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Thursday, October 23, 2025

Extreme Weather is HERE: important to align with nature for climate adaptation and resiliency

On September 4, 2025, the Lambda Alpha International (LAI) Global Water-Land Series Group (Group) hosted the Resiliency around the Globe: Local Responses to Hurricanes, Sea Rise and Sudden Flooding global webinar. Earth Impact (Ei) Advisor, Bob Bunting, CEO & Chairman of the Climate Adaptation Center, was the lead speaker in the prominent webinar. 

Overall the webinar confirmed that extreme weather is commonplace around the globe via three excellent presentations. The overall webinar message: it is important for communities to develop resilient cityscapes and adapt to the new weather conditions; extreme weather is here to stay.

Global Water-Land Series Group
Co-chaired by Jim Musbach and Ei Founder & CEO Holly Elmore, the Group meets alternating months and hosts global webinars within the following categories:

  1. Quality/Quantity - May 28, Agriculture, Water, Land Nexus: Unlocking the Intricacy
  2. Control/Ownership/Accessibility - 2026, The Colorado River Water Challenges and/or Status of Great Lakes Water Agreement/Compact between the United States and Canada
  3. Global Flooding & Sea Level Rise - September 4, Resiliency around the Globe: Local Responses to Hurricanes, Sea Rise, and Sudden Flooding.

At Holly's invitation, Ei Advisors Brad Bass, Ph.D., Michael Barbour, Ph.D., Tim Rumage, Marina Olmos, and Durga Poudel, Ph.D. joined the Group to share their expertise.

The Regeneration in ACTION (RiA) Magazine article, Water Security: from a pending to a realized crises, introduces the Group and provides in-depth discussion and examples related to each of the previously mentioned categories.

About LAI

LAI is the honorary global network for thought leaders 

in all fields related to the preservation and sustainable development of land.

LAI is a growing network of chapters in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. Each chapter offers a wide variety of programs with industry leaders, discussion forums, community service projects and networking events.

Membership is highly selective through a nomination process initiated by a LAI member. Nominees for LAI membership must demonstrate ten or more years of experience in their fields, professional distinction, and outstanding contributions to the community in their field of endeavor.

LAI is committed to excellence and high professional standards to make a difference. A value to members is knowing you are someone who helped make that difference.

Ei Educates
When the Era of Regeneration (June 2017 - June 2024) closed, Ei welcomed the Era of Impact and shifted the business model to Ei Educates. Though education was always integral to Ei's important work over the decades, Ei's primary focus was on projects, pilots, and initiatives supported by Ei Partners. 

Within the Ei Educates platform, Ei utilizes its extensive professional network as well as Holly's experience to educate on pertinent environmental and social equity topics. With their in-depth industry expertise and connections, Ei Advisors are essential to the success of Ei Educates.

Ei is well seasoned with orchestrating in-person conference panels and online webinars. The Ei-Hosted Conference/Webinar Panels page lists the plethora of past conference panels and webinars orchestrated or supported by Ei.

Beginning in 2026, global webinars showcasing Ei Advisors will be hosted within Ei and free to attend with an option to donate. In addition to webinars, Ei Conversations are slated to launch in early 2026 with an inaugural series on The Intricacies of Homeowners Associations hosted by Ei Advisor Miles Toder.

Ei's superb following - Ei Newsletters consistently receive a 62%-open rate - will support the Ei Educates endeavors. 

Resiliency around the Globe: Local Responses to Hurricanes, Sea Rise and Sudden Flooding 
Pursuant to the one-page document LAI Historian and Group member Joe Nathanson prepared for the webinar:

Description: This webinar looks at recent and very severe threats imposed by a warming climate to examine ways in which communities are responding to these threats. From a series of hurricanes raging across Florida’s Gulf Coast, to the recurrent inundation of the waterfront in historic Annapolis, Maryland, to the catastrophic flooding in Valencia, Spain last year, local policymakers, planners and other professionals are urgently working to build resiliency and mitigate future harm. 

