Post Carbon Reader & Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities

1. Post Carbon Reader & Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities Presentation By: Lauren Brown

2. Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities • IPCC says we only have 50 years to make a change • “From 1950-2000 the mechanics of the North American city changed entirely (walking replaced by driving, streetcars replaced by buses and cars, etc.)” • “If we did all of that in 50 years, then we can achieve a similar shift in the next 50”

3. Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities • To achieve this change in 50 years • Policy tools need to be strengthened • Communities need to provide jobs and housing in equal balance • Reasonable alternatives to the car • Integration of jobs seamlessly into the network of complete communities

4. Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities • Suggests converting back to the Streetcar city • Streetcars cost less to install and run and no matter the power source produce only a fraction of the GHG per passenger mile than diesel buses

5. Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities • Investing in Lighter, Greener, Cheaper, Smarter Infrastructure • Green roof placement with proper relationship with parcel and street strategies • Implementing more pervious surfaces • “The solutions are not complex; changing behaviors, however, will be.”

6. Post Carbon Reader • Resilience must become a key element of sustainability thinking • Need to abandon efficiency and maximization as primary goals • “There can be no greater incentive for conservation than knowing one’s life depends upon it.”

7. Post Carbon Reader • We CAN do something!  • Post-Carbon Century: • Developed an ecological identity • Refined prosperity  wealth=extent of relationships and knowledge NOT amount of things we own • Rediscovered democracy • Redesigned homes and communities • World population is at steady state • Radical reductions in fossil-fuel use

8. Recurring Themes • Need for Education • CANNOT be scared to take risks • Invest Locally • Learn from the past • Think long term • Change in government  Policy implementation towards a sustainable future

9. Discussion Questions • Condon’s solution of converting back to a streetcar city could help mitigate our GHG emissions and create more equitable communities. But what about other issues society is placing on the environment such as the stressors of increased population growth, overconsumption, depletion of nonrenewable resources, increased waste, etc.?

10. Discussion Questions • Is 50 years a feasible timeframe for creating the changes suggested by both Condon and the Post Carbon Reader? • Both Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities and The Post Carbon Reader give ideas of what a sustainable community/world could look like. How can we convince the American society that changes such as these are necessary?

11. Discussion Questions • Post Carbon Reader pg. 40 says (regarding a resilience-based strategy), “…While there may yet be no broad-scale applications, human society is gradually acquiring the knowledge necessary to reorganize itself to our long-term advantage.” • If resilience is the key, how much longer can we wait for society to acquire enough knowledge to begin to make a change before we’ve pushed our systems past the point of being resilient?