The Environmental Studies Shelf

Five Times Faster
Simon Sharpe
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781009326490, $24.95, HC, 344pp

https://www.amazon.com/Five-Times-Faster-Rethinking-Economics/dp/100932649X

Synopsis: The premise of "Five Times Faster: Rethinking the Science, Econom= ics, and Diplomacy of Climate Change" by Simon Sharpe is that we need to ac=
t five times faster than we presently are if we are to avoid dangerous clim= ate change.

As Greenland melts, Australia burns, and greenhouse gas emissions continue =
to rise, we think we know who the villains are: oil companies, consumerism,=
weak political leaders. But what if the real blocks to progress are the id= eas and institutions that are supposed to be helping us?

"Five Times Faster" is an inside story from Simon Sharpe, who has spent ten=
years at the forefront of climate change policy and diplomacy. In our figh=
t to avoid dangerous climate change, science is pulling its punches, diplom= acy is picking the wrong battles, and economics has been fighting for the o= ther side.

"Five Times Faster" is provocative and engaging study that sets out how we = should rethink our strategies and reorganise our efforts in the fields of s= cience, economics, and diplomacy, so that we can act fast enough to stay sa= fe.

Critique: Timely, informative, exceptionally well presented, "Five Times Fa= ster: Rethinking the Science, Economics, and Diplomacy of Climate Change" i=
s a significant and documented alarm call that if unheeded will result in a=
total and global catastrophe for the human race -- and pretty much every o= ther species of life on earth. While especially and unreservedly recommende=
d for community, college, and university Environmental Studies collections,=
it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, p= olitical activists, professional environmentalists, and non-specialist gene= ral readers with an interest in the subject of dealing with Climate Change,=
"Five Times Faster" is also readily available in a digital book format (Ki= ndle, $23.70).

Editorial Note: Simon Sharpe (https://www.wri.org/profile/simon-sharpe) is = Director of Economics for the Climate Champions Team and a Senior Fellow at=
the World Resources Institute. He designed and led flagship international = campaigns of the UK's Presidency of the UN climate change talks (COP 26) in=
2020-2021; worked as the head of private office to a minister of energy an=
d climate change in the UK Government; and has served on diplomatic posting=
s in China and India. He has published influential academic papers and crea= ted groundbreaking international initiatives in climate change risk assessm= ent, economics, policy, and diplomacy.

Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for Climate Mitigation
Romany M. Webb, et al.
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781802208849, $175.00, HC, 344pp

https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/ocean-carbon-dioxide-removal-for-climate-m= itigation-9781802208849.html

Synopsis: Examining the existing legal framework for ocean carbon dioxide r= emoval (CDR), "Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for Climate Mitigation: The Leg=
al Framework" provides highlights potential legal challenges and opportunit= ies associated with using the ocean to remove and store carbon dioxide from=
the atmosphere.

Described are five commonly discussed ocean CDR techniques, including rock-= based ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE), electrochemical OAE, ocean fertil= ization, artificial upwelling and downwelling, and seaweed cultivation, and=
explores the legal issues that different techniques could raise.

"Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for Climate Mitigation: The Legal Framework" =
is a timely and comprehensive exploration of the laws governing ocean CDR r= esearch and deployment at the international level and domestically in seven=
countries across Asia, Europe, and North America. The analysis highlights = the complexities and uncertainties associated with applying existing intern= ational and domestic law to ocean CDR, providing lawyers and policymakers w= ith invaluable insights into areas where legal reforms are needed to facili= tate in-ocean research and deployment.

Essential reading for lawyers, policymakers, and others interested in advan= cing innovative climate change solutions, "Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for=
Climate Mitigation: The Legal Framework" will also appeal to academic and = private sector scientists who are conducting research into ocean CDR.

