Can you give some examples from the book of successful strategies that governments, communities and the private sector are now deploying to adapt to climate change?
Many creative ideas started popping up in literature. Local governments everywhere are experimenting with nature-based solutions that involve using natural processes and features to meet social needs. For example, green roofs can be installed without engineering expertise or private financing, and they help communities adapt to warmer temperatures by providing cooling to buildings and people.
Another example comes from the agricultural sector, where farmers around the world are starting to grow new crops to better suit the new climate in which they live; a rebound in yields in these regions offers a promising approach for communities facing food insecurity.
How can climate adaptation policies meet the needs of marginalized groups in terms of equity and inclusion?
Everywhere, vulnerable groups and communities will be most affected by climate change. Unlike climate mitigation policies that seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the national level, adaptation policies are interesting in part because they tend to take place at the local level. When these policies include participatory processes, it may provide a meaningful way for disenfranchised communities to not only have a voice, but to develop and implement strategies tailored to local needs.
What good books have you read recently that you would recommend?
One of my favorite books is strangest person in the world Joseph Henrich, professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University. He explains how much we think we know about human behavior and psychology from a limited sample size: Most academic research only considers wealthy, educated, industrialized, and democratic societies.
I appreciate this perspective, it reminds me that much of the world operates with different underlying assumptions, and that these cultural touchstones are embodied in very different institutions. These realities suggest that we should approach climate change adaptation policy with an open mind, rather than assuming we know a lot about what remote communities need or want. The book’s point of view prioritizes curiosity over certainty, which I find inspiring.
What’s on your summer reading list?
This year I buried myself in the wildfire policy article because I was doing research in that part of the West. But I also always make room for novels and have a few on my Kindle waiting patiently for me to find time to indulge—how beautiful we are by Imbolo Mbue, and crossroads Jonathan Franzen.
Speaking of summer, any exciting plans?
I will be spending most of my summers in the western US this year. Before moving to New York City, I lived in Colorado for 25 years and have a strong history there. I will be teaching a field course for undergraduates at Columbia University, Public Lands in the American West, and I am working on wildfire policy research. This research will apply many of the concepts in my book to a complex environment where millions of households live in areas with high wildfire risk. Solutions are elusive, but I will explore the relative effectiveness of existing policies.
You are hosting a dinner party. Which three scholars or scholars would you invite, dead or alive, and why?
Political economist Elinor Ostrom would be my first choice; her work on collective action and shared pool resource management inspired my dissertation research in Ethiopia in 2002, and I found myself Often come back to her insights.
I also appreciate psychologist Steven Pinker’s optimism in response to the overwhelmingly negative news we consume every day. Along the same lines, I had the pleasure of reading Orenkas’s analysis of the futility of climate cataclysm. All three scholars provide practical reasons for hope, and I think this dinner will be full of energy!
