BK 3 (Sep 4, 2018): Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet

Hi Everyone...

At our Sep 4th meeting we will be discussing the book Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet by Michael Bloomberg and Carl Pope (Apr 18, 2017).

With 262 pages it is approximately 8 pages a day.

Check out the Bio & Videos below...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"From Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former head of the Sierra Club Carl Pope comes a manifesto on how the benefits of taking action on climate change are concrete, immediate, and immense. They explore climate change solutions that will make the world healthier and more prosperous, aiming to begin a new type of conversation on the issue that will spur bolder action by cities, businesses, and citizens―and even, someday, by Washington.

"Climate of Hope is an inspiring must read." ―Former Vice President Al Gore, Chairman of The Climate Reality Project

“Climate change threatens to reshape the future of our world's population centers. Bloomberg and Pope have been leaders on fortifying our cities against this threat, and their book proves that victory is possible―and imperative.” ―Leonardo DiCaprio

"If Trump is looking for a blueprint, he could not do better than to read a smart new book, Climate of Hope." ―Thomas Friedman in The New York Times

~

The 2016 election left many people who are concerned about the environment fearful that progress on climate change would come screeching to a halt. But not Michael Bloomberg and Carl Pope.

Bloomberg, an entrepreneur and former mayor of New York City, and Pope, a lifelong environmental leader, approach climate change from different perspectives, yet they arrive at similar conclusions. Without agreeing on every point, they share a belief that cities, businesses, and citizens can lead―and win―the battle against climate change, no matter which way the political winds in Washington may shift.

In Climate of Hope, Bloomberg and Pope offer an optimistic look at the challenge of climate change, the solutions they believe hold the greatest promise, and the practical steps that are necessary to achieve them. Writing from their own experiences, and sharing their own stories from government, business, and advocacy, Bloomberg and Pope provide a road map for tackling the most complicated challenge the world has ever faced. Along the way, they turn the usual way of thinking about climate change on its head: from top down to bottom up, from partisan to pragmatic, from costs to benefits, from tomorrow to today, and from fear to hope."

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Notes from our Meeting Discussion...

* Building of new coal plants

* Beijing closing last 4 major coal plants & Bloomberg 50M closing 1/3 nation's

* Coal mining accidents (I discussed "The Last Mountain Movie" see movie below and Don Blankenship!)

* Arnold Schwarzenegger & fuel cell plants and reducing greenhouse gases by 25%  by 2020

* Rick Scott FL banning terms "climate change," "global warming," and "sustainability"

* NY's reduction of carbon emissions

* Deforestation Amazon  15%

* 20% of CO2 comes from converting iron ore to steel or limestone to cement or oil into chemicals

* Methane: Sewage & garbage 11%, rice paddies 12%, Cows & livestock 21%

* Mining & pulverizing coal 8%

* Oil & natural gas wells & pipelines 12%

* 60% of C02 absorbed by oceans, forests and soils

* 21% of climate pollution from steel, aluminum, cement, plastic toys, clothes, furniture, chemicals, and vehicles

* WHO 7M people died from air pollution each year

* Sea Level rising occurring faster in recent history p 60

* Miami high tide flooding up 400% since 2006

* FEMA's flood maps are not current...1983!

* Heat waves killed more than 125,000 around the world since 2000 & heat fatalities between 2000-2010 went up 2,000%

* Political instability do to climate change

* Increase acidity in oceans by 30%

* Rising temperatures in seas

* Bleaching of coral

* Coal pollution kills 13,200 Americans a year from lung issues, 20,000 from heart attacks & 217,000 from Asthma attacks....$100B

* Burning coal largest source of toxic mercury in fisheries

* Coal plants capture fly ash in as a slurry in a pond and that can escape...23,000 miles of water has it seeping in (see LMM below)

* Cost of retrofitting coal plants, paying fines instead or building a new one

* Fracking

* Costs of wind, solar and LED lights dropping dramatically and jobs are more now than coal

* Coal plants not paying for employees sick or to clean the air and they take the money set for pensions & use for their own operations

* Changes in China & India coal

* Kerosene burning

* Bangladesh & Germany solar use

* 50-70% of original soil carbon is now solid to gaseous CO2...poor agricultural practices

* 1/3 of food is wasted

* How we grow food, fertilizers, Rodale, etc.

* Bikes, electric cars, ride sharing,

* VW fraud on testing pollution control system

* Diesels emit soot particles (black carbon)

* GM plant crack in paint bay

* China aluminum 7 times carbon of smelting in EU, steel 3 times, Polypropylene 20 times!

* 90% of US methane leaks from oil and gas wells and pipelines

* CA 2015 leaks vent thousand tons of methane a day for  3 months also blasts killed many people

* Peru mahogany industry, illegal timber trade tied to drug smuggling, money laundering and organized crime networks; over 70% of exports illegal

* 2015 Lumber Liquidators (biggest hardwood floors) guilty violating and paid $13M, 5 yrs probation

* Graphs at 184

* Water efficient shampoo

* Destruction of wetlands