Climate Action Plan

Climate change continues to impact our health and safety, the economy, and natural systems. With climate-related protections and programs under attack at the federal level, it is critical for cities to address climate impacts locally. Every day there are new examples of cities approaching the challenge of climate change in creative and innovative ways—from rethinking transportation, to greening city buildings, to protecting against sea-level rise. Climate Action Planning is designed to help planners, municipal staff and officials, citizens and others working at local levels to develop and implement plans to mitigate a community's greenhouse gas emissions and increase the resilience of communities against climate change impacts. This fully revised and expanded edition goes well beyond climate action plans to examine the mix of policy and planning instruments available to every community. Boswell, Greve, and Seale also look at process and communication: How does a community bring diverse voices to the table? What do recent examples and research tell us about successful communication strategies? Climate Action Planning brings in new examples of implemented projects to highlight what has worked and the challenges that remain. A completely new chapter on vulnerability assessment will help each community to identify their greatest risks and opportunities. Sections on land use and transportation have been expanded to reflect their growing contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The guidance in the book is put in context of international, national, and state mandates and goals. Climate Action Planning is the most comprehensive book on the state of the art, science, and practice of local climate action planning. It should be a first stop for any local government interested in addressing climate change.

Climate change is a global problem, but the problem begins locally. Cities consume 75% of the world's energy and emit 80% of the world's greenhouse gases. Changing the way we build and operate our cities can have major effects on greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, communities across the U.S. are responding to the climate change problem by making plans that assess their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and specify actions they will take to reduce these emissions. This is the first book designed to help planners, municipal staff and officials, citizens and others working at local levels to develop Climate Action Plans. CAPs are strategic plans that establish policies and programs for mitigating a community's greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions. They typically focus on transportation, energy use, and solid waste, and often differentiate between community-wide actions and municipal agency actions. CAPs are usually based on GHG emissions inventories, which indentify the sources of emissions from the community and quantify the amounts. Additionally, many CAPs include a section addressing adaptation-how the community will respond to the impacts of climate change on the community, such as increased flooding, extended drought, or sea level rise. With examples drawn from actual plans, Local Climate Action Planning guides preparers of CAPs through the entire plan development process, identifying the key considerations and choices that must be made in order to assure that a plan is both workable and effective.

When the 44th President of the United States is elected, he will face urgent crises on three major fronts: the American economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the growing threat to the world environment caused by climate change. This short, powerful book shows the way forward: a clear action plan for the new President's first 100 days, that if implemented will set America on course for dynamic job creation and economic growth, reduce our conflicted dependence on foreign oil, and produce energy that is green, affordable, and renewable. Backed by sound science and based on the best ideas of America's experts, The 100 Day Action Plan to Save the Planet outlines practical steps that include: *Launch a "clean energy surge" and create a powerful new workforce of green manufacturing, supply, technology, management, and support jobs. *End carbon subsidies that make fossil fuels much cheaper than their actual cost. *Create a market by requiring all federal buildings, facilities, and transportation to be fueled by renewable green energy. *Reward innovation and early adoption of renewable energy in the private sector. * Work constructively with other nations for global solutions to the climate crisis. It's not too late; climate change can be dramatically reversed. Green energy is the key to America's economic strength and independence—but the nation needs the president to act boldly and decisively, just as Franklin Delano Roosevelt did in his first 100 days in office, during a time of similar urgency.

“If you care about climate change, John Doerr’s new book, Speed & Scale, offers concrete steps that we can all take to make a difference.” - Barack Obama With clear-eyed realism and an engineer’s precision, Doerr lays out the practical actions, global ambitions, and economic investments we need to avert climate catastrophe. Guided by real-world solutions, Speed & Scale features unprecedented, firsthand accounts from climate leaders such as Laurene Powell Jobs, Christiana Figueres, Al Gore, Mary Barra, John Kerry, and dozens of other intrepid policymakers, innovators, and scientists. In Speed & Scale, Doerr presents a compelling 10-step plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050–the global goal we need to reach to ensure a livable Earth for generations to come. From electrifying our energy grid to fixing our global food supply chain to capturing carbon from the air, Speed & Scale contains practical solutions for policymakers and entrepreneurs alike. As the world confronts an urgent climate crisis, Doerr reminds us that it is also the greatest economic opportunity of our lifetimes. Whether you’re a climate scientist or someone striving to make a difference in your local community, this book will help you to activate the sustainable solutions the world urgently needs. Praise for Speed & Scale: “Everybody should get Speed & Scale by John Doerr.” - Meryl Streep “A practical guide for participation in decarbonizing the global economy, a task as challenging as it is urgent.” - Christiana Figueres

