Communications Systems Adaptations

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As natural disasters intensify, our communication systems require fundamental transformation. There is an urgent need for resilient communication networks that can withstand environmental pressures. #ClimateAdaptation #CommunityResilience

Adapting Communication Systems for an Uncertain Future

The accelerating deterioration of Earth’s biosphere presents unprecedented challenges for maintaining reliable communication networks. These networks are vital not only for coordinating adaptation efforts but for sustaining the social fabric that binds communities together. As extreme weather events intensify and resource constraints grow, our communication infrastructure must evolve while ensuring essential connectivity persists (Rogers 2024).

The Vulnerability of Traditional Infrastructure

Traditional communication infrastructure faces mounting threats from climate-driven disasters. Physical damage to telephone and internet cable networks from flooding, high winds, and temperature extremes is becoming more common (Bartos and Chester 2015). This vulnerability demands innovative approaches to infrastructure design and management.

Innovative Solutions

One promising direction involves the development of mesh networks – decentralized systems that maintain connectivity even when individual nodes fail. The Commotion Wireless project demonstrates how communities can build resilient local networks with limited resources (Rey-Moreno et al. 2017). These distributed architectures prove especially valuable when centralized infrastructure succumbs to environmental stresses.

Underground infrastructure is gaining importance as above-ground systems face increasing challenges. However, even buried infrastructure must contend with soil instability, groundwater fluctuations, and temperature extremes. Recent innovations in materials science, including self-healing cables and resilient components, offer potential solutions (Zhang et al. 2019).

Emergency Communication and Low-Tech Backups

As environmental disruptions become more frequent, robust emergency communication capabilities become critical. Software-defined radio systems provide flexible emergency communications with minimal infrastructure requirements. The Amateur Radio Emergency Service exemplifies the effectiveness of volunteer-based networks during emergencies (ARRL 2022). These systems have repeatedly proven their worth during natural disasters when conventional networks fail.

Most importantly, low-tech backup systems gain value as complex infrastructure faces disruption. Shortwave and packet radio networks offer crucial redundancy when other systems fail. Communities that establish low-tech alternatives demonstrate greater resilience during infrastructure breakdowns (Thompson et al. 2020). This redundancy principle extends to power systems, where distributed renewable energy sources and advanced storage systems support critical communication nodes (Brown et al. 2020).

The Importance of Governance

The challenge extends beyond physical infrastructure to the governance frameworks that guide system development and operation. The International Telecommunication Union has developed comprehensive guidelines for climate-resilient infrastructure (ITU 2023). However, implementing these guidelines faces significant obstacles due to resource constraints and competing priorities.

Real-World Example

The community of Cordova, Alaska, has implemented a microgrid powered by renewable energy sources, coupled with a satellite-based communication system. This has allowed them to maintain communication and power during severe storms that have crippled other coastal communities. This demonstrates the effectiveness of combining innovative technologies with local resources to build resilience.

The Role of Individuals

Beyond government and organizational efforts, individual citizens can play a crucial role. Learning basic first aid, participating in community emergency response teams, and even having a hand-crank radio can contribute to overall community resilience.

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Successful adaptation requires a multi-layered approach combining robust physical infrastructure, distributed networks, and strong governance frameworks. We must embrace both technological innovation and proven low-tech solutions while fostering community-based resilience. The stakes couldn’t be higher – our ability to maintain communication systems will determine how effectively we can coordinate responses to mounting environmental challenges.

Conclusion

As we navigate this critical transition, every community must assess its communication vulnerabilities and develop appropriate adaptation strategies. The future may be uncertain, but our response doesn’t have to be. Through thoughtful planning and implementation of resilient communication systems, we can maintain the connections vital for human survival and adaptation in an increasingly unstable world.

References:

ARRL. 2022. Amateur Radio Emergency Service manual. American Radio Relay League, Newington.

Bartos M, Chester M. 2015. Impacts of climate change on electric power supply in the Western United States. Nature Climate Change 5: 748-752.

Brown T, et al. 2020. Response to ‘Burden of proof: A comprehensive review of the feasibility of 100% renewable-electricity systems’. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 128: 109917.

ITU. 2023. Guidelines on climate-resilient network infrastructure. International Telecommunication Union, Geneva.

Rey-Moreno C, et al. 2017. A telemedicine WiFi network optimized for long distances in the Amazonian jungle of Peru. International Conference on Wireless Technologies for Humanitarian Relief.

