Abstract
Books
From Eco-Cities to Sustainable City-Regions: China's Uncertain Quest for an Ecological Civilization
Ernest J. Yanarella and Richard S. Levine
Edward Elgar Pub., $135
https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/from-eco-cities-to-sustainable-city-regions-9781839102776.html
Sustainability: Journal of Record editorial board member Ernest J. Yanarella and Richard S. Levine take readers on a journey through their year-long fieldwork in the People's Republic of China where they investigated local and national efforts to change polluted urban areas into eco-cities. The authors explore the political, design, and planning issues associated with building 285 eco-cities aimed at reducing greenhouse gases and improving energy efficiency.
The book describes how China has gone about selecting areas to become eco-cities and implementing Chinese architectural, engineering, and planning techniques. It remains uncertain whether those efforts will be enough to reverse the damage already done to China's air, waterways, and land or if it will decrease public health dangers associated with the pollution. Meanwhile, China continues to use its coal reserves for its heat and electricity. The book describes activity in five of the country's representative eco-cities and praises their architects and planners.
The authors offer recommendations for China's political leaders, urban planners, and other stakeholders to create a more sustainable future as the country attempts to transition to sustainable city-regions. Those suggestions are based on critical analyses discussed in the five detailed case studies of the eco-cities described in the book.
The authors anticipate the book will be of particular interest to eco-researchers, Asian studies scholars, environmental and sustainability studies teachers, architects, and urban planners.
Diversifying Power: Why We Need Antiracist, Feminist Leadership on Climate and Energy
Jennie C. Stephens
Island Press, $35
https://islandpress.org/books/diversifying-power
Rather than more of the same—corporate profits prioritized over public good—success in conquering climate change will need antiracist, feminist leaders, according to Diversifying Power, by Jennie C. Stephens, director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University, Boston.
Stephens discusses climate and energy leadership and how it relates to economic justice, health, housing, and transportation. She maintains that the country needs policies linked to social, economic, and racial justice to reclaim and restructure climate systems. Bold and ambitious leaders are required at all levels, to overcome the power of the “polluter elite.”
There are leaders who embrace antiracist and feminist values and drive change, and progress has been made toward a regenerative, just, and healthy future. But more is needed. People should advocate for systemic change, become involved in advocacy, and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The book inspires readers to take action, get involved, and join together to address the climate crisis. Through collective power, people can respond to the climate problem facing the world and create a more just and sustainable future.
Plastic Waste and Recycling: Environmental Impact, Societal Issues, Prevention, and Solutions
Trevor Letcher, editor
Academic Press, $250
This book is a deep dive into plastics—from production and use to environmental distribution, waste, and recycling. Forty-five experts in the field, from 16 countries, wrote or cowrote individual chapters, bringing the latest research and information to the reader. The editor hopes readers will not only develop insight into the plastic pollution problem but take steps to address the concern.
The book also discusses innovation in plastic materials including biobased plastics and biodegradable plastics. Also covered is the omnipresent issue of problems associated with recycling and what to do with plastic waste. It includes the effects of plastic pollution on the environment, the problems with microplastics, and textiles production.
The book delves into solutions for plastic waste, including mechanical recycling, chemicals to dissolve the plastic, and using plastics as fuel. The authors explore plastics in society, what plastics people cannot live without, and the ecological and health issues associated with plastic waste. The book explores the use of plastic around the world and various strategies proposed to solve the plastic pollution problem.
Plastic Waste and Recycling is geared for researchers, engineers, and scientists interested in plastics processing and recycling.
Reports
Renewed, Recharged and Reinforced: Urgent Actions to Harmonize and Scale Sustainable Finance
Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance
Available as a free download at: https://www.un.org/development/desa/financing/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.financing/files/2020-08/Renewed%2C%20Recharged%20and%20Reinforced%20%28GISD%202020%29_vF.pdf
Focusing on the actions required to support the international sustainability agenda, this report describes those areas and provides an outline for what work needs to be done. The Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance gave this action plan to the European Commission's Renewed Sustainable Finance Strategy but recommends that the plan become a global effort.
The alliance called for bold action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, with leadership from both private and public entities. Recommendations include fixing flawed metrics and aligning information about the world's sustainability ecosystem. Partnerships and collaborations are required to fund the goals. The report states that entire financial systems will need to transition to a more sustainable future; green investments are not enough.
Long-term commitments are needed, as is financial innovation. The report indicates a need for science-based transition pathways, mandatory sustainability reporting for financial and other institutions, and increases in bond issuance.