Purpose:
The webinar aims to:
  1. Enrique's presentation cover slide
    Provide insights into the factors leading to more frequent, more intense, and more costly hurricanes, with insights provided by the Climate Adaptation Center (CAC.)
  2. Educate stakeholders on implementing strategies for safeguarding human life, protecting private property and land values, and ensuring resilient public infrastructure in a warming climate.
  3. Foster discussions among policymakers, academics, and industry professionals to develop sustainable solutions to the pressing challenges posed by extreme weather, sea rise, and severe flooding events.
Key Topics to Be Covered
  1. Warming waters of Florida’s Gulf Coast, sea rise, storm surges, and local initiatives.
  2. Annapolis’ experience with regular flooding at the heart of the historic waterfront city and the infrastructure investment at the heart of the city’s response to this challenge.
  3. Valencia, Spain’s disastrous flood of October 2024, with its heavy loss of life, extensive property damage, business losses, and disruption of regional infrastructure, and the region’s strategy for the future. 
Target Audience
This webinar is intended for policymakers, environmental professionals, engineers, economists, academics, urban and regional planners and anyone interested in the resilience of their communities. 

Speakers:
  1. Robert F. Bunting, CEO and Chairman, Climate Adaptation Center, Inc., Sarasota, FL
  2. Gavin Buckley, Mayor, Annapolis, Maryland 
  3. Enrique Cabrera, Professor of Fluid Mechanics, Universitat Politècnica de València
Extreme Weather is Here
After LAI Vice-President Craig Binning's welcome & LAI intro, Jim's Group Intro, Holly's webinar logistics, and webinar co-lead Marina Olmos's speaker introductions, LAI FL Suncoast Chapter member and Ei Advisor Bob Bunting opened the presentation sessions. 

As the CAC CEO & Chairman, Bob gave a brief overview of his impressive background as a serial entrepreneur, high-technology-startup expert, and educator; additional details are available in Bob's Ei Advisor page. 

Inland flooding from Debby
Founded by Bob in 2019, CAC is an independent, non-profit organization headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. CAC bridges the gap between state-of-the-art scientific research and public sector understanding of our changing climate. Serving the Southeastern U.S., the Sarasota center is the first of six planned regional centers focused on climate adaptation specific to each area's unique challenges.

At Holly's request, the first part of Bob's presentation explained how rising global temperatures are the catalyst for the extreme weather scenario.

Using a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration graphic, Bob explained that for every degree Celsius the climate warms, the atmosphere can hold 7% more water vapor. From a more in-depth scientific perspective, the Polytechnique Insights 2022 article Rudolf Clausius: the scientist who helped us understand the climate states:
According to the Clausius-Clapeyron formula, a temperature increase of 1°C corresponds to an increase in atmospheric humidity of about 7%, i.e. about 1–3% more precipitation on a global scale. In simple words, this equation helps to understand the formation of clouds, rain, snow and is very consistent with the prediction of extreme weather events such as increases in the frequency of precipitation and its annual maximum amount, wind speed, river flooding. Moreover, the increase in humidity corresponds to an increase in the mass of water vapour and thus in the greenhouse effect, thus leading to a positive feedback loop.
With a 1.5 degree Celsius increase in temperature from the baseline established with the pre-industrial period from 1850 to 1900, the atmosphere can hold 12% more water vaper. With the increased atmospheric water, the Earth experiences more extreme precipitation events.

Increasing global temperatures contribute to sea level rise via two main factors: 1> rapid glacier and ice sheet melting and 2> thermal expansion within the oceans. According to Earth.gov, the oceans absorb approximately 90% of the higher atmospheric temperatures resulting in warmer waters with an expanded molecular structure. NASA contributes approximately 30 - 40% of the sea level rise to thermal expansion. 

