#landuse — Public Fediverse posts

"Data centers represent 27% of development sites in the U.S. this year. It’s the second-highest category after apartment buildings..."

Land prices are up 79% from last year.

And "home builders cannot bid in that market, because a builder’s land budget is capped by what home buyers can afford. A data center operator faces no such constraint. The result is ... no homes at all."

#USA #AI #DataCenters #LandUse #housing #farming
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https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/06/ai-data-centers-are-transforming-rural-land-markets-fueling-backlash.html

"Data centers represent 27% of development sites in the U.S. this year. It’s the second-highest category after apartment buildings..."

Land prices are up 79% from last year.

And "home builders cannot bid in that market, because a builder’s land budget is capped by what home buyers can afford. A data center operator faces no such constraint. The result is ... no homes at all."

#USA #AI #DataCenters #LandUse #housing #farming
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https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/06/ai-data-centers-are-transforming-rural-land-markets-fueling-backlash.html

"Data centers represent 27% of development sites in the U.S. this year. It’s the second-highest category after apartment buildings..."

Land prices are up 79% from last year.

And "home builders cannot bid in that market, because a builder’s land budget is capped by what home buyers can afford. A data center operator faces no such constraint. The result is ... no homes at all."

#USA #AI #DataCenters #LandUse #housing #farming
---
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/06/ai-data-centers-are-transforming-rural-land-markets-fueling-backlash.html

"Data centers represent 27% of development sites in the U.S. this year. It’s the second-highest category after apartment buildings..."

Land prices are up 79% from last year.

And "home builders cannot bid in that market, because a builder’s land budget is capped by what home buyers can afford. A data center operator faces no such constraint. The result is ... no homes at all."

#USA #AI #DataCenters #LandUse #housing #farming
---
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/06/ai-data-centers-are-transforming-rural-land-markets-fueling-backlash.html

"Data centers represent 27% of development sites in the U.S. this year. It’s the second-highest category after apartment buildings..."

Land prices are up 79% from last year.

And "home builders cannot bid in that market, because a builder’s land budget is capped by what home buyers can afford. A data center operator faces no such constraint. The result is ... no homes at all."

#USA #AI #DataCenters #LandUse #housing #farming
---
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/06/ai-data-centers-are-transforming-rural-land-markets-fueling-backlash.html

From Ireland Land Use Review latest report: “sustainable land use requires very significant change”.

Explanations by Caroline O'Doherty:
"Agriculture is the main polluter of waterways, half of which fail to meet minimum environmental standards.
"It is responsible for 38 per cent of national emissions – the largest of any sector.
"It is the number one pressure on wildlife and natural habitats, 90 per cent of which are in poor condition."

By subscription: https://www.irishtimes.com/life-style/2026/08/09/how-irelands-land-is-used-and-why-it-has-to-change/
Archived: https://archive.ph/Al4qw#selection-2163.0-2177.107

#landUse #viability #property #sustainability #water #publicHealth #biomethane #tillage #forestry #Ireland #emissions #agriculture #footprint #GHG #methane #globalHeating #agribusiness #meat #cattle #climateChange #dairy

The #EnvironmentalCost of #ArtificialIntelligence: #Carbon, #Water, and #LandFootprints

#AI’s rapid growth drives huge energy, water, and land use, raising environmental and equity challenges across its global infrastructure.

Date Published 3 Jun 2026

UNU-INWEH Report: Aczel, M., Chamanara, S., Matin, M., Farsi, A., Marwala, T., Madani, K. (2026).

"This report, Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water and Land Footprints, by the #UnitedNationsUniversity Institute for Water, Environment and Health ( #UNU - #INWEH ) on its 30th anniversary, examines one of the most underexplored consequences of AI’s rapid expansion: the environmental footprints of the energy required to power it. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in economies, public services, research, communication, and everyday life, it depends on a growing physical infrastructure of #datacenters, advanced #chips, #CoolingSystems, #ElectricityGrids, #WaterResources, land, and #CriticalMineral supply chains. The report shows that AI is not only a digital technology, but also a material system with measurable #EnvironmentalCosts.

