Welcome to the Thriving Earth Exchange’s (TEX) blog space. The purpose of the blog is to inspire thinking, open-participation and discussion on particular topics or themes. We encourage you to leave comments on any blog post by clicking through to each post and sharing your thoughts at the bottom.
Undergraduate students enrolled in undergraduate research at Cal Poly Pomona are getting some applied lab experience processing water samples collected from Ontario’s constructed wetlands. Under the supervision of Dr. Shelton Murinda, Professor in the Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department, students conduct fecal indicator bacterial counts using the IDEXX system. Dr. Shelton Murinda adds “the students […]
Introducing the TEX Statement on Integrity in Community Science Community science depends on partnerships that harvest the benefits of many perspectives. To provide a foundation for effective, mutually beneficial and ethically conducted community science projects, TEX developed its Statement on Integrity in Community Science. In addition to guiding how projects are conducted, the statement serves […]
By Thushara Gunda, recent Vanderbilt University PhD graduate A reflection on my dissertation journey as part of an interdisciplinary research project with community partners. Over the last few months, I have been thinking a fair bit about whether my interdisciplinary, dissertation research journey reflects the principles of translational research or those of community science. In […]
How Can We Elevate Community Science within the Scientific Community? If you’re reading this blog, it’s probably not too much of a stretch to surmise that you may be in the ‘choir’ when it comes to community science. As an organization devoted to helping scientists and communities work together to solve problems, it’s been gratifying […]
On Saturday, February 3, 2018, the TEX-Brandywine project held its first community education and engagement forum at the Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Brandywine, Maryland. The 4-hour event served as an opportunity for concerned citizens in Brandywine and surrounding neighborhoods to engage with and hear from peers, potential political representatives, and recognized subject […]
Students from Luke Renner’s Digital Media Arts and Design Program class have been busy assembling promotional materials to support the design and construction of two 1,000 square foot makerspaces. The materials highlight the benefits of the makerspaces, intended uses of the makerspaces, costs, partners, and vision for community engagement. Luke and Judy plan to use […]
By Kelly Sanks Ph.D. Candidate in Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at University of Arkansas My lifelong goal is to conduct scientific research that makes a tangible impact on people’s lives. In a time of environmental change, it has never been more pressing to bring scientific research to action. I have been fortunate to have […]
By Raj Pandya, TEX Director As much as anything, I hope that TEX can be a group of people learning and doing community science together. Learning together means sharing ideas, even ideas that aren’t perfect, so that we can improve them together. In that spirit, I offer this blog of imperfect ideas, framed by […]
In order to determine the environmental impact of their waste transfer station, the Evanston team plans to hold a public meeting describing the project strategy with city aldermen, scientists, and its environmental justice task force in attendance. Although project has stalled due to budgetary issues, the team has made progress in a number of areas. […]
There’s data, data, everywhere—but does it apply to me? When it comes to climate, that’s the million-dollar question. While scientists deploy sophisticated on-the-ground sensors, satellites, crowdsourcing and big data tools to gain insights on climate change and its impacts, getting relevant, local data remains a perennial puzzle for communities. TEX’s Adaptation Analytics investigation grew out […]
Sometimes you want a custom-designed project just for you. Sometimes you want to learn from the experiences of others. At TEX, our peer-learning cohorts are designed to strike the right balance—and deliver results. The idea is simple: Instead of running each project as a totally separate entity, why not launch several projects around a particular […]
By Rebekah Lee, Boise State University This blog was originally posted on the AGU Blog, The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy. Lee’s post is part of a series written by student bloggers from the AGU Fall Meeting. You have probably heard the public calls for more public engagement in science. Many of the issues […]
By Sarah Wilkins Attendees at Fall Meeting this year were greeted with the question: “What will you discover?” Between local field trips, AGU TV, e-lightning sessions and talks featuring cutting edge Earth and space science research, attendees had vast opportunities to discover new ideas and perspectives across many disciplines. The TEX team was no exception. […]
By Raj Pandya, Director, TEX In the early part of the 20th century, progress in New Orleans looked like transforming marshes into city blocks using engineered drainage. Neighborhoods that had been plagued by diseases associated with standing water became livable, which was especially good for the poorest residents—usually African American—who lived in the lowest areas […]
Think of AGU’s Fall Meeting and the first impression that comes to mind is probably “huge.” Coming in at a close second is probably “science.” So why would community leaders from the far reaches of the Arctic to the marshes of the Louisiana bayou wade into this 24,000-person whirlwind of Earth and space science? Because […]
