Welcome back to Beach Reads and Beyond!
It has been a few weeks, but that’s because I was discovering this edition’s recommendation is not a beach read. However, Climate of Hope by Carl Pope and Michael Bloomberg is an essential tool in educating yourself on how individuals and organizations can lead the planet into the future with the use of renewable energy and environmentally sound practices.
Photo by Kimberly Donahue
In light of President Donald Trump choosing to initiate the withdrawal of the United States from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, using economic factors as justification, I thought it would be appropriate to look at a different perspective, which sees the Paris Agreement and environmental preservation as good for the American and global economy.
I ended up learning a lot more than expected. Carl Pope, the former Executive Director of The Sierra Club and Michael Bloomberg, the founder of Bloomberg L.P. and former Mayor of New York City, provide the harsh truth on how human beings, cities, and corporations affect the earth’s climate, as well as showing the greatest solutions are not lying within the federal government, but can come through the choices and actions made by businesses, communities, and individuals.
The authors admit they both have not been as vocal of advocates for climate change as they are today. Pope notes that the Sierra Club’s main issue on their agenda for a substantial amount of time was the preservation of wildlife and natural habitats. Meanwhile, Bloomberg mentions in 2004, he was casting his vote for President George W. Bush, whose Vice President, Dick Cheney was a leader in rolling back environmental regulations in order to support industries (Bloomberg and Pope, 1-5).
As mayor immediately following 9/11 however, Bloomberg was determined to get New York City back on its feet and thinking globally while acting locally was part of his initiative. A Republican at the time of his tenure as mayor, Bloomberg learned how cities are where action towards reducing human damage to the climate occurs as well as where a lot of this damage begins.
This realization leads to one of the major arguments of the book which applies to the actions of the current administration: “More than any national law or policy, devolving power to cities is the single best step that nations can take to improve their ability to fight climate change and, with it, the health of their citizens and economies” (257). In order to apply this to New York City, he met with mayors from across the world to design PlaNYC, an operation to help facilities reduce the city’s carbon footprint. It continues to support programs that cut down the cost and damage done by companies, individuals, and even buildings.
Photo by Monica Ullmer
The Pedestrian Plaza in Times Square was created by Michael Bloomberg in order to combat traffic in the city, a major contributor to air pollution. Though met with criticism from citizens as well as the media, today it is one of the most iconic locations in the city, as well as the world. (135-137)
The authors also argue how managing our impact on the climate gives more of an excuse to live a healthier lifestyle. Pope mentions that so much of the food the world produces and how it is made creates tons of waste yearly and adds to one of the leading causes of death worldwide. This does not even mention the food that is wasted due to making the food look more appealing cosmetically. Changing the daily intake from meat driven to one filled with more vegetables (without the cosmetic waste) leaves less of a personal footprint and lowers CO2 emissions by raising the animals that become the food.
Both Pope and Bloomberg use their areas of expertise to argue how the topic of climate change is more than a partisan and social issue. They note that no real progress towards stopping climate change can be made until corporations and businesses realize the effect that will have on them which includes cuts in the job market as well as a decrease in customers that cannot afford their respective services.
Photo by Kimberly Donahue
It may appear that the progress in mitigating climate change is being threatened by inaction at the federal level. However, Climate of Hope assures that actions large and small done locally, by big businesses and ordinary people alike are important. Pope and Bloomberg manage to get this message across clearly: What individuals and businesses committed to progress do matter much more, despite what is happening at the federal level.