Climate change, capitalism, and what’s next: Matthew Schneider-Mayerson at TEDxUMN

Clive Hamilton – Facing up to Climate Change

Jeffrey Ball discusses 2017’s top climate stories

Greenovate Boston Zero Waste Webinar

Greenovate Boston
Streamed live on Nov 29, 2017

The City of Boston has committed to zero waste as part of its 2014 Climate Action Update. Join City of Boston Recycling Policy Director Susan Cascino and lead consultant Amy Perlmutter of Perlmutter Associates for an informative webinar about waste management and the path to zero waste in Boston. If you would like to join in on the discussion, you can pose questions and comments by emailing us at Greenovate.

Barr Foundation Expands Climate Program · Barr Foundation

Barr Foundation: Climate Program

Climate change is real. It is happening. It is accelerating. All over the world, people are experiencing its effects. And these are becoming more devastating every year—a trend that can be checked only through dramatic, global effort.

While climate change is a global challenge, cities, states, and regions have become vital agents of leadership. We believe breakthroughs and progress will continue coming from the ground up and that Barr can help catalyze and advance solutions and leadership across our region in ways that also spur broader action. On occasion, we engage in targeted national or global efforts with significant opportunities to contribute to impact. Yet our principal geographic focus is the U.S. Northeast.

We focus on the two areas that produce the most greenhouse gas emissions: 1) how we generate and use energy; and 2) how we move around. To learn more about our strategies and grantmaking priorities in each of these areas, explore our Clean Energy and Mobility focus areas below.

In addition, we recognize that Greater Boston is especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of a changing climate—particularly rising sea levels. With many city and state agencies already taking action, Barr launched a two-year exploratory initiative in 2016 to ensure Boston is adequately prepared for climate change, while also positioning our region among global leaders in kindred efforts.

With an initial $5 million commitment for 2018, Barr Foundation adds climate resilience as a third priority of its Climate program.

 

“Every day, little by little, the water is rising, washing away beaches, eroding coastlines, pushing into homes and shops and places of worship. As our world floods, it is likely to cause immense suffering and devastation. It is also likely to bring people together and inspire creativity and camaraderie in ways that no one can foresee. Either way, the water is coming.”

-Jeff Goodell, The Water Will Come

With an initial $5 million commitment for 2018, Barr Foundation adds climate resilience as a third priority of its Climate program.

Each year, Boston becomes more vulnerable to the effects of a changing climate. We know this from the Climate Ready Boston research commissioned by the City of Boston. Moreover, the extreme weather events of 2017 in California, Florida, Texas, and the Caribbean only underscore the scale of the challenges before us, the urgency for action, and the many opportunities Greater Boston has to prepare for rising seas and other climate impacts.

As Jeff Goodell argues in his highly acclaimed new book, The Water Will Come, this moment calls for us to embrace creativity, to invest in smart and sustainable solutions and, most importantly, to come together to address the challenge of a changing climate.

Since the Barr Foundation’s inception, one of our key priorities has been the environment. In 2010, we sharpened this work with a focus on climate change. Initially making a five-year, $50 million commitment, as we close 2017, Barr has awarded over $120 million in support of this vital work.

Through these years, Barr’s principal attention has been on reducing emissions from their two largest sources: transportation and energy. Yet, even as we have sought to mitigate the most harmful impacts of climate change, we have also recognized that many of those impacts are inevitable. As a result, over the last two years, we supported an exploratory pilot in climate preparedness.

Based on what we have learned from that effort, the Barr Foundation trustees recently authorized an expansion and deepening of this work. Beginning with an initial investment of $5 million in 2018, climate resilience will join clean energy and mobility as a third priority for Barr’s climate program. We intend for this to remain a key focus area for years to come, with the goal of integrating our efforts across clean energy, mobility, and resilience as mitigation strategies often result in greater resiliency as well.

…(read more).

• Projects
• Latest News
• Report
• Maps
• Progress
• Leaders Program
• Resources

Boston residents are already affected by extreme heat, rain, snow and flooding. These trends will likely continue. The City launched Climate Ready Boston to help Boston plan for the future impacts of climate change.