"The report moves beyond a carbon-only lens by quantifying the carbon, water, and land footprints associated with the electricity used to train, deploy, and operate AI systems at scale. Its central finding is that AI’s environmental costs depend not only on how much electricity is used, but also on where that electricity is generated and which energy sources power it. Every kilowatt-hour used by AI carries carbon, water, and land implications, and these footprints do not always move in the same direction: low-carbon electricity is not automatically low-water or low-land. The report also shows that AI’s footprint is shaped by both major infrastructure trends, including the rapid growth of data centers, and everyday use patterns, including model choice, output length, modality, and the growing use of text, image, and video generation.

"Importantly, the report frames AI’s environmental footprint as a governance and justice challenge, not only a technical problem. The benefits of AI often flow across borders and sectors, while the environmental burdens of data center siting, electricity demand, water withdrawals, #LandUse, MineralExtraction, and #EWaste can be concentrated in specific communities and regions. To address these risks, the report calls for a responsible AI ecosystem grounded in transparency, efficiency by design, equity and #EnvironmentalJustice, lifecycle responsibility, global cooperation, and sustainable use. By making AI’s carbon, water, and land footprints visible and comparable, the report provides a practical basis for integrating AI into energy, climate, water, and land-use planning, ensuring that innovation advances without shifting environmental costs onto vulnerable communities."

Download PDF:
https://unu.edu/inweh/collection/environmental-cost-of-AIs-Enrgy-Use-Carbon-water-and-land-footprints

#AIBoom #Electricity #Hyperscale #BigTech #BigData #CarbonFootprint #EnvironmentalRacism #EnvironmentalDegradation #NoisePollution #LightPollution #WaterIsLife #AIAgents #BotTraffic #GreenSpaces #Farmland #Prairies #Woodland #TechGiants #ProtectNature #NoDatacenters #EnergyConsumption #USPol #WorldPol #Datacentres
#DatacenterMoratoriums

Carving out 12 million cubic yards of rock for a toll road eyesore?

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission wants to eliminate the Allegheny Tunnels along the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstates 70/76) through Allegheny Mountain in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The tunnels would be replaced with a massive road cut (a.k.a. ‘the Gray Cut’) that would be 250 feet deep, 1,000 feet wide and would require the excavation of 12 million cubic yards of earth and rock. That is not an engineering accomplishment, that’s a plan for a future eyesore.

A recent calculation (confirmed by using Google’s gemini.ai) has shown that 12 million cubic yards of rock would fill an entire football field to the height of a bit more than 5,600 feet…more than a mile high and nearly four Empire State Buildings tall. It would also be the tallest mountain/structure in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Even a natural conical pile of this material would be approximately 1,100 feet high. Where exactly does the Turnpike Commission plan to dump all this material?

Reasons cited for the proposed Gray Cut

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has noted that the cost of upgrading the tunnels would be approximately double that of the Gray Cut. They indicate it is also needed due to anticipated future traffic, improved safety (particularly related to accidents within the tunnels), maintenance costs for the tunnels, and the current need for hazardous cargo loads to bypass the tunnels. According to the turnpike’s website, the preliminary design phase is currently ongoing and is expected to be completed in 2028. If approved for construction, actual work would begin in 2033.

In regards to the cost comparison between the cut and tunnel improvements/upgrades, what never seems to be included in the calculations are the intangible benefits associated with the scenery, wildlife, ecosystems, water resources, culture, history, and lifestyles that would negatively impacted by this project.

“Look Doris, someday you’re going to find that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn’t work. And when you do, don’t overlook those lovely intangibles. You’ll discover they’re the only things that are worthwhile.”

– Fred from Miracle on 34th Street per imdb.com

In addition, many other tunnels across the nation ban hazardous materials. Exactly why is this being used as a reason to build this project here? Maybe manufacturers should be transporting such dangerous stuff on trains instead of trucks on highways? Or perhaps, it should just be an accepted cost of doing business.

