Schmidt advancing community resilience across the U.S.

Press Release | Aug, 29 2017
 
 
 
Press Release
Schmidt advancing community resilience across the U.S.
 
 
 

Adversity can come in many forms – from a severe weather event like a tornado, a natural event like an earthquake, or an infrastructure failure like the Flint water crisis. All of these have social, economic and welfare impacts on the community. While some adverse events can be anticipated and prevented by making sure good practices and infrastructure is in place, others require a response to an unforeseen and unpreventable event.

Whatever the case may be, there are actions communities can take to either avoid an event or help them bounce back more quickly to avoid long-term hardship and stress. In other words, as communities look to nip future problems in the bud, they are embracing the concept of resilience.

As Andrew Zolli and Anne Marie Healy write in their book, “Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back,” resilience is the increasingly critical ability to “anticipate change, heal when breached, and have the ability to reorganize … to maintain [a] core purpose, even under radically changed circumstances.”

A community is only as strong as its weakest link. It is our job, our responsibility to seek out and mitigate those weak links so that our communities and their residents can thrive.

In an endeavor to help communities to avoid and respond to adverse events, Amy Schmidt, Dow Building & Construction advocacy manager has joined with the International Code Council, Target Corporation and other stakeholders to join a coalition aimed at improving resilience in communities across the United States. The Alliance for National & Community Resilience (ANCR) aims to develop benchmarks for resilient communities and to assist communities in the implementation of those benchmarks. This is a continuation of Amy’s work in creating policy that improves the lives of her neighbors. She also participates in the development of energy codes and green building standards.

Dow has a great track record of innovating solutions that advance the human condition. We set strong goals to provide a safe and sustainable environment for their workers and all of humankind. Whether it be water, transportation, or building infrastructure, Dow is uniquely positioned to add its expertise and solutions to help our communities become more resilient.

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