Climate Ready Boston is an ongoing initiative. We released a comprehensive study report in December 2016 that you can read below. We are now working with the community and other partners to advance our vision for a Climate Ready Boston.

Climate Ready Boston is a partnership with the Green Ribbon Commission with support from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management.

New Report

Read the October 2017 report, “Coastal Resilience Solutions for East Boston and Charlestown.”

Full Report

executive Summary

Download the printer-friendly versions: Full Report, Executive Summary.

Contact Us

Email greenovate or sign up for our email list.

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Projects Across the City

Climate Ready East Boston
Our first neighorhood coastal resilience plan. Read the report here.

Climate Ready Charlestown
We are finding ways to reduce flood risk while improving the community. Read our newest report for Charlestown here.

Climate Ready South Boston
We are kicking off this neighborhood project in Fall 2017.

 

Read the Citywide Report

Executive Summary Climate Projections Vulnerability Assessment esilience Initiatives

Explore the Maps

Better understand the flooding, heat, and social vulnerability data used in Climate Ready Boston

Explore

Progress

Track our progress in implementing the citywide report recommendations

Climate Ready Boston Progress Tool

Background

Across the City, we recognize the importance of tracking our progress and being transparent. This tool is our pilot to improve those efforts in climate resiliency. We want to how the progress we’re making on the initiatives recommended in the Climate Ready Boston Outline of Actions.

Action Help raise awareness in your community of Boston’s climate impacts and what we can do to prepare.
Learn More

Library of resources

Resources Contact: Environment

Below are resources related to climate change vulnerabilities and adaptation planning in Boston and the greater metro area.

• Boston Research Advisory Group (BRAG) Climate Projections Executive Summary (2016)
• Boston Research Advisory Group (BRAG) Climate Projections Full Report (2016)

• Climate Ready Boston Full Report
• Glossary of Terms
• Flood Protection Locations Appendix
• Approach and Methodology Appendix

• Full Report
• Executive Summary
• Full Report – Pages View (better for printing)
• Executive Summary – Pages View (better for printing)

• Open Space & Recreation Plan 2015-2021
• City of Boston’s Climate Action Plan: Climate Preparedness
• Retrofitting Boston’s Buildings for Flooding: Potential Strategies

• Climate Ready Boston: Municipal Vulnerability to Climate Change
• Living with Water Design Competition

• Legal Options for Municipal Climate Adaptation in South Boston
• Planning Urban Heat Island Mitigation in Boston
• Sea Change Boston

• Building Resilience in Boston
• The Urban Implications of Living With Water
• Climate Change and Extreme Weather Vulnerability Assessments and Adaptation Options for the Central Artery

• Enhancing Resilience in Boston: A Guide for Large Buildings and Institutions
• Resilient Food Systems, Resilient Cities: Recommendations for the City of Boston Report
• City of Boston Hazard Mitigation Plan [Draft]

• Pragmatic Approach to Climate Change Adaptation
• Mystic River Master Plan
• Charles River Basin Master Plan

• Climate’s Long-term Impacts on Metro Boston (CLIMB)
• Metro-Boston Regional Climate Change Adaption Strategy
• Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

• State Hazard Mitigation Plan
• Sea Level Rise: Understanding and Applying Trends and Future Scenarios for Analysis and Planning

• Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report
• 100 Resilient Cities

Who’s Involved:

Environment
617-635-3850

Emergency Management
617-635-1400

Resilience and Racial Equity
617-635-0739

Transportation
617-635-4680

Public Health Commission
617-534-5395

Planning & Development Agency
617-722-4300

 

Climate Ready Boston Leaders 2017 Reception

Greenovate Boston
Published on Oct 27, 2017

This special reception celebrated the work of over 70 Climate Ready Boston leaders from Greenovate’s first cohort. Read more here: http://www.greenovateboston.org/crbl_…

The World’s Future MEGAPROJECTS (2017-2040’s)

The Daily Conversation
Published on Jun 22, 2017

A documentary on eight of the most ambitious mega-projects currently under development around the world, featuring: Istanbul’s building boom (Turkey); the Mission to put a human on Mars; the effort to develop Lagos (Nigeria); Africa’s unprecedented clean energy opportunity; the project to probe the nearest Earth-like exoplanet; Atlanta’s stadium of the future (Georgia, United States); India’s effort to modernize its highways; and China’s unprecedented One Belt One Road, “New Silk Road” initiative.

