Earth’s climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization, primarily as a result of human activities. The impacts of global climate change are already being felt in the United States and are projected to intensify in the future—but the severity of future impacts will depend largely on actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the changes that will occur. Americans increasingly recognize the risks climate change poses to their everyday lives and livelihoods and are beginning to respond.” (National Climate Assessment, Chapter 1)
All Hell Breaking Loose by
The Pentagon, unsentimental and politically conservative, might not seem likely to be worried about climate change--still linked, for many people, with polar bears and coral reefs. Yet of all the major institutions in American society, none take climate change as seriously as the U.S. military. Both as participants in climate-triggered conflicts abroad, and as first responders to hurricanes and other disasters on American soil, the armed services are already confronting the impacts of global warming. The military now regards climate change as one of the top threats to American national security--and is busy developing strategies to cope with it. Drawing on previously obscure reports and government documents, renowned security expert Michael Klare shows that the U.S. military sees the climate threat as imperiling the country on several fronts at once. Droughts and food shortages are stoking conflicts in ethnically divided nations, with "climate refugees" producing worldwide havoc. Pandemics and other humanitarian disasters will increasingly require extensive military involvement. The melting Arctic is creating new seaways to defend. And rising seas threaten American cities and military bases themselves. While others still debate the causes of global warming, the Pentagon is intensely focused on its effects. Its response makes it clear that where it counts, the immense impact of climate change is not in doubt.
Beyond the Storms by
This book deals with both actual and potential terrorist attacks on the United States as well as natural disaster preparedness and management in the current era of global climate change. The topics of preparedness, critical infrastructure investments, and risk assessment are covered in detail. The author takes the reader beyond counterterrorism statistics, better first responder equipment, and a fixation on FEMA grant proposals to a holistic analysis and implementation of mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. The recent Oklahoma tornadoes and West Texas storage tank explosion show the unpredictability of disaster patterns, and the Boston Marathon bombings expose the difficulty in predicting and preventing attacks. Egli makes a compelling case for a culture of resilience by asserting a new focus on interagency collaboration, public-private partnerships, and collective action. Building upon the lessons of the 9/11 attacks, hurricane Katrina, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the basic findings are supported by a creative mix of case studies, which include superstorm Sandy, cascading power outages, GPS and other system vulnerabilities, and Japan's Fukushima disaster with its sobering aftermath. This book will help a new generation of leaders understand the need for smart resilience.
Critical Government Documents on the Environment by
Although the earth has been around for millions of years, humans have only been seriously interested in protecting and preserving the environment for less than 200 years and the terms conservationism and environmentalism are little more than 100 years old. The industrial revolution brought with it many benefits such as the production of coal, steel and cement, and mass produced chemicals and fertilizers; it also brought pollution, and shortly thereafter, a serious concern for the environment. This book presents the most up-to-date government information on various environmental topics. Critical Government Documents on the Environment presents official governmental positions on many of the leading environmental issues facing us today. All the material in this book is from published sources, including: -Environmental Protection Agency -Department of the Interior -Department of Energy -Department of Agriculture -Department of Health and Human Services -The White House -National Aeronautics and Space Administration -National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration -National Weather Service -US Global Change Research Program -US Geological Survey This book does not offer any new science but attempts to present important government information on various issues facing our environment. Areas covered include global warming and greenhouse gases, the Keystone Pipeline and mining, water, air and marine pollution, mining and renewable energy. It includes a timeline of important environmental events over the last 200 years and has an extensive glossary of environmental terms. About the Series: The Critical Documents Series looks at critical issues of our times. It provides non-partisan information with no spin about critical players, events, and information from and about Washington from as many sources as possible--from scientific journals and government reports to political manifestos and lobby group publications. It collects and distills the most important government documents on the issues covered so that you can get the information you need quickly and easily.
Current and Future Exposure of Infrastructure in the United States to Natural Hazards by
Communities, companies, and governments at all levels in the United States are making decisions that will influence where, what and how infrastructure will be built. This report describes insights about exposures from natural hazards now and in the future, as well as gaps in data that, if filled, could improve the nation's ability to assess infrastructure risk and improve infrastructure resilience.
Electrify by
An optimistic--but realistic and feasible--action plan for fighting climate change while creating new jobs and a healthier environment: electrify everything. Climate change is a planetary emergency. We have to do something now--but what? Saul Griffith has a plan. In Electrify, Griffith lays out a detailed blueprint--optimistic but feasible--for fighting climate change while creating millions of new jobs and a healthier environment. Griffith's plan can be summed up simply: electrify everything. He explains exactly what it would take to transform our infrastructure, update our grid, and adapt our households to make this possible. Billionaires may contemplate escaping our worn-out planet on a private rocket ship to Mars, but the rest of us, Griffith says, will stay and fight for the future. Griffith, an engineer and inventor, calls for grid neutrality, ensuring that households, businesses, and utilities operate as equals; we will have to rewrite regulations that were created for a fossil-fueled world, mobilize industry as we did in World War II, and offer low-interest "climate loans." Griffith's plan doesn't rely on big, not-yet-invented innovations, but on thousands of little inventions and cost reductions. We can still have our cars and our houses--but the cars will be electric and solar panels will cover our roofs. For a world trying to bounce back from a pandemic and economic crisis, there is no other project that would create as many jobs--up to twenty-five million, according to one economic analysis. Is this politically possible? We can change politics along with everything else.