This edited volume examines how climate action plans engage justice at the scale of the city. Recent events in the United States make the context particularly ripe for a discussion of justice in urban climate politics. On the one hand, the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, George Floyd’s death, and the prominence of racial discrimination in the public realm have mainstreamed the notion of justice. On the other hand, the dire consequences of increased frequency and severity of climate events on vulnerable segments of urban populations are undeniable. While some cities have been proactive about integrating justice in their climate action planning, in most places an explicit and systematic link between both spheres has been lacking. This book explores this interface as it seeks to understand how cities can respond to climate change in a just way and for just outcomes. While resilience strategies based on “development” may engage historic inequities, they may at the same time result in marginalizing certain populations through various processes, from mismatched solutions to outright exclusion and climate gentrification. By identifying how certain populations are included in or excluded from climate action planning practices, the chapters in this volume draw on case studies to outline the differential outcomes of climate action in American cities, also proposing a template for comparative work beyond the US. The authors tackle the debate about how justice is or is not integrated in climate action plans and assess practical implications, while also making theoretical and methodological contributions. As it fills a gap in the literature at the intersection of justice and climate action, the book produces new insights for a wide-ranging audience: students, practitioners, policy-makers, planners, the non-profit sector, and scholars in geography, urban planning, urban studies, environmental studies, ecology, political science, or anthropology. Along five axes of investigation―theory, resilience, equity, community, and comparison as method―the contributors offer various pathways into the intersection between urban climate action and different understandings of justice. Collectively, they invite a reflection that can lead to practical initiatives in climate mitigation, while also advancing the theorization of social justice to account for the urban as a node where (in)justice plays out and can be addressed with significant results.

• New York Times bestseller • The 100 most substantive solutions to reverse global warming, based on meticulous research by leading scientists and policymakers around the world “At this point in time, the Drawdown book is exactly what is needed; a credible, conservative solution-by-solution narrative that we can do it. Reading it is an effective inoculation against the widespread perception of doom that humanity cannot and will not solve the climate crisis. Reported by-effects include increased determination and a sense of grounded hope.” —Per Espen Stoknes, Author, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming “There’s been no real way for ordinary people to get an understanding of what they can do and what impact it can have. There remains no single, comprehensive, reliable compendium of carbon-reduction solutions across sectors. At least until now. . . . The public is hungry for this kind of practical wisdom.” —David Roberts, Vox “This is the ideal environmental sciences textbook—only it is too interesting and inspiring to be called a textbook.” —Peter Kareiva, Director of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA In the face of widespread fear and apathy, an international coalition of researchers, professionals, and scientists have come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. One hundred techniques and practices are described here—some are well known; some you may have never heard of. They range from clean energy to educating girls in lower-income countries to land use practices that pull carbon out of the air. The solutions exist, are economically viable, and communities throughout the world are currently enacting them with skill and determination. If deployed collectively on a global scale over the next thirty years, they represent a credible path forward, not just to slow the earth’s warming but to reach drawdown, that point in time when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline. These measures promise cascading benefits to human health, security, prosperity, and well-being—giving us every reason to see this planetary crisis as an opportunity to create a just and livable world.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical—and accessible—plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe. Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science, and finance, he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide to certain environmental disaster. In this book, he not only explains why we need to work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases, but also details what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal. He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face. Drawing on his understanding of innovation and what it takes to get new ideas into the market, he describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions, where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively, where breakthrough technologies are needed, and who is working on these essential innovations. Finally, he lays out a concrete, practical plan for achieving the goal of zero emissions—suggesting not only policies that governments should adopt, but what we as individuals can do to keep our government, our employers, and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise. As Bill Gates makes clear, achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do, but if we follow the plan he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.