Water—and sometimes, flooding—is a fact of life for residents and planners in the city of New Orleans. Water has shaped the city’s infrastructure, history and culture for 300 years. In a four-hour field trip organized as part of AGU’s 2017 Fall Meeting, journalists, public information officers and others got a first-hand look at the water-related […]
By Raj Pandya, TEX Director If you’ve read previous blogs, you know I’ve been thinking a lot about power, equity, and science. For me that means thinking about how being a scientist intersects with privilege – and what you can do with that privilege. I started with a premise, but it quickly became a […]
Two ongoing projects illustrate what can be accomplished when community advocates partner with TEX scientists to amplify their voice. In this two-part series, hear community leaders’ perspectives on the ins and outs of working with scientists. Part 2: Standing Up Against a ‘War on Science’ The environmental hazards facing residents in Brandywine, Md. are […]
Two ongoing projects illustrate what can be accomplished when community advocates partner with TEX scientists to amplify their voice. In this two-part series, hear community leaders’ perspectives on the ins and outs of working with scientists. Part 1: Rubbertown Reacts “We are responding to the chemical assault that has been launched against our families […]
By Natasha Udu-gama Our recent Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) project launch workshop opened on a lovely day in Pittsburgh on Friday, October 6th. The event followed AGU’s GeoPolicy Connect, a solutions-focused initiative designed to foster relationships between different types of stakeholders, help communities, and advance science for policy and society. The topic of this year’s […]
Cities and towns are where the rubber hits the road when it comes to climate adaptation. It’s at the community level where key decisions are made about where to build, how to prepare for disaster and what modes of transit to support, for example. Local government is also a first line of contact for concerned […]
By Raj Pandya, Director, Thriving Earth Exchange This blog was originally posted by Meeting of the Minds. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a community in possession of a good population must be in want of an Earth Scientist. OK, not true – but I wish it was. I think there should be […]
The recent devastation in Texas, Florida, South Asia and other areas has drawn a lot of attention to big questions about climate, development and the risk of future disasters. But if history is any guide, the attention to those questions can ebb as the waters recede. Events like these offer a stark reminder that if […]
By Raj Pandya, TEX Director Science is entangled with issues of power, and community science – either explicitly or implicitly – is about exploring and challenging that entanglement. Grappling with these power dynamics can make for an uncomfortable conversation, for scientists especially but also for community leaders, but it is an important conversation to […]
TEX works with communities to improve their resilience by leveraging Earth and space science to prepare for and mitigate the threats posed by destructive storms, flood and other hazards. Flood Forum USA supports grassroots flood groups across the country by helping them develop strategies for a sustainable future, and TEX is working with ten of their […]
In June, the team received feedback from an internal/external review (inclusive of local and technical scientific advisors) of the draft. Pending a few additional responses to comments and receipt of vulnerability maps from consultants, the final draft will be ready as scheduled. The City has been very involved in applying for technical assistance through […]
Sometimes, a village isn’t enough. When grappling with complex problems like climate change or resilience, those who manage cities and counties often need to bring in expertise from beyond their local community and learn from the collective experience of others facing similar challenges. The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is a global association made […]
By Anne Johnson The heat of the summer is not just a nuisance but a significant public health threat. In most years, extreme heat causes more deaths than any other type of weather-related disaster. The danger is most acute for elderly people, who are more vulnerable to the effects of heat, and for people living […]
During the week of July 24, 2017, an impressive group of experts and practitioners from all over the world gathered in New York City to talk about urban resilience at the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) Urban Resilience Summit. The summit united Chief Resilience Officers (or CROs) and their staff, strategy partners (organizations that provide strategic […]
By Raj Pandya In the last several months, I’ve had lots of prompts to think about how science fits into the wider world. It started with questions about a TEX project that seeks to use scientific data to update indigenous communities’ traditional ecological calendars. The concern was that the calendars themselves aren’t based on scientific […]
This article was initially posted in Eos on July 11, 2017. The Resilience Dialogues program provides resources and expertise to help communities build individualized plans for resilience in the face of climate change. By Nancy D. Lamontagne Climate change is global, but its effects are felt locally. Although many communities try to plan for […]
The 2016 Resilience Dialogues pilot supported five climate-savvy and well-resourced communities. We supported ten communities in our 2017 Beta, including several communities that have been historically underrepresented in climate adaptation efforts and several which were new to climate resilience. We are pleased to share the dialogue synthesis reports documenting highlights, resources and next steps for […]
