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Global Warming and climate change threaten the survival of the human race, and require immediate action on a grand scale to prevent disaster. See our solutions below.
A new report just released by the British Government states that if we don't act fast, the effects of Global Warming will be catastropic, and could cost the world over $9.6 trillion. The report was written by a top economist from the British Government (formerly chief economist for the World Bank). More info
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Solutions
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The solution is a rapid reduction in the burning of fossil fuels - on the order of 70-80% as quickly as possible. To accomplish this will require a switch in focus from cars and airplanes to trains, bicycles and walkable communities. And a switch to renewable energy, organic farming, and green living.
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BOOKS
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AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH by Al Gore
Our climate crisis may at times appear to be happening slowly, but in fact it is happening very quickly-and has become a true planetary emergency. The Chinese expression for crisis consists of two characters. The first is a symbol for danger; the second is a symbol for opportunity. In order to face down the danger that is stalking us and move through it, we first have to recognize that we are facing a crisis. So why is it that our leaders seem not to hear such clarion warnings? Are they resisting the truth because they know that the moment they acknowledge it, they will face a moral imperative to act? Is it simply more convenient to ignore the warnings? Perhaps, but inconvenient truths do not go away just because they are not seen. Indeed, when they are responded to, their significance doesnt diminish; it grows. -- Al Gore Purchase book
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POWER DOWN by Richard Heinberg
If the US continues with its current policies, the next decades will be marked by war, economic collapse, and environmental catastrophe. Resource depletion and population pressures are about to catch up with us, and no one is prepared. The political elites, especially in the US, are incapable of dealing with the situation and have in mind a punishing game of "Last One Standing." The alternative is "Powerdown," a strategy that will require tremendous effort and economic sacrifice in order to reduce per-capita resource usage in wealthy countries, develop alternative energy sources, distribute resources more equitably, and reduce the human population humanely but systematically over time. While civil society organizations push for a mild version of this, the vast majority of the world's people are in the dark, not understanding the challenges ahead, nor the options realistically available. Powerdown speaks frankly to these dilemmas. Avoiding cynicism and despair, it begins with an overview of the likely impacts of oil and natural gas depletion and then outlines four options for industrial societies during the next decades:
-Last One Standing: the path of competition for remaining resources;
-Powerdown: the path of cooperation, conservation and sharing;
-Waiting for a Magic Elixir: wishful thinking, false hopes, and denial;
-Building Lifeboats: the path of community solidarity and preservation.
Purchase book
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THE LONG EMERGENCY by James Howard Kunstler
The indictment of suburbia and the car culture that the author presented in The Geography of Nowhere turns apocalyptic in this vigorous jeremiad. Kunstler notes signs that global oil production has peaked and will soon dwindle, and argues in an eye-opening analysis that alternative energy sources cannot fill the gap, especially in transportation. The result will be a Dark Age in which "the center does not hold" and "all bets are off about civilization's future." Absent cheap oil, auto-dependent suburbs and big cities will collapse, along with industry and mechanized agriculture; serfdom and horse-drawn carts will stage a comeback. Purchase book
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THE SUSTAINABILITY REVOLUTION by Andres Edwards and David Orr
Sustainability has become a buzzword in the last decade, but its full meaning is complex, emerging from a range of different sectors. In practice, it has become the springboard for millions of individuals throughout the world who are forging the fastest and most profound social transformation of our time-the sustainability revolution. The Sustainability Revolution paints a picture of this largely unrecognized phenomenon from the point of view of five major sectors of society: Community (government and international institutions); Commerce (business); Resource extraction (forestry, farming, fisheries etc.); Ecological design (architecture, technology); Biosphere (conservation, biodiversity etc.);
The book analyzes sustainability as defined by each of these sectors in terms of the principles, declarations and intentions that have emerged from conferences and publications, and which serve as guidelines for policy decisions and future activities. Common themes are then explored, including:
-An emphasis on stewardship
-The need for economic restructuring promoting no waste and equitable distribution
-An understanding and respect for the principles of nature
-The restoration of life forms
-An intergenerational perspective on solutions
Concluding that these themes in turn represent a new set of values that define this paradigm shift, The Sustainability Revolution describes innovative sustainable projects and policies in Colombia, Brazil, India and the Netherlands and examines future trends. Complete with a useful resources list, this is the first book of its kind and will appeal to business and government policymakers, academics and all interested in sustainability. Purchase book
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PLAN B 2.0 by Lester R. Brown
A must-read book! Tension between alarmism and optimism fuels this stimulating treatise on green development, an update of the 2003 edition. Earth Policy Institute president Brown (Who Will Feed China?) surveys the worldwide environmental devastation wrought by breakneck industrialization and the heedless, auto-centric, "throwaway economy": oil and water shortages, pollution, deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, collapsing fisheries, mass extinctions, looming famine and pestilence-and he hasn't even gotten to global warming yet. Fortunately, Brown says, "all the problems we face can be dealt with using existing technologies," at a manageable cost. He spends most of the book touting advances in sustainable agriculture, wildlife and resource conservation, renewable energy, hyper-efficient cars, mass transit, and efficient appliances. Purchase book
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GREEN URBANISM by Timothy Beatley An outline of sustainability and smart growth alternatives to the problems of today - an analysis of how European cities weave together the finance, tax policy, land use regulation, densification, development policy, and transportation to promote 'Green Urbanism'. "Beatley takes examples from 25 innovative European cities on how to preserve green space, ease traffic congestion, and make cities more livable in other ways. He looks at the sustainable cities movement, transit systems and policies, renewable energy, sustainable forms of economic development, sustainable building, and generally green thinking in all decision making." Purchase book
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SUSTAINABILITY AND CITIES by Newman & Kenworthy Sustainability and Cities examines the urban aspect of sustainability issues, arguing that cities are a necessary focus for that global agenda. The authors make the case that the essential character of a city's land use results from how it manages its transportation, and that only by reducing our automobile dependence will we be able to successfully accommodate all elements of the sustainability agenda. The authors consider the changing urban economy in the information age, and describe the extent of automobile dependence worldwide.
They also examine the connections among transportation and other issues-including water use and cycling, waste management, greening the urban landscape, and more-and explain how all elements of sustainability can be managed simultaneously. The authors end with a consideration of how professional planners can promote the sustainability agenda, and the ethical base needed to ensure that this critical set of issues is taken seriously in the world's cities. Purchase book
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STATE OF THE WORLD by The Worldwatch Institute
The Worldwatch Institute's award-winning research team focuses on the urbanization of our planet to provide policymakers, strategic planners, researchers, students, and concerned citizens with comprehensive analysis of the global environmental problems we face, together with descriptions of practical, innovative solutions. This report examines changes in the ways cities are managed, built, and lived in that could tip the balance toward a healthier and more peaceful urban future. Authors investigate water and sanitation, urban farming, local energy production, "green" transportation options, disaster preparedness, local economic stability, and much more. The report shows what is needed to foster sustainable cities on a planet where urban areas are home to half the human population and a far larger share of natural resource use. Written in clear and concise language, with easy-to-read charts and tables, State of the World 2007 presents a view of our changing world that we, and our leaders, cannot afford to ignore.
Worldwatch Institute is a Washington, DC-based, nonprofit research and publishing organization dedicated to fostering the evolution of an environmentally sustainable society. Purchase book
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