Lastly, “anticipated future traffic” can be a tricky calculation. All too often, past data is used to guesstimate futures trends. In reality, unforeseen events can alter those calculations. Unforeseen events like gas prices now hovering around $4.50+ per gallon, with diesel prices running even higher. There are a litany of other things that could change the traffic dynamics – migration patterns, birthrates, car ownership rates, inflation, cyclical economic changes, war, and climate change to name a few.

If this project is being proposed just so the PA Turnpike can better compete with I-80 to the north and I-68 to the south, then that is a very poor reason to cause the extent of anticipated negative impacts listed below. It should be noted that neither I-80 nor I-68 have tunnels nor tolls. The Sideling Hill Cut west of Hancock, Maryland on I-68 is 340 feet deep and 720 feet wide. The much ballyhooed geological display at the site was closed 18 years after completion due to budget cuts. – en.wikipedia.org and mgs.md.gov

In addition, rockfall fencing needed to be added along both sides of the highway in the Sideling Hill Cut in 2023.

Anticipated negative impacts

Not only would such a massive trench leave a permanent disfiguring scar across this scenic mountainous landscape, but it would also have the following negative impacts, as noted by Citizens to Save Allegheny Mountain:

“The proposed Gray Cut would destroy critical wildlife habitats, disrupt migration patterns, and endanger species that rely on the unspoiled wilderness of the Allegheny Mountain.”

“The natural springs and deep wells that provide clean water to nearby communities and are at risk of being polluted or permanently altered by the construction.”

“The project will lead to the removal of forest stand and the displacement of massive amounts of soil and sediment that can never be reestablished or replaced.”

“This irreversible destruction…will also reduce recreational opportunities and threaten traditions such as hunting and fishing opportunities, which are vital to the region’s outdoor lifestyle.”

“The proposed construction will fragment these habitats, making it difficult for wildlife to find food, shelter, and mates.”

“The Gray Cut project jeopardizes these efforts [previous and current restoration efforts along the Stonycreek River Watershed].

“Beyond the Stonycreek River, other neighboring watersheds, including the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River and the Indian Lake Watersheds, are also at risk due to the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel’s unique location at a triple watershed divide.”

“Construction activities associated with the turnpike expansion will significantly increase the risk of soil erosion and sedimentation in nearby streams and rivers.”

“The increased runoff from paved surfaces carries pollutants such as oil, heavy metals, and other toxic substances into water bodies, further impacting the health of our waterways within the Stonycreek River watershed.”

“The noise, dust, and heavy machinery involved in this large-scale construction project would disrupt the lives of local residents and visitors who cherish the peace and quiet of the mountain.”

“The project will disrupt local communities by affecting the water supply for residents who rely on wells and natural springs. The potential contamination of these water sources poses serious health risks, particularly for those who rely on them for daily use.”

“The long-term environmental and social costs far outweigh any short-term economic gains.”

Other impacts not mentioned by Citizen to Save the Allegheny Mountain on their website, include, but are not limited to:

• Increased risk of animal vehicle collisions with the loss of the mountain’s natural wildlife crossing over the turnpike. This may lead to the future need of constructing a new wildlife crossing.

• “Drivers on the proposed highway would lose the tunnel’s protection from the worst of the weather near the turnpike’s highest point, 2,600 feet above sea level, where fog, icing and high winds are frequent hazards.” – penncapital-star.com

• The potential for microclimate changes in weather patterns as a result of the cut. According to google.gemini.ai, these could include: wind-channeling through the cut; alteration to the rain shadow on the east side of the mountain; creation of a cold air sink at the bottom of the cut increasing the likelihood of fog and frost; and disruption to wind patterns along the mountainside.

• The loss of the historic highway tunnels, first built in 1940 and expanded in 1965.

Steps one can take

If you feel this proposed project should go back to the drawing board, consider other alternatives, or be scrapped for upgrading the tunnels, please consider contacting Citizens to Save the Allegheny Mountain through the following links:

• https://savealleghenymountain.com

• https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565316543351

The organization’s website includes a petition one can sign along with space to provide comments.

Peace!

