Perspectives on Sustainable Development
Environmental justice and climate change are driving decarbonization across industrial sectors and throughout everyday life. There are many nuanced issues that planners will face as they try to sustainably reshape our world. This podcast will focus on climate and EJ but also bring on associated experts to speak about how these issues affect their fields. From city planning, economic development, transportation, education, national security, mental health, manufacturing, supply chain...we should all be considering how climate and EJ considerations will affect our decision paradigms.
Join me every two weeks as we discuss critical issues with thought leaders who know them best.
Logo credit and general assistance: Uzziah Davis
Perspectives on Sustainable Development
Climate Policy: Bottom Line, The Longer We Wait, The More It Will Cost
We're back!!!
What I thought was just going to be a quick break for the summer as I planned a conference, ended up being more of an endeavor as I then had to deal with a fried hard drive, being laid off, and starting my own consulting company. Oh, also during this period, I went to NYC Climate Week.
This episode was recorded a few days after climate week. We were fortunate to be joined by two leaders who have helped push aggressive climate reforms in their states at the highest levels. NJDEP Commissioner Shawn Latourette and Former Commissioner of the NYSDEC (and currently Partner and Senior Policy Director at Foley Hoag LLP) Basil Seggos have led New Jersey and New York to being at the forefront of climate and EJ policies, and both men are regulars at NYC Climate Week and similar events around the country.
How do we judge progress and incremental gains in the face of a problem as encompassing as climate? Unfortunately, those who have contributed the least to the problem often bear a higher rate of climate impacts and have a lower capacity to respond. This is the ultimate risk evaluation in that the more the planet warms, the more likely it will be that we see increased flooding, droughts, heat waves, stronger storms, biodiversity loss, etc. Project Drawdown does a great job of walking through all of this and lately put out their Drawdown Explorer to help connect local people with applicable projects in their communities.
Ultimately, it will cost us far more the longer we wait to act, and if we wait, we will likely have less to protect. These are heavy topics, and it is always important to find hope, to highlight progress, and celebrate collaboration.
I hope you enjoy this discussion with Shawn and Basil, I know I did.