Rogers G. 2024. Silent Earth: Adaptations for Life in a Devastated Biosphere. Coldwater Press, Prescott. 333 p.

Thompson A, et al. 2020. Emergency communications during natural disasters: The role of amateur radio in disaster response. Journal of Emergency Management 18: 523-532.

Zhang S, et al. 2019. Nanomaterial-enabled self-healing cables for extreme environments. Advanced Materials 31: 1903875.

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AI Comparison

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For a project we are into, I compared results from latest available versions of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and DeepSeek on one of the project tasks. The results were similar, but DS was slightly better. And, before responding, DS lays out it’s preliminary thought process in conversational style that is entertaining verging on hilarious!

https://chatgpt.com
https://claude.ai
https://gemini.google.com
https://www.deepseek.com

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Comments on the State of the World

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The blog, Collapse of Industrial Civilization, has been exploring critical topics for more than a decade. This post is concerned with accelerating disasters. Along with commentary and graphics, it includes a particularly revealing chart: “. . . the most current chart showing the upward trajectory of billion-dollar weather disasters for the US, from 1980 through 2024.” Click on the title in the box to see the post.

Modern Civilization is Proving to be a Very Fragile Thing

I thought this would make a good teaser quote:

“Peter Kalmus, a climate scientist who saw the writing on the wall and left his home in California after observing the increase in heatwaves and its effect on the local environment in recent years, had this to say a few days ago” (–xraymike79.):

“…no place is actually safe. These kinds of impacts of these floods and fires and heat waves and storms, I think of them sort of like popcorn happening around the whole planet. You can’t know exactly where any one of these events is going to happen, but they’re starting to come at a higher frequency, sort of like when the popcorn really starts to get going and they’re starting to pop harder. It drives me kind of bonkers when people say this, especially when climate scientists who should know better say like, this is the new normal, for example. It is not. We are on a rising escalator towards higher planetary temperatures and all of the more frequent and severe impacts that come with that, which is really, frankly, terrifying.

Silent Earth Review

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“Silent Earth” has received a five-star “must read🏆” review on Reedsy. Blending scientific depth and practical foresight, this book is both a wake-up call and a guide for navigating environmental collapse.

Synopsis

Silent Earth is a technical reference for civil engineers, land-use and urban planners, and city administrators. It covers a broad range of topics and should serve as a springboard for specialists wishing to learn more about adapting to climate change and biosphere decline.

As the Earth’s living systems deteriorate at an unprecedented rate, human societies face the urgent challenge of adapting to an increasingly unstable environment. Physical Geographer Garry Rogers offers a clear-eyed examination of our options, arguing that while complete restoration of the biosphere is no longer feasible, strategic adaptation remains possible. Drawing on extensive research, Rogers outlines practical approaches for communities to maintain essential functions as ecosystem services decline. While large-scale adaptation efforts face significant barriers, this groundbreaking work shows how planners and administrators can implement effective strategies to enhance resilience in a transforming world. Essential reading for navigating our environmental future. Ideal for policymakers, scholars, environmentalists, and engaged citizens, Silent Earth challenges readers to envision a future where, even amidst biosphere decline, adaptation and innovation can pave the way for survival.

Garry Rogers’ Silent Earth: Adaptations for Life in a Devastated Biosphere explores the escalating degradation of Earth’s biosphere, offering strategies for human adaptation. It points to the realistic inevitability of this need to adjust, as humanity is facing the consequences of irreversible damage already done. Rogers goes beyond the simple dialogue of climate change, expanding and examining the interconnected impact of the entire biosphere, from current impacts such loss of biodiversity to coral reef bleaching.

In Section IV, Rogers draws upon research to emphasize that as soon as 2030 we are on the brink, and that we urgently need to act not only to prevent further destruction, but also to prepare for survival:

The cumulative and synergistic effects of human impacts are pushing ecosystems closer to tipping points. Feedback loops and shifting ecosystem boundaries are accelerating environmental change, while these effects interact in complex ways, amplifying their individual impacts. As we approach 2030, addressing these interconnected challenges will require an integrated approach to conservation and climate action to mitigate the far-reaching impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem stability.

