federal civilians, and active duty military personnel together for hands-on collaboration. The multi-institutional field setting provides a semi-structured learning environment promoting collaboration and relationship building across an increasingly diverse response network.

The event utilizes different methods of interaction, all of which focus on end user input on disaster response operations. The field environment also provides the opportunity to explore new solutions for crisis responders through hands on interaction and experimentation.

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Solutions

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Pathfinder - Geospatial Intelligence Supports Community and National Resilience

Sun, 2012-01-22 20:06 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Karen Walker

In the past two years, NGA has responded to a series of natural disasters at home and abroad. Whether providing support to emergency response teams working the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, the tsunami in Japan or tornadoes and floods in the United States, NGA employees worldwide have demonstrated the critical role of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in answering the call for help.

Our humanitarian assistance/disaster response work, among all the roles and responsibilities that come with managing the nation’s GEOINT capabilities, brings us closest to the people and communities in need during times of crisis. Our GEOINT tools and analyses save lives by helping our mission partners determine where help is needed most, by enabling the right people to be at the right place at the right time, and by anticipating what might happen next.

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Situation Report

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New Jersey Enacts New Disaster Preparedness Law

Thu, 2012-01-19 23:28 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Samuel Bendett

Homeland Security News Wire - January 18, 2012

On Tuesday New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed new legislation into law designed to bolster state emergency preparedness

On Tuesday New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signednew legislation into law designed to bolster state emergency preparedness.

The new law, based on recommendations from a legislative task force formed after Hurricane Katrina and Rita, is primarily aimed at addressing key emergency response activities like shelters, evacuation plans, and critical infrastructure protection.

“Updating our emergency plans is critical to ensuring that we are prepared for any weather activity that comes our way,” said State Senator Jeff Van Drew, the bill’s sponsor.
“This process is particularly important to protecting our residents in the event a large-scale storm directly impacts the coast. This law will set into motion actions that are crucial to improving the state’s overall emergency preparedness,” Drew added.

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United States

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Disaster Risk Reduction

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Other

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Data Without Borders Upcoming Event in DC - 03.02.12

Tue, 2012-01-17 20:30 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Data Without Borders is coming to Washington DC! We’ll be digging into non-profit data from around the nation’s capital the weekend of 3/2 – 3/4. If you’re a non-profit who needs help with data or wants to understand what all the buzz is about, sign up here!

http://datawithoutborders.cc/dwbevents/

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United States

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Technology

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Other

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EPA - Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program Data for Calendar Year 2010

Thu, 2012-01-12 18:59 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Albert Gomez

On January 11, 2012, EPA released greenhouse gas (GHG) data reported from large facilities and suppliers across the U.S. economy for the year 2010.

The 2010 GHG data includes public information from facilities in 9 industry groups, including 29 source categories, which directly emit large quantities of GHGs, as well as suppliers of certain fossil fuels and industrial gases.

This information can be used to help businesses track emissions and identify cost– and fuel–saving efficiencies, identify industry leaders, inform policy at the state and local levels, and provide important information to the finance and investment communities.

More information:

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United States

General Topic Tags:

Climate

Environment

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Other

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Technological Healing

Tue, 2012-01-03 22:52 — Kathy Gilbeaux

by Sharon Begley - technologyreview.com - January/February 2012

More data: Technologies aimed at improving our health are proliferating. One example is this device that plugs into an iPhone to turn it into a glucose monitor. Credit: Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

A leading researcher says digital technologies are about to make health care more effective. But is so much data really beneficial?

Nanosensors patrolling your bloodstream for the first sign of an imminent stroke or heart attack, releasing anticlotting or anti-inflammatory drugs to stop it in its tracks. Cell phones that display your vital signs and take ultrasound images of your heart or abdomen. Genetic scans of malignant cells that match your cancer to the most effective treatment.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

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United States

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Health

Technology

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Solutions

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Ohio Quake Linked to Wastewater Well

Tue, 2012-01-03 21:35 — Kathy Gilbeaux

by Dan Vergano, USA Today - January 3, 2012

This photo made Jan. 2, 2012 shows the site of a brine injection well owned by Northstar Disposal Services LLC in Youngstown, Ohio. The company has halted operations at the well, which disposes of brine used in gas and oil drilling, after a series of small earthquakes in the Youngstown area. Photo: Dan Pompili, Warren Tribune-Chronicle / AP

Ohio earthquakes tied to a deep wastewater disposal well are raising safety questions, amid a nationwide natural gas drilling boom.

On New Year's Eve, a magnitude-4.0 quake outside Youngstown, Ohio, shook the ground as far north as Toronto. Earthquake experts tied the event, the latest and largest in a series stretching back to March, to a 1.7-mile-deep wastewater disposal well, prompting state officials to shut it down.

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Problem