This is the second part of the discussion of Paul Hawken’s “Regeneration: Ending the climate crisis in one generation”. The first part (Monday July 31) covers the beginning to page 147 [through People chapter]. The second part covers Page 148 [The City chapter] to the End.
A radically new understanding of and practical approach to climate change by noted environmentalist Paul Hawken, creator of the New York Times bestseller Drawdown
The dangers of climate change and a warming world have been in the public eye for fifty years. For three decades, scientists and the United Nations have urged us to address future existential threats, an effort that culminated in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Although 188 countries made commitments to prevent global warming from exceeding 2 degrees centigrade, as of 2021, 182 failed, and the G7 countries did not even come close. The result so far: 98 percent of the world is disengaged from the greatest danger civilization has ever faced. Instead, extreme weather is increasing, climate migration is disrupting borders and politics in the EU and US, while fossil fuel energy companies dig in their heals to prevent the advent of renewable energy. Journalistic lingo that says we should combat climate change, but by using war metaphors, climate became a story of one more conflict, a framing that has left out humanity.
In Regeneration Paul Hawken has flipped the narrative, bringing people back into the conversation by demonstrating that addressing current human needs rather than future threats is the only path to solving the climate crisis. Regeneration is the first book to define, delineate, and set standards for regeneration, offering a comprehensive explanation of its meaning and application Why regeneration? Because every single economic sector in the world extracts life from the planet and by doing so harms it. The way to reverse a heating planet and human indifference is to reverse planetary degeneration.
Using regeneration as a foundation for understanding and action includes everyone and shows how people the world over can benefit by creating rather than reacting. Regeneration contains an extraordinary array of initiatives that include but go well beyond solar, electric vehicles, and tree planting to include such solutions as marine protected areas, bioregions, azolla fern, food localization, regenerative agriculture, forest farms, and the #1 solution for the world: electrifying everything.
Paul Hawken and the non-profit Regeneration are launching a series of initiatives to accompany the book that will include a streaming video series, curriculum, podcasts, teaching videos, and climate action software. Regeneration is the inspiring and needed guide to inform the burgeoning climate movement.
