Climate scientists and urban planners increasingly suggest that one of the most impactful ways to slash greenhouse gas emissions is to make cities denser.
(The first author of the above has a BA in English and journalistic writing from the Univ of Pennsylvania, and an MS in journalism from City University of London, has worked in Washington DC, Kerala, India, and now in Oakland, CA – all big cities. The second author is from the UK, worked in Melbourne, Australia and is now based in New York City – all big cities.)
We must all live in dense urban areas: California Grapples With Toughest Climate Issue Yet: Sprawl : NPR
Experts say tackling climate change will mean reshaping neighborhoods with a new focus on public transit, biking and walkability.
(The author of the NPR story works in San Francisco – a big city.)
Denser Cities Could Help Curb Carbon Emissions, if the NIMBYs Allow It – Mother Jones
Only people engaged in agriculture, forestry and support services may live in the countryside. We should ban “remote working” from less populated areas; everyone (except for the above exceptions) must live in dense, high rise, urban apartments. We should live in communities with a density 100x greater than most American cities, today (example from the above story).
We need to discourage if not ban “single family housing”. Existing “Single family” land plots should be subdivided and re-developed into dense housing. (The Mother Jones story is by the same authors as the “Denser cities” Guardian article at top.)
We must eliminate cars and parking spaces: How urban sprawl came to define American cities | Popular Science (popsci.com) (The author has a Masters in chemistry and a Masters in journalism, attended Cornell, but now lives in San Jose, Costa Rica, after previously living in London and working in Helsinki. All big cities. A global traveler, across at least 3 continents, she is not happy about carbon emissions from air travel.)
Cities: a ’cause of and solution to’ climate change | UN News
We need to ban air conditioning:
Our expanding cities, towns and villages can create buildings and infrastructure that are highly energy efficient and designed with the local climate in mind using innovative technologies. For example, most of the new buildings in the next 30 years will be in Africa and Asia which should move away from air conditioning and maximize natural ventilation
Everything should be powered by wind and solar:
Since 2009, the cost of renewable electricity has dropped both for solar and wind power and will keep going down as more of us use them.
Unclear how that works if the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining.
We need to ban most cars and walk or ride bikes: or take an electric bus – and do this over the next six years:
Cities need should not be planned around cars but people and should invest in zero-carbon public transport, footpaths and protected bike lanes. Electric public transport, powered through renewable energy could prevent 250 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030, as well as improving people’s health, and lowering noise and air pollution in our cities.
To fight climate change your life must be less convenient – this is the way. Of experts.