Additionally, warmer oceans result in more intense weather events and increased global flooding. Bob explained that there are two types of flooding - freshwater and saltwater, as follows:

Freshwater Flooding:
  • Heavier rainfall: 2× more common
  • Flash floods (recent examples in the July 2025 Central Texas floods, October 2024 Valencia, Spain, etc., etc.)
  • Thunderstorms
  • Inland tropical storm events
  • Prolonged inland flooding
Saltwater Flooding:
  • Sea-level rise: 8–12” already, +1 ft by 2050
  • Sunny-day flooding (Annapolis)
  • Hurricane storm surges on top of higher seas (Florida)
Florida’s Trifecta & The Path to Adaptation
The second half of the 2024 hurricane season was brutal to Florida's Gulf Coast: three hurricanes - Debby, Helene, and Milton - made landfall in 65 days, with Helene and Milton less than two weeks apart. Each hurricane wreaked havoc with different flavors of destruction. Bob emphasized that the three hurricanes' devastation was due in part to a warmer climate.

Debby, a rain event
Though it later built into a hurricane, Debby was a tropical storm that caused $12 - 28 Billion in damages inland from the Gulf Coast; the range in damage estimates is due to ongoing downstream assessments reported. Bob shared that current storms drop double the amount of rain as a similar 1980 storm. With Debby rainfall was recorded at 15 - 20 inches, depending on the location. 

Inland flooding from Debby
a mile from Holly's home.
At her Sarasota home, Holly measured 18 inches of rain from Debby over a two-day period. Two weeks earlier a low pressure system ended the severe drought with 16 inches of rain in two days. Thus, the area ground was saturated when Debby's rain arrived and caused severe inland flooding.

Outdated infrastructure along with neglected maintenance programs contributed to Debby's extensive damages.

Helene, a storm-surge event
On September 26, Hurricane Helene moved north through the Gulf around 150 miles off the Florida Central Gulf Coast. Predictions included 4 - 7 feet of storm surge on the Sarasota barrier islands and bayfront coastline. Due to Helene's 150-mile distance off shore, many were surprised when the storm surge of 7 feet arrived as predicted; the storm surge completely flooded the barrier islands and dropped tremendous volumes of sand on roadways and in homes and businesses. The destruction was devastating with an estimated $60 - $80 Billion in damages.

In Sarasota, minimal rain accompanied Helene with Holly recording approximately two inches of rain at her home.

Helene made landfall as a massive Category 4 Hurricane in Florida's Big Bend Region. After making landfall, Helen traveled north causing catastrophic damage in the North Carolina western mountains and other areas; the destruction path was 500-miles long.

Milton, a wind event
Less than two weeks after Helene's devastation, the Florida Gulf Coast braced for a cataclysmic hurricane garnering unbelievable strength as it traveled east through the warm Gulf waters. With minimal time for collection, streets on the barrier islands remained lined with debris from cleanup of Helene's destruction. Meanwhile, Hurricane Milton barreled towards the Tampa Bay / Sarasota area.

Thanks to the CAC announcements and Bob's superb Sarasota Magazine articles, the region was well informed of Hurricane Milton's potential catastrophic impact on the barrier islands as well as inland. As Bob stated, "We were prepared as we could be, but no one can be prepared for this kind of event. It was a huge storm."

At 8:30 pm on October 9, Milton made landfall on the southern portion of Siesta Key, one of Sarasota's barrier islands, as a Category 3 storm; two days earlier Milton rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane breaking records as one of the most powerful storms in the Atlantic basin.

Image courtesy of Wikiimages 
With 6- to 10-foot storm surges and wind gusts up to 130 miles an hour, the Sarasota region experienced up to $60 billion in damages from Milton. 

For nearly an hour, Milton's eye hovered over the Sarasota region gifting residents with the surreal silence inherent within the eye of a hurricane. Bob mentioned that he and his guests watched the star-filled sky from his patio while in the hurricane eye.

Though the area lost tremendous elder tree cover, the predicted obliteration of the Sarasota barrier islands did not manifest. A good portion of the region was without power for a week or more.

The back-to-back timing of the hurricane trifecta validated that climate impacts are accelerating. Bob educates that adaptation must happen from the ground up and requires individual action; progress starts with education, action, and community. For example, years ago, Bob moved from his gorgeous beachside home on Longboat Key and to a downtown Sarasota high-rise condo. Bob's prior home was obliterated in the 2024 hurricanes.

Bob's PPT is available for download HERE.