Predictability Of Earth’s Greenness [incl. spatial]
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2026.02.038 <-- shared paper
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https://phys.org/news/2026-02-global-greening-earth-green-shifting.html <-- shared technical article
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https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/2024/2/7/24057308/earth-global-greening-climate-change-carbon <-- shared technical media article
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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0220-7 <-- shared (2019) paper
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#Earth #greenness #deeplearning #AI #usecase #productivity #vegetation #foliage #greening #forecasting #geomorphometry #vegetationindex #NDVI #GIS #spatial #mapping #earthobservation #remotesensing #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #satellite #global #landuse #landcover #management #biomass #agriculture #crops #environment #ecosystems #forestcover #sustainability #foodsecurity #soilmoisture #treecover #temperature #parameters #forest #forested #landmanagement #agronomic #irrigation #fertilisation #croprotation #pestcontrol #attentionmodel #metrics

Cataloging Black-owned record stores

As part of celebrating Black History Month, here’s a list of known Black-owned record stores in the United States and other places around the globe. The list includes those stores that are either fully or partially Black-owned.

Sadly, as with all variations of brick and mortar record retailers, the advent of streaming, digital downloading, and online retailers like Amazon.com has vastly decreased the number of Black-owned record stores. It was also noteworthy that several stores only recently identified in previously published stories/articles (in the past five years) were discovered to have now closed permanently.

Kudos to these business owners for weathering the economic, social, and technological challenges of owning and operating an independent record store in the 21st Century. Please feel free to forward any additions, corrections, or suggestions to this list.

Peace!

________

Bantu Records: Johannesburg, South Africa

Baoulecore Archive Center (2023): Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivorie

Better Days Records (1998): Louisville, Kentucky

Black Circle Records: Charleston (Summerville), South Carolina

Black Star Vinyl (formerly Halsey & Lewis Records) (2017): Brooklyn, New York

Blessed Love Record Shop: Berlin, Germany

Brittany’s Record Shop (2018): Cleveland, Ohio

Conservatory Vintage & Vinyl (2019): Chicago (Flossmoor), illinois

Crates ATL (2025): Atlanta, Georgia

DBS Sounds (1994): Atlanta (Riverdale), Georgia

Della Soul Records (2021): Grand Rapids, Michigan

DJ’s Record Shop: Jacksonville, Florida

Dorsey’s Record Shop (1946): Pittsburgh (Homewood), Pennsylvania

Fivespace: San Diego, California

Forever Changes Vinyl Lounge (1971): Philadelphia (Phoenixville), Pennsylvania

Freshtopia (2019): Norfolk, Virginia

God’s Time: Accra, Ghana

Good Stuff Records: Houston, Texas

Gotwhatulike: Kansas City, Missouri

Home Rule Records (2018): Washington, D.C.

Jampac Records (1986): Charlotte (Monroe), North Carolina

JB’s Record Lounge (2017): Atlanta, Georgia

Kumanini Vinyls (2017); Busua, Ghana

Maestro Records: London (Peckham), England, U.K.

Memories of Soul: Newark, New Jersey

Moodies Records (1982): Bronx, New York

Moods Music (2000): Atlanta, Georgia

Music Planet (1981): Flint, Michigan

Needle to the Groove (2014): San Jose, California

Offbeat (2014): Jackson, Mississippi

Out of the Past Records (1968): Chicago, Illinois

Peaches Records (1975): New Orleans, Louisiana

PM Sounds (2019): Los Angeles (San Pedro), California

Poo-Bah Records (1971): Los Angeles (Pasadena), California

Pure Vinyl: London, England, U.K.

Recs N Threads: St. Louis, Missouri

Re-Runz Records (2016): Orlando, Florida

Retrofit Records (2011): Tallahassee, Florida

Rockers International Records: Kingston, Jamaica

Serious Sounds (1991): Houston, Texas

SOOK Vintage & Vinyl (2023): Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Soulfolk’s Records & Tapes (2019): Nashville, Tennessee

Stokley’s Records: Valdosta, Georgia

Str33t Records (2021): Los Angeles (Alhambra), California

Supertone Records: Londont (Brixton), England, U.K.

