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ASLA Recommended Climate Change Resources

Drawdown: Summary of Climate Solutions by Overall Rank
 
Author Paul Hawken and experts from around the world undertook a comprehensive effort to rank carbon mitigation actions by effectiveness. Food, land use, transportation, and built environment related actions feature prominently.  

Mary Robinson Foundation Climate Justice Principles
 
The first female president of Ireland launched a foundation dedicated to pursuing climate justice worldwide. Her organization has developed a smart primer on the key principles that can guide climate justice.

2017 Draft U.S. Federal Government Climate Change Report

The New York Times has released the draft US climate change report, which scientists from 13 federal agencies have co-developed. The report is part of the congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment.

Global Metrics for the Environment
 
A comprehensive report from the Yale University Center for Environmental Law and Policy outlines the state of the global environment, including positive progress and negative trends over the past few decades. A broad overview of the environmental, demographic and health issues facing the planet, along with performance on reducing carbon.

Cities and Climate Change: National Governments Enabling Local Action
 
The OECD and Bloomberg Philanthropies have put together a primer on how national governments can better enable city and community-level action to fight climate change. There are examples that explain the role of national governments and localities.

Voluntary Resilience Standards: An Assessment of the Emerging Market for Resilience in the Built Environment

Kresge and other foundations sponsored an overview of 13 voluntary resilience standards and key trends in standardizing approaches to resilient planning and design.
 
ASLA Guide to Resilient Design

ASLA convened experts in the field of resilient landscape design to develop a guide that outlines how resilient planning and design reduces risks associated with biodiversity loss, drought, extreme heat, fire, flooding, and landslides. The guide includes many example projects and resources per risk type.  

We Can’t Ignore the Health Impacts of Climate Change, Part 1 (and Part 2)
 
These articles from THE DIRT cover the one-day summit former Vice President Al Gore and former President Jimmy Carter convened in Atlanta earlier this year to bring together all the latest science of the expected health impacts of climate change. Included are summaries of impacts in the areas of infectious diseases, heat stress, air pollution, allergens, food nutritional value, and mental health.

ASLA Interview with Kristina Hill, Affiliate ASLA, professor of landscape architecture, University of California, Berkeley
 
Professor Hill outlines the challenge of climate change adaptation and delves into possible adaptation strategies that can help wildlife successfully migrate north and up hills. As temperatures rise, communities will need to make room for species to migrate.

Reasons to Be Optimistic about the Future of the Environment (and Part 2)

A summary of the 2017 Earth Optimism Summit in Washington, D.C. which celebrated environmental success stories.