Abstract
Books
Cool Cities: Urban Sovereignty and the Fix for Global Warming
Benjamin R. Barber
Yale University Press, 2017, $26.00
http://yalebooks.com/book/9780300224207/cool-cities
Climate change is the most urgent challenge we face in an interdependent world where independent nations have grown increasingly unable to cooperate effectively on sustainability. In this book, renowned political theorist Benjamin R. Barber describes how cities, by assuming important aspects of sovereignty, can take the lead from faltering nation states in fighting climate change. Barber argues that with more than half the world's population now in urban areas, where 80 percent of both GDP and greenhouse gas emissions are generated, cities are the key to the future of democracy and sustainability.
In this sequel to If Mayors Ruled the World, Barber assesses both broad principles of urban rights and specific strategies of sustainability such as fracking bans, walkable cities, above-ground mining of precious resources, energy and heating drawn from garbage incineration, downtown wind turbines, and skyscrapers built from wood. He shows how cities working together on climate change, despite their differences in wealth, development, and culture, can find common measures by which to evaluate the radically different policies they pursue.
This book calls for a new social contract among citizens and municipalities to secure not only their sustainability, but their survival.
Editor's note: Benjamin R. Barber, founder of the Global Parliament of Mayors, died on April 24, 2017. Barber was a distinguished senior fellow at the Fordham Law School Urban Consortium, and the author of Strong Democracy and the international bestseller, Jihad Versus McWorld among other books.
Hot, Hungry Planet: The Fight to Stop a Global Food Crisis in the Face of Climate Change
Lisa Palmer
St. Martin's Press, 2017, $26.99
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250084200
Author Lisa Palmer maintains that the world is on the cusp of a food crisis, with hunger common and climate change making it more difficult to produce enough food for the world's seven billion people. There are already about one billion people who go hungry because they are poor and disenfranchised.
By 2050, the United Nations predicts that more than 9.6 billion people will live on the planet, adding even more pressure to the food production system. This will increase demand for food by about 30 percent, which will further increase food insecurity. The type of food in demand will change as well, as people join the middle class and want more meat and dairy products. The question this book seeks to answer is, How will agriculture be able to feed them all?
Palmer suggests three things are needed to support food security and resilience: advances in agriculture and education; farmers wisely using the land and deploying technical solutions; and policy changes to decrease adverse environmental changes and promote more sustainability in the food system. For instance, policies could promote locally grown food and distribution to reduce emissions associated with transporting from farm to table. The author takes readers through case studies from different regions around the world and shares innovations.
Making Climate Change History: Documents from Global Warming's Past
Joshua Howe, editor
University of Washington Press, 2017, $24
http://www.washington.edu/uwpress/search/books/HOWMAK.html
In Making Climate Change History: Documents from Global Warming's Past, the editor brings together a collection of scientific and political documents related to climate change and then uses the information to explore the history of climate change and to approach the problem in today's world. The book begins with a look at early science, from the 1800s to 1938. While people may not think of the threat of climate change dating back that far, scientists were investigating how different factors, such as carbonic acid and producing carbon dioxide, influenced temperatures.
The book then takes a look at global warming in the era of the Cold War, focusing on the 1950s, and includes congressional testimony on the topic. It then follows the thinking in the 1960s and 1970s that addressed climate concerns, and considers climate change denial and controversy that has swirled around for decades. It also covers governance in regard to climate change, including United Nations agreements and frameworks.
The last section not only includes historical documents but also relates them to the future. Howe encourages readers to examine some of the content to better understand climate change in a historical context.
Reports
Business Transformation and the Circular Economy
The Conference Board, 2017
https://www.conference-board.org/circular-economy/
Profit and sustainability are not mutually exclusive, according to this report from The Conference Board, which explains how companies are moving to a circular economy that reuses materials and keeps using them for as long as possible. The report focuses on seven companies leading the transition from a linear, “take-make-waste,” model to a more sustainable circular economy: Dell, DuPont, Hewlett-Packard, Interface, Kimberly-Clark, Philips, and Waste Management.
These companies and others have learned that a circular economy offers many benefits, including job creation. Through these case studies, others can learn about the challenges and opportunities associated with a move to a circular economy. For instance, companies taking this new approach must collaborate with suppliers and customers and form alliances. Project leaders must buy in to efforts to transform to a circular economy and be granted the opportunity to try new things. That often will require education about the benefits associated with a circular economy.
