Overview
While traditionally framed as a national and international problem, climate change is also an important local issue. For the past fifteen years, while nations have fought over the terms of emissions reductions and the Kyoto Protocol, local governments and communities have been enacting innovative measures that not only prevent emissions of significant quantities of greenhouse gases but also reduce air pollution, save money, and improve the overall quality of life.In the absence of a serious national policy that addresses global warming, these grassroots efforts can and have made a difference. Since 1993, when fourteen pioneering local governments first began to develop programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a national and international movement has formed to fight global climate change through concerted local action. These communities are having a significant effect. A handful of jurisdictions in the United States are preventing over twenty million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere annually and have saved over four hundred million dollars in the process. These initiatives include greening the local building codes, creating commercial waste reduction programs, encouraging water conservation, promoting bicycling and fuel-efficient vehicles, upgrading city buildings, advocating for the use of biodiesel for municipal transportation, and designing innovative systems and policies for reduced paper use. Two in-depth case studies-- Fort Collins, Colorado, and Portland, Oregon--demonstrate how two cities have created and implemented climate-friendly and environmentally sound habitats.
While most books on global warming focus on national and international implications and policy approaches or serve as guides to help individuals live in an ecologically sound manner, Linstroth and Bell provide a blueprint for local governments to follow. Combining an analysis of existing federal policy with examples of successful local policy, they provide practical examples of measures that can be implemented by communities and local governments across the United States.
Synopsis
An upbeat and accessible guide for citizens, communities, and local governments interested in reducing greenhouse gas emissions
KLIATT
While most books about climate change look at the issue as a global one, this book focuses on what local governments and individuals can do. Both authors work in mid-sized cities and have on-the-ground experience in taking local action. They give excellent case studies of Portland, Oregon and Fort Collins, Colorado, citing them as examples of what can be done, ranging from reducing paper waste, greening government buildings and using biodiesel fuel for city transportation. They also give specific examples from other cities. Some of the solutions require individual action, like promoting bicycles for personal transportation and conserving water in homes and in public buildings. While the authors have not given up on possible future national action, they believe that local efforts can make a difference right now, and they also discuss the challenges to politicians that arise when trying to implement them. They do not base their ideas on abstract theories, but on actual case studies; and they talk about how cities and individuals can develop action plans that include these stages: motivation, process, a plan, and implementation. The book concludes with eight appendixes that give codes, agreements and lists of cities that have agreed to work with organizations to take local action. Reviewer: Nola Theiss