The Post Carbon Reader Managing the 21st Century's Sustainability Crises

by Heinberg, Richard; Lerch, Daniel

• ISBN13: 9780970950062
• ISBN10: 0970950063
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-09-01
• Publisher: INGRAM

Summary

In the 20th century, cheap and abundant energy brought previously unimaginable advances in health, wealth, and technology, and fed an explosion in population and consumption. But this growth came at an incredible cost. Climate change, peak oil, freshwater depletion, species extinction, and a host of economic and social problems now challenge us as never before.The Post Carbon Readerfeatures articles by some of the world's most provocative thinkers on the key drivers shaping this new century, from renewable energy and urban agriculture to social justice and systems resilience. This unprecedented collection takes a hard-nosed look at the interconnected threats of our global sustainability quandary--as well as the most promising responses.The Post Carbon Readeris a valuable resource for policymakers, college classrooms, and concerned citizens.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xiii
Preface	p. xix
Acknowledgments	p. xxv
Foundation Concepts
Beyond the Limits to Growth	p. 3
What Is Sustainability?	p. 13
Defining Social Sustainability	p. 21
Thinking "Resilience"	p. 25
Climate
A New World	p. 43
The International Response to Climate Change	p. 53
Cap and Dividend in the United States	p. 60
The Ecological Deficit: Creating a New Political Framework	p. 63
Water
Water: Adapting to a New Normal	p. 77
Biodiversity
Peak Nature?	p. 97
Food
Getting Fossil Fuels Off the Plate	p. 119
Tackling the Oldest Environmental Problem: Agriculture and Its Impact on Soil	p. 128
Growing Community Food Systems	p. 140
Population
Population: The Multiplier of Everything Else	p. 153
Culture and Behavior
Dangerously Addictive: Why we Are Biologically I11-Suited to the Riches of Modern America	p. 177
Remapping Relationships: Humans in Nature	p. 184
The Human Nature of Unsustainability	p. 194
Energy
Making Sense of Peak Oil and Energy Uncertainty	p. 207
Hydrocarbons in North America	p. 211
Nine Challenges of Alternative Energy	p. 229
Peak Oil and the Great Recession	p. 247
Economy
Ecological Economics	p. 259
Money and Energy	p. 279
The Competitiveness of Local Living Economies	p. 283
Cities, Towns, and Suburbs
The Death of Sprawl: Designing Urban Resilience for the Twenty-First-Century Resource and Climate Crises	p. 295
Smart Decline in Post-Carbon Cities: The Buffalo Commons Meets Buffalo, New York	p. 314
Toward Zero-Carbon Buildings	p. 322
Local Government in a Time of Peak Oil and Climate Change	p. 335
Transportation
Transportation in the Post-Carbon World	p. 347
Waste
Climate Change, Peak Oil, and the End of Waste	p. 363
Health
Human Health and Well-Being in an Era of Energy Scarcity and Climate Change	p. 385
Climate Change and Dengue Fever	p. 397
Education
Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability	p. 409
Community Colleges: A Vital Resource for Education in the Post-Carbon Era	p. 419
Building Resilience
Personal Preparation	p. 429
What Can Communities Do?	p. 442
Call to Action
What Now? The Path Forward Begins with One Step	p. 455
Notes	p. 459
Index	p. 499
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