The Jazzhole: Lagos, Nigeria

The Real Vinyl Guru/Stall 570 (1989): Nairobi, Kenya

The Record Track (1990): Chicago, Illinois

Urban Lights Music (1993): Twin Cities, Minnesota

Vinyl and Pages: Baltimore, Maryland

SOURCES:

• https://www.okayplayer.com/10-black-owned-vinyl-record-stores-to-support/683266
• https://www.essence.com/gallery/black-owned-record-stores-to-visit/
• https://www.revolt.tv/article/7-legendary-black-owned-record-shops-in-the-us
• https://shoppeblack.us/black-owned-record-stores/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/vinyl/comments/gwod38/blackowned_record_stores/
• https://www.thefloormag.com/post/4-black-owned-vinyl-stores-you-need-to-visit
• https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/neighborhood-record-stores
• https://www.brooklynvegan.com/18-awesome-black-owned-record-stores/
• https://daily.jstor.org/how-black-owned-record-stores-helped-create-community/
• https://phillyplaindealer.com/2024/11/30/sook-vinyl-vintage-phillys-only-black-owned-record-store/
• https://foreverchangesrecords.com/
• https://variety.com/2021/music/news/common-black-owned-stores-record-store-day-vinyl-1234912022/
• https://variety.com/2021/music/news/common-black-owned-stores-record-store-day-vinyl-1234912022/
• https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=847652931397660&set=a.122331840596443
• https://flintbeat.com/flints-own-music-planet-celebrates-40-years-in-flint/
• https://www.peachesrecordsandtapes.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/1641991359380502/d-js-record-shop/
• https://www.thefamuanonline.com/2022/04/22/retrofit-records-swims-against-the-tide/
• https://thestrategycenter.org/about/bookstore/?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=20735694124&utm_content=158137469714&utm_term=black%20owned%20bookstore%20los%20angeles&utm_medium=678971598711&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20735694124&gbraid=0AAAAAqEaDtHquk8pZIRrs1BbdQHJrfKzM&gclid=CjwKCAiAncvMBhBEEiwA9GU_fkNZUOr2GPfMCNm8dHl5tzvLXNl4y2F5DXwFexL7iv_JYdgqLR268xoCRhcQAvD_BwE
• gemini.google.ai
• https://www.nashvillescene.com/music/features/r-a-p-ferreira-establishes-a-new-outpost-of-soulfolks-records-and-tapes/article_582eaa9c-178a-11ee-b116-132366c67a41.html
• https://www.instagram.com/recsnthreadsstl/
• https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/blog/pittsburgh-record-stores/
• https://www.hfchronicle.com/2021/07/26/present-history-conservatory-and-tradition-black-owned-record-stores/
• https://www.realvinylguru.com/newsletter-page/jimmi-the-story-of-the-african-real-vinyl-guru
• https://www.instagram.com/p/CxC1ZMHo0jd/
• https://kumaninivinyls.wordpress.com/about/
• https://banturecords.co.za/pages/about-us
• https://acloserwalknola.com/places/peaches-records/

Seasons Change in Southwest Virginia https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/seasons-change-in-southwest-virginia/ #NASA #EarthObservatory #LandCover #LandUse #Landsat8LDCMLandsatDataContinuityMission #Landsat9 #Snow #Uncategorized #Vegetation

Amsterdam just banned ads for #meat and #FossilFuels. Who’s next? This topic intersects #animals, #deforestation, #FreshWater overuse, #RiverPollution, ocean #DeadZones, #topsoil erosion, #ethics, #wildlife, #biodiversity, #LandUse, #GHGs, #ClimateCrisis & #respect. open.substack.com/pub/veganhor...

Amsterdam just banned ads for ...