CAC Annual Florida Forecast Conference
For the 2024 Annual Florida Forecast Conference hosted in mid-November, the CAC prepared an excellent nearly five-minute video on the cumulative hurricane damage. Bob ended the video with "The goal of the CAC is to speed climate adaptation because it will lower the risk and pay dividends for our future."

The CAC hosts the 5th Annual Florida Climate Forecast Conference: Climate and Biodiversity on Thursday, November 13, 2025 from 8 am – 4:45 pm at the University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee campus. Per the CAC event page:
From Florida’s coral reefs to its coastlines, wetlands, and wildlife, ecosystems across the state, and the planet, are under pressure. As species shift, vanish, or adapt, so must we. This conference will equip attendees with the science, strategies, and partnerships needed to protect biodiversity and the critical services it provides to people, economies, and future generations.

Registration is open at this LINK.

Annapolis and the Rising Waters: The Challenge of Flooding
Following Bob, Mayor Gavin Buckley, the 137th Mayor of Annapolis, presented on the sunny day-flooding challenges facing the capital of Maryland and home to the U.S. Naval Academy. With Australian roots reflected in his accent, Gavin shared interesting facts on Annapolis.

Maryland State House located 
in Annapolis
From a historical standpoint, four signers of the Declaration of Independence maintained homes in Annapolis. George Washington resigned his commission at the still-standing City Hall where Gavin maintains his office. From a state perspective, Annapolis has the oldest continuously used statehouse in the U.S. and briefly served as the nation's first capital.

Located on the Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis is referred as the "Sailing Capital of the U.S." due to its many boating events and its rich maritime heritage. In Gavin's words:
The Chesapeake Bay and the waterfront along with the U.S. Naval Academy is one of our biggest, economic drivers. But today, it is one of our biggest threats. I'm lucky enough to come to work on a boat at least one day a week. I get to the end of my street and come in on a little 17-foot rib. tie up at the City Dock, Alex Haley Memorial, and walk up to City Hall.

Sunny Day Flooding
Also referred to as high-tide or nuisance flooding, sunny day flooding occurs as a result of the Moon's gravitational pull on the ocean tides. Sunny-day flooding is often associated with King Tides as well as sea level rise. Per the U.S. Navel Institute, sea levels around Annapolis have risen about one foot over the past 100 years.

According the California Coastal Commission's About the King Tides Project article:

While the term "King Tide" isn't a scientific term, it is used to describe very high tides, caused when there is alignment of the gravitational pull between sun, moon, and Earth. When King Tides occur during floods or storms, water levels can rise higher and have the potential to cause great damage to the coastline and coastal property.

King Tides: occur naturally and regularly, are predictable and expected, and are not an everyday occurrence

According to a 2021 NASA study, a surge is expected in coastal flooding during the mid-2030s due to a wobble in the Moon's 18.6-year orbit cycle; the wobble amplifies the gravitational pull of the moon. 

Annapolis sunny day flooding
Annapolis floods nearly 150 days per year in the City Dock and historic districts, which parlays into flooding every two to three days. Due to the frequent flooding, knee-high wading boots are integral to Gavin's mayoral attire, and he keeps a kayak in the back of his truck. Thus, Gavin may safely visit flooded areas.

Solutions must be addressed at the local level, and the City partners with the U.S. Navy Academy. 

The Price of Resilience, Meeting the Financial Challenge
Protecting Annapolis is expensive. Resilience is not just about engineering—it’s about securing the funds to make it happen. A credible partner like the U.S. Navy Academy is instrumental to the cause. 

Per Gavin, Historic Downtown is the economic engine of the City, and resilience work is an investment in the future of Annapolis.

Recently the U.S. Naval Academy finished a $39 million resiliency effort on its southeast corner; it is roughly the length of a football field. Though an impressive improvement, it's hard to imagine how the project cost $39 million. Gavin makes the case that the price tags for meeting resilience challenges are well above the budgets of most municipalities. Thus, solutions require creativity.