The COVID-19 crisis provides an opportunity to “build back better,” for long-term sustainability according to the report. Sustainability Development Goals and the Paris Agreement should be at the heart of governments' pandemic response and recovery plans. The report predicts that success depends on being inclusive, equitable, and just.
The Issue with Tissue 2.0: How the Tree-to-Toilet Pipeline Fuels Our Climate Crisis
Natural Resources Defense Council
Available as a free download at: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/issue-with-tissue-2-report.pdf
Despite its catchy title, this report takes a serious look at the damage taking place in the ecologically important Boreal Forest in Canada, the largest intact forest in the world. Clear-cutting the forest allows carbon stored in the soil to be released into the atmosphere, 26 million metric tons annually.
Not only does cutting down the trees affect the environment, it also affects indigenous communities and the birds, lynx, caribou, and other animals that call the forest home.
While the National Resources Defense Council acknowledges that it does not want people to stop using toilet paper, it does want manufacturers to change their ways. The report indicates that in response to consumer attention, some manufacturers have changed their methods and are now using recycled and alternative fibers, such as wheat straw and bamboo, in their toilet tissue rather than old-growth forests.
The report also mentions that investors and some companies have instituted zero-deforestation policies. However, in many cases, the policies only apply to tropical deforestation.
Many people have joined together to try to convince the paper products manufacturers to change their ways, and some companies have made efforts to reduce the use of trees from virgin forests. The report includes a Buyer's Guide to the sustainability of various paper products to help people make better decisions.
2020 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook
BloombergNEF and the Business Counsel for Sustainable Energy
Available as a free download at: http://bcse.org/factbook/
This eighth-annual report draws on data from BloombergNEF and other sources and aims to increase sources of information about U.S. energy. This 2020 edition covers data through the end of 2019. The United States has made many changes over time in how it produces and delivers energy, and showed more interest in energy efficiency and less in carbon.
Renewable energy, natural gas, and energy efficiency became more dominant. Since 2010, the United States increased production of oil and natural gas, while gas prices remained steady. About 38 percent of all power generated in the United States comes from natural gas. From the start to the end of the decade, the country went from being an importer of natural gas to being an exporter. The use of coal decreased from 45 percent in 2010 to 23 percent in 2019.
Power generation by renewables increased 77 percent in that time, with twice the renewable power-generating capacity now compared to 2010. The country stands behind only one other country—China—in total installed renewable capacity. Eighteen percent of electricity in the United States is produced by renewables. During the past two years, combining renewable power generating with large-scale batteries has become financially viable.
Films
8 Billion Angels
Victor Velle, director
Terry Spahr Productions/Colorless Queen Productions, 76 minutes
Screenings in 2021
Overpopulation is driving climate change and deforestation, according to this documentary, which describes the conflict between the ever-expanding number of people on the planet and its sustainability. The Earth's many people consume resources more quickly than they can be replenished. The film brings to life the voices of people dealing with overpopulation and its effects on the land, oceans, and air. The movie urges changes in population growth and consumption.
The Great Green Wall
Fernando Meirelles, executive producer
Make Waves Production, in association with the United Nations, 91 minutes
Film festivals and screenings
https://www.greatgreenwall.org/film
A journey of hope, planting an 8,000-kilometer wall of trees, is chronicled in this film, which follows local musician and activist Inna Modjaas as she grows trees in the barren land, across the continent of Africa. The documentary highlights the vulnerable Sahel region—where, they report, temperatures are rising 1.5 times faster than the global average. Although the problems of drought, resource scarcity, conflicts, and migration paint a troubling image, the film also tells a story of optimism, resilience, and action. The wall of trees will become the largest living structure on Earth if completed, and by restoring the land, it will help to provide a future for people in the region.
Online
Sustainable Investing Research and Analysis
https://www.sustainableinvest.com
Sustainable Investing Research and Analysis' SustainableInvest.com offers in-depth research and analysis for investors interested in sustainability. It also provides trending articles about stocks and bonds and reported that: “Sustainable mutual funds and ETFs ended August at $2,856.9 billion and are on a trajectory to exceed $3 trillion within several months.” The organization offers a directory of sustainable investing funds and information about other investment products.
Air Pollution and Environmental Justice
https://nihcm.org/categories/air-pollution-and-environmental-justice
An infogram created by the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation, Air Pollution and Environmental Justice, reports that about 100,000 U.S. citizens die every year from air pollution-related causes and nearly half of U.S. residents live in counties with poor air quality. The infogram shows what contributes to air pollution and how it creates a risk to human health. It also outlines the racial inequities of air pollution and ways to reduce pollutants.