Global Subsidence Of River Deltas
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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09928-6 <-- shared paper
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H/T Wageningen University & Research
“🌊🔍 River deltas are sinking!
A new study [link above] reveals that river deltas worldwide are sinking significantly, faster than sea levels rise..."
#GIS #mapping #spatial #remotesensing #NASA #earthobservation #RiverDelta #ClimateChange #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #water #hydrology #marine #river #delta #coast #coastal #global #subsidence #groundwater #extraction #pumping #overpumping #watertable #hydrogeology #sediment #waterresources #planning #policy #landuse #landscape #hydrogeomorphology #worldwide #riverdelta #humanimpacts #ecosystems #sealevel #sealevelrise #SLR #flood #flooding #landloss #salinity #risk #hazard #salinization #vulnerable #measurements #monitoring #elevation #insar #radar #surfaceelevation #anthropogenic #urbanexpansion

Past And Future Change In Global River Flows
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https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-025-00745-z <-- shared paper
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#review #water #hydrology #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #waterresources #model #modeling #flow #global #watercycle #humanimpacts #climate #extremeweather #seasonal #dynamics #changes #riverflow #regional #fluvial #pluvial #cryosphere #climatemodel #climatechange #anthropogenic #landuse #watermanagement #model #modeling #terrestrial #ecosystems

Spectrum Of The Lakes - Using Satellite Remote Sensing To Unveil Water Color In Minnesota's Sentinel Lakes For Water Quality Monitoring
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https://doi.org/10.1080/20442041.2025.2509528 <-- shared paper
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https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fisheries/slice/index.html <-- shared DNR Sentinel Lakes monitoring programs
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#Satellite #RemoteSensing #hydrology #water #WaterColour #WaterQuality #Chromaticity #SentinelLakes #ecoregion #Minnesota #earthobservation #GIS #spatial #mapping #MidWest #US #waterresources #ecology #ecosystems #watersecurity #Landsat #OLI #surface #lake #waterbody #reflectance #tropic #wavelength #vegetation #catchments #vegetation #MDVW #forests #agriculture #farming #landuse #landcover #management #monitoring #protection

Land Surface Heterogeneity And Tornado Occurrence - An Analysis Of Tornado Alley And Dixie Alley
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https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2019.1583292 <-- shared paper
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #NLCD #climatechange #severeweather #extremeweather #environment #slope #remotesensing #landcover #extremeweather #landcover #landuse #tornado #risk #hazard #damage #cost #economics #publicsafety #infrastructure #loss #USA #TornadoAlley #DixieAlley #landsurface #topography #vegetation #spatialanalysis #model #modeling #heterogeneity #variables #parameters #factors #geostatistics #statistics #EROS #fedscience

A New Tool To Characterise The Socio-Environmental Dimensions Of Urban Rivers: Urban River Socio-Environmental Index
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2025.105388 <-- shared paper
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #EnvironmentalEvaluation #SocioEcosystem #SocialConnectivity #UrbanRiver #Indicators #RiverRestoration #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #water #hydrology #urban #stream #ecosystem #cities #residents #community #nature #humanimpacts #artifical #engineered #URBS #watershed #drainage #management #restoration #geomorphology #hydrogeomorphology #ecology #urbansprawl #interdisciplinary #biophysical #social #community #France #Paris #MorbrasRiver #macroinvertebrates #riparian #vegetation #reaches #typology #landscape #landuse #landcover #variety #blandscaping

Landslide Susceptibility Assessment In The Marin Khola Watershed Of The Sub Himalaya, Central Nepal
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https://doi.org/10.3126/jist.v30i1.76264 <-- shared paper
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #geology #engineeringgeology #massmovement #landslides #Nepal #susceptibility #MarinKhola #watershed #InfoVal #Siwaliks #Himalayas #risk #hazard #cost #infrastructure #publicsafety #lossoflife #propertydamage #damage #geomorphology #water #hydrology #geomorphometry #casestudies #spatialanalysis #water #hydrology #factors #topography #geology #soil #landuse #landcover #model #modeling #accuracy

A Framework For Understanding The Effects Of Subsurface Agricultural Drainage On Downstream Flows
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https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20255023 <-- shared USGS publication
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#water #hydrology #mapping #framework #model #modeling #fedscience #streamflow #subsurface #soil #drainage #agriculture #farming #landuse #landcover #GIS #spatial #tiledrainage #drains #flow #waterresources #runoff #peakflow #evapotranspiration #precipitation #USA
@USGS

End Of An Era – Historic Landsat 7 Mission Takes Final Images
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https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/end-era-historic-landsat-7-mission-takes-final-images <-- shared USGS technical article
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #landsat #remotesensing #landsat7 #history #mission #landsat8 #landsat9 #landsatnext #imagery #satellite #landuse #water #hydrology #disasters #ecology #ecosystems #climatechange #deforestration #urbangrowth #wildfires #monitoring #agriculture #waterresources #change #forest #vegetation #snow #ice #glaciers
@USGS

Where do we go from here?