Using a public-private partnership to pay the bills, the downtown municipal Hillman Garage was used as a “down payment” on resiliency work at City Dock. Renovation and operations helped fund a $24M concession fund along with annual operations income. The new garage has no-gate access, solar panels and picket ball courts on the roof, 25% storm-water capture, and 160 additional parking spaces. Thus, the City can remove parking spots from the City Dock lot.

Rendering of the City Dock Project
courtesy of Annapolis.org
A longer term solution for Annapolis is converting the large parking area at City Dock into an eight-foot-raised national park that serves as a damn or dike to protect the historic district from flooding. Thus, a lovely public amenity serves as a barrier for the frequent flooding. Additionally, the project includes fortification around the City Dock and raising the area six feet. 

Another challenge is the balance between protecting the Historic Downtown from frequent flooding and preserving the historic nature of the City Dock and downtown district. The City was sued by the local preservation society for its resiliency efforts. Though the City prevails in the courts, the law suits take time to resolve and incur costly legal fees.

The planned project far exceeds the City's $200 million budget. 

Per Gavin's slide: Why is the Price Tag Astronomical? 24 miles of Coastline: Waterfront resilience is one of the most expensive infrastructure challenges we face.

For the immediate, the City installed sump pumps and backflow preventers to keep water out of storm drains and found an innovative Dutch “barrier” solution. These are stopgap measures and not permanent solutions. Gavin took several delegations of local and state delegates as well as business leaders to Denmark and Sweden; the delegations learned how these astute countries create resilient environments within the extreme weather, sea rise, and warming temperatures scenario.

As stated by Gavin in his closing remarks:
And I am proud that we'll be able to point to the public to say that in this effort of making the City of Annapolis resilient, in this effort to protect one of the oldest cities in the country, and in this effort to protect the businesses and our economic engine for the city, we are doing it by creating a park.
So, we have a park with a purpose. And that park, we think, will be studied by other parts of the country. We hope to be one of the resilience capitals of America.

Gavin's PPT presentation is available for download HERE.

Lessons from the Valencia DANA
On October 29, 2024, a DANA weather event near Valencia, Spain, the third largest Spanish city, caused the Turia River to release up to 300,000,000 cubic metres (390,000,000 cu yd) of water into the suburbs surrounding the city. A total of 232 individuals died in the province of Valencia along with fatalities in three other provinces; according to the Bank of Spain, the 2024 flooding cost Spain's financial sector over $20 billion.

Per the Royal Meteorological Society's article,  Cut-off lows, cold drops and DANA:   

In Spain, the DANA storm system forms when warm moisture-laden winds off the Mediterranean Sea get dragged under the stagnant pool of cold air sitting in the cut-off low higher up in the atmosphere. That creates an unstable environment, allowing huge storm clouds to quickly form, made even bigger by the mountainous topography. The warmer the waters, the bigger the storms and the heavier the rainfall. Which, thanks to the near-stationary nature of the DANA, is released over the same area.*

Enrique Cabrera, Professor of Fluid Mechanics, Universitat Politècnica de València, followed Gavin with an excellent, yet chilling, presentation on the 2024 floods that devasted the Valencia region. In general, the Valencia region is dry and often experiences drought conditions. Yet, a local translated saying holds true "it doesn't rain much, but when it rains, it rains heavy."

Valencia is well seasoned with flooding; in 1795, a book was published on floods from the DANA effect.

The day after the floods, 
mud & storm debris covered streets
The October 2024 flooding event did not impact the City of Valencia itself; it was the smaller surrounding cities, suburbs with populations of 20 - 40,000 residents, that were devastated. Though the heavy rains were the culprit, it was the tremendous mud and debris carried by the flood waters that inundated the city streets and caused the lasting destruction over the following days and weeks.

As most urban areas are made of impermeable surfaces, nearly 100% of the rain water must be carried out of and away from the city via sewer pipes. With a storm the magnitude of the October 2024 DANA Effect weather, it is not feasible to build pipes with the capacity to flow the water outside of the city and to the sea.

Beyond the volume of rain - 300 inches in 24 hours, the timing of the rain was also crucial to the floods. The first rains came in the morning and saturated the ground. Then heavier rains returned in the late afternoon until around 9 pm. From 28th October to November 4th, the national records in Spain for total rainfall for 1, 6, and 12 hours were all broken.