On 23 June 2017, the Evanston TEX team met with 3 Evanston aldermen, 3 community members and 5 Evanston city staff to discuss the budget for the proposed air quality monitoring work Gaj Sivandran intends to do with Evanston as part of their project. The meeting successfully concluded with the aldermen approving Sivandran’s budget proposal […]
TEX Director, Raj Pandya, participated in the first session of the University of Colorado Boulder Engaged Scientist Series. This program was designed to provide a source of knowledge and continued support for building relationships between scientific research and community engagement. Following the event, Amanda Grennell (CU Boulder) shared what she learned on the blog, Science […]
After their introductory meeting in late March 2017, the Evanston TEX team has determined that its major deliverable will be to cost out what a monitoring plan would look like, inclusive of samples and instruments that they would do, by end of summer 2017. TEX scientist, Gaj Sivandran (Loyola University) along with colleague, Mark Potosnik […]
In the Chelsea-TEX team has made strong strides towards completing a overall climate vulnerability assessment. They have been able to meet with most stakeholders in the community and have only two remaining meetings. The highlight of their stakeholder meetings was meeting with Chelsea GreenRoots, a local environmental justice group. Chelsea GreenRoots does a lot of […]
In their May 2017 of PM Magazine, TEX partner, the International City and County Management Association (ICMA), highlighted stories from three ICMA communities collaborating with TEX scientists. Bob Hart, formerly of Kennedale, TX (now with Corinth, TX), Laura Allen (Berlin, MD), and Becky Merrow (Colebrook, NH) describe how their scientific partners are helping their towns […]
The Santa Cruz, CA team met each other and commenced their community science project in late February. Since then, the team, comprised of Tiffany Wise-West, with Santa Cruz’s Climate Action Program, Ben Preston, RAND, and Juliano Calil, University of California – Santa Cruz, have made significant strides towards updating the city’s climate vulnerability assessment. Ben Preston will […]
The March 23, 2017 issue of the Bayside Gazette featured an article about the remediation of Berlin Falls and the community’s partnership with TEX to determine the types of bacteria present in the sediment. Click here to read the article.
In their first meeting (via phone because Dave Ellerbroek, the scientific lead, is remote), the Colebrook team discussed the data the town has shared. They are now ready to move on to what the information means. Becky had prepared a sheet of the different treatment options that the town is considering which proved useful to the […]
The DC team met on March 13th to discuss the preliminary results. The data that they received from the DC Fire and Emergency Management Services (FEMS) Department reveals that there is a high incidence if 911 calls in Wards 2, 5, 7 & 8. Many downtown calls had no home address, presumably indicating that they […]
The Brandywine, MD-TEX project team had their first meeting on February 28, 2017 in the classroom of a JoAnn Fabrics store in Brandywine, Maryland. Kamita Gray, President of the Brandywine BTB Coalition, Akua Asa-Awuku, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, and Melissa Goodwin, Project Liaision for the Thriving Earth Exchange used the 1-hour meeting […]
The Brandywine, MD-TEX project launched in January 2017. BTB Coalition president Kamita Gray will work with Dr. Akua Asa-Awuku, an associate professor at the University of Maryland – College Park. Kamita and Akua will work together to assess the air quality impacts from local industrial activity and communicate those impacts to local residents to facilitate […]
In 2017, TEX will expand the number of projects we support, develop new ways to advance community science, and raise funds to sustain and grow our impact. Even as we look ahead, the TEX team would like to thank you and celebrate what we’ve accomplished together in 2016. Community Impact TEX has launched nearly […]
WASHINGTON, DC – The Resilience Dialogues, a public-private collaborative effort to help local communities address climate-related vulnerabilities, today announced 10 communities will participate in the collaboration’s beta phase. Through the Resilience Dialogues, the communities will explore their risks from climate variability and change and work through a series of facilitated online dialogues with subject matter […]
Laura Allen attended AGU’s 2016 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, CA to present a poster highlighting recent accomplishments and next steps for the Berlin TEX project. Click here to download her presentation! Berlin, Maryland – How One Small City is Using Science to Change its World Small cities are uniquely challenged to mitigate environmental issues […]
The City of Boulder created a poster to share the goals and outcomes of their TEX collaboration at the 2016 AGU Fall Meeting. Click here to download the poster! Developing Capacity for Cities to Adapt to a Changing Climate–a Case Study in Boulder, Colorado The City of Boulder in Colorado has undertaken many progressive […]
Lorenzo Mastino attended the 2016 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, CA to present a poster highlighting recent accomplishments and next steps for the Las Vegas TEX project. Click here to download his poster! Assessment of Vulnerability to Climate Change Effects on Urban Stormwater Infrastructure in City of Las Vegas, NV In the spring […]