Unlike the Cowichan River, the #Koksilah is an uncontrolled #river with no storage and as such, there are limited options available to manage flows. The only options available to us are to change our current practices around #LandUse and #WaterUse. Most importantly, the #KoksilahRiver is challenging all of us to work together to collaboratively identify and implement solutions that will impact us all. New collaborations and partnerships are emerging.

An informal “Koksilah #DroughtManagement team” has been formed to discuss how to collaboratively make short term in-season decisions and work with water users to navigate periods of low flow. This ad-hoc group is comprised of representatives from #FLNRORD, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Cowichan Station’s Koksilah Working Group, BC Dairy Association, BC Agriculture Council, Cowichan Watershed Board, Farmland Advantage, Water Survey of Canada, Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre and private forestry representatives.

In the longer term, an innovative government to government partnership has been struck between Cowichan Tribes and the FNLRORD to explore and scope the feasibility of initiating a joint #WaterSustainability Planning process, an innovative new tool under #BCWaterSustainabilityAct (2016).

For more information about the potential of Water Sustainability Plans, see Curran, D. and O.M. Brandes. 2019 Water Sustainability Plans: Potential, Options and Essential Content (2019) by Deborah Curran and Oliver M. Brandes, University of Victoria Environmental Law Centre and the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance.

https://poliswaterproject.org/polis-research-publication/water-sustainability-plans/

"As one element in the modernized provincial water regime, Water Sustainability Plans are a promising tool that can enable and enhance adaptive water management and new governance relationships that express core elements of government-to-government relationships for water and watersheds, as well as address the challenges of environmental flows, sustainable groundwater management, drought planning and protecting and enhancing watershed health."

Deborah Curran & Oliver M. Brandes
Water Sustainability Plans: Potential, Options and Essential Content (2019)

#BackroadAdventures #VancouverIsland #water #river #Shawnigan #DayAdventure #DayTrip #PacificNorthwest #ProtectWatersheds #nature #VanIsle #Cascadia #PNW #NaturesPower #WaterIsLife #ProtectWatersheds #ProtectNature #Hydro #RiversOfBC #RiversOfVancouverIsland #Indigenous #FirstNations #Historical #Cowichan #WaterFlow #RiverFlows #HydrologyManagement

New Report Ranks USGS Assets High Among Earth Observations Systems Surveyed
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https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/new-report-ranks-usgs-assets-high-among-earth-observations-systems-surveyed <-- link to article
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https://usgeo.gov/working-groups.html <-- USGEO Working Group reports and summaries
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https://usgeo.gov/uploads/EOA%20Agriculture-Forestry%20Report%20(July%202024).pdf <-- 2023 Earth Observations Assessment Report - Agriculture and Forestry
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #remotesensing #earthobservation #landsat #summary #overview #agriculture #forestry #global #farming #ranching #hydrology #water #watersheds #waterresources #watersecurity #naturalresources #landmanagers #landcover #landuse #USGEO #NLIP #society #satellite #metrics #landsat8 #landsat9 #economic #economicbenefits #production #sustainability #resourcemanagement
@USGS @USGEO @nasa @NOAA

Very proud to share my newly published paper on #ConflictDynamics 🥳 We used #QualitativeComparativeAnalysis (#QCA) to determine which conditions explain latent, collaborative, or escalated dynamics in #LandUseConflicts (and how to get people to work together more often in these conflicts). It's the centerpiece of my PhD project. Feels amazing to have this milestone finished 😊

https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1hqYnyDvMPnl8

#LandUse #conflict #collaboration

@ZALF_leibniz @geography @politicalscience @sociology

https://nextcity.org/features/seattle-nimbys-neighborhood-planning-decisions

Was this successful! Why or why not?! We are very curious what you think. #CommunityCouncils #CommunityEngagement #Seattle #LandUse