The strength of Silent Earth lies in Section V, which presents a blueprint for adaptation. Rogers proposes various strategies from water management to cultural and governance reforms. His emphasis on grassroots action and local resilience is both pragmatic and empowering, especially given his acknowledgment of the political and societal inertia that is likely to hinder adaptation on a wider scale.

Silent Earth is thoroughly researched, intellectually stimulating, and well-cited. Rogers excels in synthesizing vast amounts of ecological, social, and technological data into a cohesive narrative.

Silent Earth is a valuable resource for those interested in interdisciplinary approaches to global challenges. It’s an important and thought-provoking read for anyone seeking to understand and address the complex realities of ecological decline.

Reviewed by: Brittney Banning

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GR.–Climate change will destroy many beautiful places.  It’s not just a threat anymore.  The continue burning of fossil fuels to the present and into at least the near future will change the world.

Bob Berwin.–“LOWER AUSTRIA — Austria’s high alpine pastures, called Alms, are an important part of the country’s cultural tradition. For centuries, herders have driven cattle and sheep up and down the sides of the mountains following seasonal cycles of plant growth and snow melt.

“The livestock grazing is managed mindfully to promote vegetation growth and biodiversity. It may be a difficult concept to grasp at first, but the rhythm of alpine grazing actually fosters biodiversity. Orchids, medicinal herbs and wildflowers thrive in the clearings and create lush green open patches in the landscape that are aesthetically pleasing.

. . . .

“But climate change is taking a toll on Austria. The country’s average temperature has increased by 2 degrees Celsius in the past 50 years, more than twice the global average of .85 degrees Celsius, according to a 2014 climate assessment. That warming spells big changes for mountain environments, including the bucolic pastures around the Alm. For now, the cowbells still chime, but the future is uncertain.”  Continue reading:  Can the Hochbärneckalm survive global warming? | Summit County Citizens Voice

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GR.–People have the right to decide, but they must often fight for that right.

John Jasson.–Chapter 6 page 122 [Nuclear Fuel Chain Royal Commission Recommendations] states:  “Because of these shifts, a public vote on a proposal is not a reliable indicator of ongoing social consent: A vote for or against a proposal one day may not result in the same level of social consent one month later.”

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Rapid Polar Warming Kicks ENSO Out of Climate Driver’s Seat, Sets off Big 2014-2016 Global Temperature Spike

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GR.–Our response to environmental disasters often comes in the form of rescues and recovery aid after the event.  The climate emergency is different.  The way we’ve ignored forecasts of global warming is comparable to remaining in the house after receiving the forecasts for an approaching tornado and a tsunami.  For climate change, however, we will not have a quiet time to rebuild, because the catastrophe will roll on gathering strength for centuries.  The disaster recurrence interval will become too short for us to rebuild.

From RobertScribbler:

“What is happening right now is we are catapulting ourselves out of the Holocene, which is the geological epoch that human civilisation has been able to develop in, because of the relatively stable climate. It allowed us to invent agriculture, rather than living as nomads. It allowed a big population growth, it allowed the foundation of cities, all of which required a stable climate.” — Stefan Rahmstorf

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“2014 was the hottest year on record. But that lasted only until the end of 2015 — which shattered the 2014 global heat record by a big margin. Then 2016 rolled around and produced what could best be described as an insane heat spike during the January through May period. Now, it’s about 95 percent certain that the 2015 record will also fall, leaving 2016 as the new hottest year on record in yet one more climate vertigo inducing temperature jump.”

(“The rate of warming for 2014 through 2015 is just off the charts. This scares scientists, and it should. This makes many climate experts wonder about causes, and it should. Pime suspect for the increased rate of change — amplifying feedbacks in the Arctic. Image source: NOAA Global Analysis and Weather Underground.”)

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Seven climate records set so far in 2016 | Environment | The Guardian

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GR.–When national emergencies arise, we expect our leaders to guide us to an effective response.  The global-warming disaster illustrated in this article is thundering down upon us, but our leaders offer little guidance or, worse, they lie to obfuscate the emergency.  I believe that this shows the venal weakness of our leaders and the lack of social intelligence of our people.

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13 state AGs pen letter calling for end to climate change probe | Fuel Fix

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GR.–These public employees have chosen to aid the oil companies in their efforts to deceive the public.  This action demonstrates the power of money over truth.  Dump ’em!

Texas Attorney General Kenneth Paxton, center, speaks to the media in Washington in April. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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