Brett Favaro - The Carbon Code: How You Can Become a Climate Change Hero

THE CARBON CODE

THE CARBON CODE

HOW YOU CAN BECOME A CLIMATE CHANGE HERO

BRETT FAVARO

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS BALTIMORE

2017 Johns Hopkins University Press

All rights reserved. Published 2017

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Favaro, Brett, 1985, author.

Title: The carbon code : how you can become a climate change hero / Brett Favaro.

Description: Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016040198| ISBN 9781421422534 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 1421422530 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781421422541 (electronic)) | ISBN 1421422549 (electronic)

Subjects: LCSH: Climate change mitigation. | Carbon dioxide mitigation. | BISAC: SCIENCE / Environmental Science. | NATURE / Environmental Conservation & Protection. | SCIENCE / Earth Sciences / Meteorology & Climatology.

Classification: LCC TD171.75 .F38 2017 | DDC 363.738/746dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016040198

A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.

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Johns Hopkins University Press uses environmentally friendly book materials, including recycled text paper that is composed of at least 30 percent post-consumer waste, whenever possible.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I thank my wife Corinna Favaro for her boundless support. I could never have completed this project without her.

I drew inspiration from my colleagues in the world of conservation science. Thanks to my colleagues, graduate students, and friends and family who have challenged me to be the best conservationist I can be.

Finally, I thank the team at Johns Hopkins University Press for giving me the opportunity to produce this piece of work and disseminate it to the world.

THE CARBON CODE

INTRODUCTION

There are few problems more intractable than climate change. It is a byproduct of our industrial success. The better our economies perform, the more energy they consume. And when we consume energy, that usually means we emit greenhouse gases, the gases that trap heat in the atmosphere and cause climate change.

There is no other problem like it. Climate change threatens to set back decades of development and impact every aspect of society. Every product we own, every chemical we use, and every kilometer we move is tied to fossil fuels. Every bite we take has a carbon cost, and every time we step on an airplane we add to the global greenhouse effect. Its death by a thousand cuts on a planetary scale.

But what does all this mean for you? Youre an individual just trying to go about your business and lead a full, happy life. You want to be part of the solution but may fear that your existence makes you part of the problem. You recycle, you take the bus, and you feel you hold all the most progressive values related to the environment. But what can you do, as one person, that can tangibly alleviate the climate problem?

To put a finer point on it, as citizens of developed countries, how can we reconcile our desire to save the planet from the worst effects of climate change with our dependence on the systems that cause it? How can we demand that industry and governments reduce their pollution, when ultimately we are the ones buying the polluting products and contributing to the emissions that harm our shared biosphere?

These are the central questions of this book. My goal is to establish a set of rules that we can use to guide our decisions and make each and every one of us the protagonist of our own struggle against climate change. Whether youre a private individual just living your life or a prime minister or president looking for advice on how to run your country in a climate-friendly way, this book is for you.

If you consider yourself a conservationist or environmentalist, this book is definitely for you. We need to lead by setting the best possible example, and this book will give tangible strategies for how to do that.

If you have heard about climate change but only have a vague idea of what it all means, then this book will help give you a basic understanding of the issue. I hope that it also introduces you to a world of sustainable living that will help you become a solution to the climate problem. It will give you a better comprehension of some of the public debates that relate to the problem of climate change. You dont have to be a full-blown conservationist to take steps that can help you live a far more sustainable lifestyle.

If you think climate change is fake, that its not caused by us, or that it wont be dangerous, then I hope youll keep an open mind and read the book anyway. Youll probably get pretty angry reading certain sections, but I hope you will stick with it. The best part about fighting climate change is that many climate-friendly choices are also things that will save you money, improve your health, and make you less dependent on others for your well-being. You dont need to accept the science of climate change to understand that clean air, clean water, and renewable energy is worth a serious look.

There are three parts to this book.

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But a carbon code is of no use without a way to follow it. ). In each, I identify the things we do that are particularly bad for climate change and show that in many cases there are perfectly good alternatives that can greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released.

Whereas will conclude the book with some final messages about being a climate hero and avoiding the burnout that can occur when being involved in this struggle.

At the end of each chapter, you will find a short summary. This highlights the major points from each chapter that are the most important things to remember.

The mission of the carbon code of conduct is to build a system where we are able to productively exist in a society that uses more than its share of fossil fuels, while making decisions that reduce our footprint as much as possible. With enough people making these decisions, the ultimate goal of the carbon code can become a reality, facilitating a transition to a sustainable, carbon-neutral global economy.

To be clear, this book is not a comprehensive blueprint. It does not give the complete solution to the climate crisis, and it does not consider every caveat of every climate-friendly activity. Rather, it is meant to help you shape your behavior, so that the decisions you make are better for the biosphere than they were before. It is also meant to help you gain a basic understanding of the benefits of pro-climate policiesboth in terms of how they make your life better directly but also in how they fight climate change. Finally, we explore some ideas on how to go about helping to get those policies enacted wherever you live.

The carbon code does not require perfection. You do not have to choose between being a perfect environmentalist or a terrible polluter. Rather, the goal must be for us to form a habit of making climate-friendly decisions in our day-to-day lives. Rather than being restrictive, the carbon code is empowering.