How to foster climate resilience in your community
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Overcoming climate challenges is nothing new.
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Just ask any American farmer.
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So just because we’ve gotten some
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rain and snow in California
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does not mean we are anywhere near
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the end of this crisis.
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The climate system delivers surprises
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as it continues to change.
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Since past conditions are no longer
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the best guide about what to expect,
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communities and businesses are consulting
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climate experts and using
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scientific tools to adapt.
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Building resilience can be difficult,
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but Americans are rising to the occasion.
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This is tough information,
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and people have to make hard choices.
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Thinking 30 years down the road
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sometimes isn’t in people’s mindset.
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It’s a hard job to ask people
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to think that far ahead.
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The Climate Resilience Toolkit,
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a component of President Obama’s
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Climate Action Plan,
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offers a 5-step process to help
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identify problems,
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determine vulnerabilities,
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investigate options,
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evaluate risks and costs,
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and take action.
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This site features decision-makers
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across the nation who are using data and tools
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to reduce their risks
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and protect their investments.
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I’m going to use this research data
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to influence my decisions on my operation
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to make my bottom line better
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and my livelihood for my family…
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our economic viability into the future.
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You’ll find dozens of powerful
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decision-support tools,
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including the Climate Explorer.
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Whether your focus is on rainfall,
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temperature and drought,
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or on sea level rise and vulnerable populations,
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the Climate Explorer allows you to
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look at climate stressors and their
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impacts at the same time.
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When I was in high school,
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I could walk out there several hundred yards.
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Now, you have to have a boat to get out there.
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The sea level rise that’s occurring
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that’s causing that is something we had to
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take into account when we built this structure.
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Visit the Topics section to review
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summaries condensed from authoritative sources
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such as the National Climate Assessment.
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Each topic offers steps that communities and
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businesses can take to build resilience.
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If you need help,
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explore our offering of training courses,
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or reach out to a climate expert near you
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who understands your community and your issue.
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As state climatologists,
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we are going to monitor it closely.
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We are going to put it in historic perspective.
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We are not climate change advocates.
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We are really monitors delivering
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the message of what we are seeing.
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Building resilience means doing business
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and planning for the future
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using the best available information.
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The Climate Resilience Toolkit
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helps you start,
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or continue, becoming more resilient
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and climate-smart.