Enrique aligned with Bob's earlier commentary: extreme weather events are segueing into common events.

To understand the magnitude of the weather event, Enrique gave several shocking comparisons:
  • the peak flow rate in Barranco del Pollo, one of the usually dry creek beds that carried the voluminous water towards the sea, was 3,500 cubic meters per second. This rate is 1.5 times the regular flow rate of Niagara Falls.
  • the total water collected by all the basins and taken to the sea in Valencia, was 170 cubic hectometers. This volume is Central Park in New York City completely flooded 16 stories high. Note that this water was only collected at the end in the Valencia region.
  • the exceptional water velocity picked up tremendous volumes of mud and debris encountered on its way to the sea. The collected mud and debris (stones, cars, and anything else in the water's path) was the equivalent of 25 Empire State Buildings.
Of the 232 deaths, many occurred when residents went to their underground parking to get their cars. The flood waters came FAST and trapped the individuals in the parking area where they drowned.

Unsupervised volunteers cleaning
up streets
The morning after and beyond, the challenges related to destroyed infrastructure, general chaos, and the mud and debris left by the water that flowed to the sea. Due to the lack of coordination by the local authorities, volunteers came in droves with their own shovels and other equipment to help clean the streets. 

With no supervision, the hard-working, well-intentioned volunteers brushed the mud and debris into the sewer-system pipes; thus the sewer system was completely clogged. The clogged sewer system pipes was a huge obstacle to restoring utilities as well as a safe-living environments to residents.

Enrique ended his presentation with five lessons learned:
  1. Prepare for events that defy all odds - we must prepare for things that have never happened before; catastrophes that render our current infrastructure useless will happen; we must remain nimble and face them in the best possible way with set-in-place protocol.
  2. Protocols, education, and alert systems must be updated - these are new kinds of events that happen with lightening speed, whether floods, fire, or other natural disasters, and we must educate the local population of the new protocols.
  3. Urban planning needs to be reviewed and seriously respected - many structures were built in flood plains that we knew were going to flood; we must review the urban planning with the new extreme weather parameters.
  4. Anything critical above the surface needs to be protected, including the services of buried utilities - anything that is above the surface in this kind of flood will be or might be destroyed; much of the water supply challenges happened at the meters or where the pipes came of the ground.
  5. We will not be able to avoid catastrophic events in the future. But we can seriously reduce the consequences - Enrique emphasizes that reducing the consequences of catastrophic event is crucial. 
Enrique's PPT presentation is available for download HERE.

* the opening paragraphs of the section are an excerpt from the River Flooding section of the previously mentioned RiA article, Water Security: from a pending to a realized crises.

The webinar recording is available for view at this LINK.

Tour Valencia: Lessons from Valencia to Vancouver
In November 2025, the LAI Madrid and Barcelona Chapters host a unique educational session in Valencia.

The Risks and Opportunities of Being Ranked the #1 City for Expats.

The LAI Madrid and Barcelona Chapters are pleased to welcome you to a special weekend in Valencia, bringing together thought leaders in real estate from Vancouver, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, and other global centers.

On Friday, November 21st, the program includes a private tour of Lanzadera, a panel discussion on “Lessons from Vancouver: The Global Economy and the Impacts of Being an Attractive and Livable World City”, and a traditional paella networking luncheon by the beach. Presentations will be in English and Spanish, with live translation available.

This unique gathering promises exceptional networking opportunities, lively conversations, and meaningful connections within our international community.

Registration info is available at this LINK.

Nature Prevails
In the Q&A moderated by Group Co-Chair Jim Musbach, a concluding consensus for the webinar was Extreme Weather is HERE and will become more frequent and intense. Climate mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas release into the atmosphere) does not change the current scenario; the catalyst for extreme weather events is warmer global temperature and mitigation will not lower temperatures in the near future.