What Are The World’s Fastest Developing Cities?

NowThis World
Published on Mar 8, 2016

Why These Millennials Live in a Retirement Home http://testu.be/21U8POi Subscribe! http://bitly.com/1iLOHml
The 2008 recession slowed development for much of the world, but some cities have seen explosive growth coming out of recovery.
So which cities are developing the fastest?

Learn More: Global Metromonitor An Uncertain Recovery http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Rese… “The economic growth trajectories of the world’s major metropolitan areas continued to diverge in 2014, reflecting a still uncertain global recovery.”

The World’s 10 Fastest Growing Metropolitan Areas http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/the-av…
With only 20 percent of the population, the world’s 300 largest metropolitan economies account for nearly half of global economic output.”

China Plans a New Silk Road, but Trade Partners Are Wary http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/26/bus…

“Beijing’s effort to revive ancient trade routes is causing geopolitical strains, with countries like Turkey increasingly worried about becoming too dependent on China.” China’s Xi Jinping Changes the Odds in Macau http://www.wsj.com/articles/xi-change…

“If there’s one skill that the U.S. gambling moguls who staked their futures here have mastered it’s calculating the odds.”

Fastest Growing Countries in the World

American Eye
Published on Oct 18, 2017

From countries with rapidly growing populations to countries gaining wealth quite rapidly, here are 11 fastest growing countries in the world. Subscribe to American Eye!

4. Panama While many Central American countries are beginning to move in the wrong direction, Panama is unique and home to the strategic canal. On one side of Panama is the Pacific Ocean and on the other side is the Caribbean sea. The US was the one who built the Panama Canal back in 1914 but no it’s the Panamanians who wreak the benefits of this modern wonder of engineering, which is certainly one of the reasons they’ve been able to grow. Panama gained full control of the canal thanks to a treaty in 1999. In 2016, The canal has expanded since then order to accommodate much larger ships. This should certainly be an important factor for the future of Panama. GDP has been continually increasing since 2012 however the wealth distribution here hasn’t been all that great with ¼ of the population living under the poverty line. Due to Panama’s tropical climate, they’ve been able to grow numerous crops which can be easily exported thanks to the expansion of their canal. The sky’s the limit for panama if they can maintain social order

3. Ethiopia Believe it or not, but the country of Ethiopia has made drastic improvements in the past decade and both their GDP and population is on the rise. Ethiopia is home to one of the fastest growing economies in the world and their GDP growth percentage has been well above the world average. This measured in at first place reaching 8.3 percent in 2016, right above Uzbekistan. China has been willing to invest in Ethiopia’s infrastructure plan but everyone still kind of worried a drought might happen again which will set them back again. Despite the drought that set them back, they’ve been export quite a few products including coffee, sugar and cereals. Other industries appear as though they’ll surpass ethiopia’s agriculture such as leather manufacturing and gold mining.

2. India With an ever growing GDP per capita, India continues to surprise people how fast they are able to grow. It’s now the 2nd largest country by population. Home to one of the earliest civilizations in the Indus Valley, India has been a thriving nation full of resources and many foreign invaders knew this. However, in modern times, it’s taken india quite a while to adjust. Within the past few decades, they’ve become a global force to reckon with. Some major cities such as New Delhi and mumbai have over 20 million residents each. They seem to exponentially be growing in population and their population has risen by 200 million people since 2001.