WINNER IN THE FOOD WASTE CATEGORY OF THE GOURMAND WORLD COOKBOOK AWARDS FOR THE UNITED STATES Discover how to reduce the carbon footprint sitting on your dinner plate From the farmers to the delivery trucks and everything in between, there are countless people and processes involved in getting meat and produce from where they're made to your kitchen. This recipe book highlights the difficulties and pleasures of eating sustainably! If you're looking for a way to combat climate change from your kitchen, this cookbook will help you with your goals. It includes: • An introduction to the climate crisis and what the low-carbon diet is • Expert tips and advice on how to eat a low-carbon diet • Science-backed information on how to shop and cook smart by making the most-climate friendly choices • 140 plant-based recipes made with fresh, wholesome, and seasonal ingredients that can help you lower your carbon footprint and foodprint You may not think your food has anything to do with global warming, but in reality, the food industry has an undeniable impact on the environment and contributes one-fourth of our global greenhouse gas emissions. You can take a few small steps to help lower that number by introducing a low-carbon diet into your kitchen and life - and The Low-Carbon Cookbook will show you exactly how. Determining a food’s carbon cost can be difficult. From examining the impact of the supply chain for foods to evaluating the carbon footprint of various plant-based options, this cookbook shows you exactly how to make the most environmentally friendly food choices. Packed with over 140 delicious recipes made with sustainable ingredients, this climate-friendly cooking book will teach you how to calculate your footprint, reduce your meat and dairy intake, and eat seasonal and local. • • • “The Low-Carbon Cookbook is a welcome roadmap for home chefs of any level who care about the future of our planet and making conscious food choices. Alejandra Schrader blends detailed research with vibrant, delicious recipes that make eating a climate-friendly diet possible. With this delightful thought-provoking book, everyone can start making changes in how they eat today that will have a big impact on our planet tomorrow. In these times of climate crisis, this is a must-read for all who care about food, our climate, and all the living beings who share our planet.” – Abby Maxman, president and CEO of Oxfam America “When Alejandra writes about the relationship between the food we eat and the impact it has on the environment, she’s not just doing it on a hunch—she’s done the research and shares it in a way that’s not polarizing or politicizing. By setting the table with food and facts, Alejandra provides anyone who cares about the food they eat with plenty of inspiration for creating meals that taste—and do—good.” – Courtney Hazlett, executive producer and creator, Netflix’s Restaurants on the Edge “Our planet is in a crisis. Food systems are in a crisis. Rates of malnutrition—stunting and starvation and obesity—are on the increase. Many countries around the world have adopted farming and production patterns that are designed for convenient consumption and mass calories rather than the sustainability of the planet and good health. With more than 30,000 edible plants available on Earth, it’s criminal we have come to rely on 3 crops for more than 60% of our calories. It’s crucial we understand the relationship between nutrition and the health of our bodies—as well as planetary health—in order to care for our planet and to change food systems for the better. However, we can’t talk about planetary health, food systems, and nutrition without discussing flavor, taste, and emotions! People connect with food because it nourishes not just their bodies but also their souls. Alejandra has the passion and emotion required to create beautiful recipes that speak to the soul as well as the knowledge and conviction to speak with authority on the need to reduce our carbon impact in order to sustain the planet while increasing our individual and collective health. In The Low-Carbon Cookbook, Alejandra guides us through how to choose and cook ingredients that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with the ultimate goal of changing how we interact with food for the better—all while bringing her natural flair and talent for creating delicious dishes that encourage good food for all.” – Paul Newnham, director of the SDG2 Advocacy Hub Secretariat and the Chefs’ Manifesto “What people eat affects all parts of their lives as well as life on this planet. It’s not enough anymore to only consider nutrition, health, and enjoyment, but we must further consider climate, the environment, and the livelihoods of food workers and producers in all parts of the world. We must also do it knowing fully well that our choices impact people far removed from us, particularly through the effect on climate. The Low-Carbon Cookbook brings together a contribution of thoughtful ideas about how we can choose what we eat in a way that’s not only good for us but also for other people, for our planet, and for our collective prosperity.” – Dr. Agnes Kalibata, special envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Food Systems Summit “Good for my body and good for our planet—that’s my mantra for deciding what to eat, cook, and buy. Lucky for us, Alejandra has taken the guess work out of making healthy, planet-friendly meals that are deeply satisfying. These creative and flexible recipes make it easy to be better citizens of the planet and shepherds of our health.” – Mary Sue Milliken, chef and food systems advocate