ABSTRACT
There are many potential motivators triggered by urban challenges around the world – from air pollution, congestion and housing shortages to health problems, gentrification and infrastructure failure, not to mention the equally global phenomenon of sea level rise, extreme weather, flooding, drought, famine, etc. City mayors and their municipal administrations have been more attuned to action than national governments. Nowhere is humankind’s mix of grand vision and tunnel vision more apparent than in U.S. planning for CC. It continues to lead major Western powers in per capita carbon emissions, emitting more than twice as much GHGs per person as the European Union. Paul Hawken’s Drawdown offers the most complete menu of how not only to address and stop climate change but also to reverse it. More research is required to fill significant gaps in knowledge about cooling cities. The major sectors of society – government, commerce, religion, the academy, the military, charitable/not-for-profit/NGOs and the media – need to cooperate more on integrated CC and UHI strategies, policies and practices. Scientists agree there’ll be dangerous tipping points in the planet’s climate sometime between 2050 and 2100, unless there’s a quick and dramatic decrease in GHG emissions. In the meantime, urban resilience makes us more efficient and collaborative, while saving countless current and future lives. It’s our last, best hope.