The report includes recommendations other companies can follow to make the move to a circular economy. These include finding shared value and focusing on the business model, people, and mindset. It often helps to start small and recognize when something no longer works.
Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States
National and Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, 2017
Available as a free download at:
Some of America's treasures, such as the Jefferson Memorial, could be underwater by 2100, according to predictions based on rising oceans. Some areas are more at risk than others, with sea levels expected to increase faster along the eastern coasts than the Pacific Northwest or Alaska. Florida appears at serious risk. Land elevations and ocean circulation influence the speed in which the waters are rising.
The NOAA evaluated the relevant scientific literature to develop projections for a rising sea level, which they categorized as six scenarios in the global mean sea level: low, intermediate-low, intermediate, intermediate-high, high, and extreme rises. The report suggests the most extreme global mean sea level will increase by 2.5 meters, or 8.2 feet, by 2100, which is greater than had been predicted in 2012. These higher sea levels will increase the risk of storm surges and high tides.
Historically, the global mean sea level has increased between 8 and 9 inches since 1880, with 3 inches occurring in the past 14 years. The report clearly states that the “rise is a certain impact of climate change; the questions are when, and how much, rather than if.” The report concludes that communities and states with coastal access must prepare for future changes in sea level and manage risk.
Climate Change Is Harming Our Health
The Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health, 2017
Available as a free download at:
https://medsocietiesforclimatehealth.org/reports/medical-alert/
A group of physicians developed this report to call attention to the fact that climate change is deleterious to people's health, including worsening chronic illnesses, such as asthma; heat-related illnesses; and insect-borne infections. While some things, like extreme temperature, occur in all regions of the United States, others, such as extreme weather events, are more likely in some geographical areas than others. Yet, Americans remain unaware according to a survey cited in the report.
The report indicates that children are a greater risk of climate-associated health problems, including rising temperatures. City dwellers, athletes, and people working outdoors are also at risk for extreme heat conditions. In addition, extreme heat can lead to premature births.
Rising sea levels can result in flooding and contaminated water. Fertilizer and animal waste can be washed into rivers and oceans, promoting the growth of pathogens. Toledo, Ohio, had to shut down its water supply when a toxic algae bloom occurred in 2014. In addition to water, food can be contaminated due to heavy downpours and flooding that spreads bacteria and viruses.
The physicians urge corrective action now before health harms worsen. The action needed is reducing heat-trapping pollution by burning less coal and other fossil fuels for energy and switching to clean renewable energy.
Films
The Third Industrial Revolution: A Story for Our Human Family
Vice
2016, 1 hour, 44 minutes
Available at film festivals and online at:
https://tribecafilm.com/filmguide/third-industrial-revolution-2017
Economic theorist Jeremy Rifkin shares with viewers his perspective about “the third industrial revolution,” which he says will begin with the convergence of “new communication, new sources of energy, and new modes of mobility.” He discusses how the world needs to stop the worst effects of climate change and to turn to wind, water, and solar sources for energy. But that transition may take years. Some countries, such as Germany, are ahead of the United States in this effort: 32 percent of Germany's electrical power currently comes from solar and wind.
From the Ashes
National Geographic Documentary Films
2017, 81 minutes
Available to view on natgeotv.com, iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, Hulu
https://www.fromtheashesfilm.com
Coal pollutes the air and water, contributes to climate change, and in previous decades created numerous jobs, according to this documentary produced by RadicalMedia in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies. Cleaner, renewable sources of energy have advanced, and coal has faded from favor. The Trump administration has said it plans to bring the coal industry back. The film looks at various positions on this issue, including compelling stories from people and families affected by the coal industry's demise, and the health conditions related to burning and mining coal.
Websites
ToxinAlert
This website provides a national map and a drinking water database. It offers kits for purchase that people can use to test their water for heavy metals. In the e-Alerts section, the website announces problem areas as they are confirmed. One of the problem areas, according to the site, is tap water in schools, which may have high lead levels in the buildings constructed prior to 1986. Visitors to the site can search for schools in their area. Volunteers support the nonprofit ToxinAlert initiative.
I want to be recycled
I want to be recycled informs visitors to the site about reasons to recycle, how to recycle, and the recycling process. It includes games to help children learn about recycling and ways to start a community recycling movement. It explains how to recycle various products, from plastic bottles to cereal boxes, and what can be produced from the recycled products. The site, a project from Keep America Beautiful and The Advertising Council, also offers video public service announcements and a social media fact sheet that explains how everyone can take action.