1. Indonesia With 261 million people, indonesia is becoming a rapidly growing nation both economically and by population. From 1960 to the mid 1990’s the population here has doubled from 100 million to 200 million and they’ve continued to grow since. With naturally beautiful places such as Bali and various volcanoes, indonesia is home to many resources, even one of the biggest gold mines in the world. They now have the largest economy in southeast asia, and many believe they will continue to be a close 2nd to china in terms of economic growth in Asia. They replaced India as the 2nd fast growing G-20 economies.With their focused on a large variety of things such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and tourism, they don’t have all their eggs in one basket. Indonesia is a large manufacturer of many cheap goods, but unlike china, many people in the country will be the people who buy them. The rapid growth has taken its toll on the environment like many of these countries. The citarum river near the capital of Jakarta is labeled as one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Although the government appears to rather easily corruptible, it’s shown signs of progressing

17 Most Densely Populated Places on the Planet

Talltanic
Published on Jan 15, 2017

Subscribe to Talltanic http://goo.gl/wgfvrr

#9 – Dhaka in Bangladesh Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and one of the world’s most densely populated cities. It is also the largest city in the Bengal region, and the current population is a staggering 17 million people. With the size of the city, it hosts 112,000 people for each square mile. The city is home to thousands of businesses, and the Dhaka Stock Exchange is the largest stock in South Asia in terms of market capitalization and trading volume. The city also hosts many festivals and city-wide events throughout the year that focuses on topics such as literature, art, and culture.

#8 – The City of Manila in the Philippines Founded in 1571, the city of Manila is of the oldest cities in the Philippines and was the seat of power for most of the country’s rulers. In 2015, a record 1,780,148 people call Manila home. The city is composed of 16 separate districts, but even then there are about 120,000 people living in every square mile of the city.

#7 – Migingo Island in Lake Victoria The territory was once claimed by both Kenya and Uganda, but after consideration in 2009 the military forces of Uganda left and surrendered the island to Kenya. The island found in the eastern part of Lake Victoria isn’t very big, but that hasn’t stopped the 130 residents from living on a piece of land the size of half a football field. While there isn’t much as far as services found on the island, there are four pubs, a number of brothels, and one pharmacy.

6 – Tin Shui Wai in the Yuen Long District, Hong Kong What was once fish ponds created and used by local fishermen, became a thriving town in the 1980’s. The new town was created by filling in swampy areas with material and building thousands and thousands of apartments in tall buildings. The government has since been criticized due to lack of services and facilities required to meet the demand of the rapid population growth. Tin Shui Wai is now home to 300,000 people who all share the less than two-mile spot of land.

#5 – St. James Town Neighborhood, Toronto, Canada The residential towers that are called home to most were built in the 1960’s for the city’s middle class. Over the next 50 years, immigrants from all over the world flooded in to establish a new beginning. By 2013, there were a recorded 17,000 people living in the 0.09 square mile radius. While all of the residential building were built sky-high to accommodate as many people as possible, there isn’t enough room, and many of the building are falling into disrepair.

#4 – Male Island, the Republic of Maldives Male is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. The island was first established as a residence for the King until the abolition of the monarchy in 1968. The name “Maldives” comes from its capital, Male. The word “Maldives” means “the islands of Male.” Male Island is less than one square mile, but there have been talks about expanding the borders through landfills. With a recorded 133,400 people living on the island, it is one of the most densely populated places in the world.

#3 – The Rocinha Favela in Rio de Janeiro “Favela” is the Portuguese word for slum used in Brazil. The largest of these being the Rocinha favela which is located in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro between the Sao Conrado and the Gavea districts. Most of the slum is located on a steep hill, surrounded by numerous trees. The area of the neighborhood is about a third of a square mile and houses almost 70,000 people according to a 2010 census. Though it is a densely populated slum, the neighborhood has a better-developed infrastructure than many of the others around the world. The tiny area has banks, bus lines, cable tv, and at one time, even a McDonald’s franchise.

#2 – The Marine Lines Neighborhood in Mumbai, India The area was named after the military establishment built by the British in the early 1900’s. The neighborhood area measures to be a fraction less than a square mile at 0.7 square miles. With a recorded population of 202,920, it is one of the most populated neighborhoods around.

#1 – Mong Kok in Hong Kong In less than half a square mile, Mong Kok houses almost 150,000 residents and is home to one of the biggest shopping areas in Hong Kong. The area is a mix of old and new building types with most of the restaurants and shops being at the ground level, and the residential units built above. Due to its extremely high population density, the Guinness Book of World Records called it the busiest district in the entire world.