Rendering of Phase I The Bay
Bob advised that climate adaptation is the best way to prevent or at least diminish catastrophic damages in future extreme weather events. In his commentary, Bob gave the example of the 52-acre The Bay park on Sarasota Bay as an adaptation example. In Phase I, The Bay converted the extensive parking lots and some buildings on the bayside property into a lovely park. In addition to an appreciated public amenity, the park protects the nearby downtown Sarasota from storm surges and other flooding.

The City Dock project showcased by Gavin is another example where climate adaptation protects an urban environment and provides a park as a public amenity.

Another consensus was adaptation responsibility resides with the local municipality and individuals. It is time to stop approving building permits in flood plains and wetlands that are Nature's protection of coastal and inland areas from flooding. The municipality must educate its residents on the risks of living on barrier islands, in flood plains, and other high-risk properties and how to adapt to the consequences of extreme weather. Then decisions can be made that prevent catastrophic damage to one's residence or other lifestyle choices. Communities must support residences, buildings, and infrastructure with resiliency as the catalyst, not short-term profits and human-oriented benefits.

Sarasota is a leader in climate resilient building codes; most new structures can survive Category 4 or 5 hurricanes with minimal damage.

Enrique was clear that insurance is not the answer to extreme weather damages; no company or government can continue to fund the monumental costs of rebuilding a community after a storm. As we live in a "new" scenario, one never experienced by humans, communities must commit to rebuilding with resiliency as the primary foundation. Enrique emphasized that engineering techniques and practices must evolve to support resilient, adaptive urban infrastructure.

The concluding conversations and points align perfectly with the Ei Nature Prevails platform. Within the platform, Ei showcases that for humans to survive and thrive, they MUST align with Nature's perfected systems. Nature will not permit herself to be "tamed" with impervious urban environments and other human interventions. Yet Nature will protect communities if she is respected and humans align with her principles.

Extreme weather is a new normal and urban environments must adapt with resilient structures, infrastructure, and protocol in order to minimize catastrophic damage. Nature has the upper hand, and humans must align with Nature to survive and thrive. Much of climate resiliency and adaptation is simply aligning with Nature.

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Tax-deductible donations in any amount are greatly appreciated to support Ei's important work. 


About Earth Impact:
Earth Impact (formerly Elemental Impact) (Ei) is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in 2010 as the home to the Zero Waste Zones, the forerunner in the nation for the commercial collection of food waste for compost. In June 2017, Ei announced the Era of Recycling Refinement was Mission Accomplished and entered the Era of Regeneration (June 2017 - June 2024). Focus areas included Nature PrevailsSoil Health | Regenerative Agriculture, and Water Use | Toxicity.

The Regeneration in ACTION (RiA) Magazine articles, From Organic Certification to Regenerative Agriculture to Rewilding Landscapes: an evolution towards soil integrity and SOIL & WATER: the foundation of life, published to explain and substantiate the importance of Ei’s rewilding urban landscapes work within the Nature Prevails focus area. What We Eat Matters is an emerging platform that intertwines within the three focus areas.

As Ei enters the Era of Impact (June 2024 – present,) gears shift to a new business model, Ei Educates. Though education was always integral to Ei’s important work, the  primary focus was on projects, pilots, and initiatives supported by Ei Partners. The Regeneration Era focus areas carry over into the Era of Impact.

With the publishing of the March 2025 RiA Magazine article, Water Security: a pending to realized crisis, the Water Use | Toxicity platform evolved into the Water Security platform.

The Holly Elmore Images Rewilding Urban Landscapes-album folder documents two active pilots: the Native-Plant Landscape Pilot and the Backyard Permaculture-Oriented Pilot. The Ei Pilots serve as an educational program.

MISSION:
To work with industry leaders to create best regenerative operating practices where the entire value-chain benefits, including corporate bottom lines, communities, and the environment. Through education and collaboration, establish best practices as standard practices.

Ei’s tagline – Regeneration in ACTION – is the foundation for Ei endeavors.

The following mantra is at the core of Ei work:

Ei is a creator, an incubator.
Ei determines what could be done that is not being done and gets it done.
Ei brings the possible out of impossible.
Ei identifies pioneers and creates heroes.

For additional information, contact Holly Elmore at 404-510-9336 | holly@earth-impact.org.

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