Critique: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by academicians Romany M. = Webb, Korey Silverman-Roati, and Michael B. Gerrard of the Sabin Center for=
Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School, "Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for=
Climate Mitigation: The Legal Framework" is a ground breaking study consis= ting of an Introduction, a Conclusion, and eleven erudite and seminal essay=
s by experts in the field of environmental science. Expertly organized and = presented, "Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for Climate Mitigation: The Legal = Framework" features a complete listing of the contributors and their creden= tials, as well as a number of Tables, Illustrations, and a thirteen page In= dex -- making "Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for Climate Mitigation: The Leg=
al Framework" an essential and core addition to personal, professional, col= lege, university, and governmental library Environmental, Ecosystem, and Na= tural Resources collections and supplemental Environmental Law curriculum s= tudies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Romany M. Webb (https://climate.law.columbia.edu/directo= ry/romany-m-webb) is Associate Research Scholar and Deputy Director, Sabin = Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School.

Editorial Note #2: Korey Silverman-Roati (https://climate.law.columbia.edu/= directory/korey-silverman-roati) is Associate Research Scholar and Climate = Law Fellow, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School.

Editorial Note #3: Michael B. Gerrard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michae= l_Gerrard) is the Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice and Facul=
ty Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School.

Social Forestry: Tending the Land as People of Place
Tomi Hazel Vaarde
Synergetic Press
https://synergeticpress.com
9781957869063, $29.95, PB, 512pp

https://www.amazon.com/Social-Forestry-Tending-People-Place/dp/1957869062

Synopsis: The environment/ecological science of Social Forestry connects vi= llages and communities to their forests and adjoining bodies of water. It i= ncludes forest management, protection, and regeneration of deforested lands=
with the objective of improving the rural, environmental, and social devel= opment. Through ecological assessment, carbon sequestration, and generating=
wildcrafts, people re-establish their wonder in the woods.

With the publication of "Social Forestry: Tending the Land as People of Pla= ce", author Tomi Hazel Vaarde, (a collaborator of Siskiyou Permaculture), u= ses poetry, photographs, drawings, and data to outline philosophies and con= cepts of Social Forestry. By weaving culturally sensitive stories, myths, a=
nd lessons from a range of customs and traditions including North American = Indigenous communities and Vaarde's own Quaker upbringing, Vaarde explores = how holistic land and community management approaches can facilitate resolu= tion of some of our most dire local and global crises.

Vaarde's "Social Forestry" is critical to overcoming eco-grief while instil= ling necessary changes to the West Coast landscape for fire mitigation and = restoration of complex forest systems for generations to come.

Many indigenous peoples have learned regenerative management by living for = generations in and with a sense of place, but few examples of whole-system = planning and participation are evident in modern society. Climate adaptatio=
n, human survival, and conservation efforts to maintain biodiversity that s= upports life on Earth require radical, back-to-the-roots grounding and inte= ntional dedication.

"Social Forestry" helps readers remember the ways of the wild while impleme= nting local food production, collaboration with conservation efforts, fores=
t management, and stabilization of headwaters to build resilience for the l= ong term. To live in harmony with our surroundings, we need to re-skill, al= ways remembering those who came before us and acting in ways that honor tra= ditional wisdom of people and place.

Critique: "Social Forestry: Tending the Land as People of Place" is enhance=
d for the reader with the inclusion of 31 4-color posters and 54 images, an=
informative Foreword by Starhawk, a twelve page Principles Clipboard, a th= irty-four page Bibliography, and a three page Index. Comprehensively inform= ative, exceptionally well organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in pr= esentation, "Social Forestry: Tending the Land as People of Place" is espec= ially and unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professi= onal, community, college, and university library Ecology & Environmentalism=
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted = for students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, an=
d non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject tht "Socia=
l Forestry: Tending the Land as People of Place" is also available in a dig= ital book format (Kindle, $11.49).

Editorial Note #1: Tomi Hazel Vaarde (https://synergeticpress.com/team/tomi= -hazel-vaarde) is a long time resident of the Southern Oregon/Mount Shasta = bioregion first settling here in the early 70's. After having earned degree=
s in Forestry and Systematic Botany from Syracuse University and SUNY Colle=
ge of Forestry, 1969, Hazel taught Wild Edible Plants and Woods-lore at Lan=
ey College in Oakland CA in the early 70's. Hazel has taught dozens of Perm= aculture courses over the last 37 years, primarily in Southern Oregon and N= orthern California. These include the PDC, Permaculture Teachers Training, = and advanced courses in Optical Surveying, Social Forestry and Farm Plannin=
g.

Editorial Note #2: Starhawk (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starhawk) is an = author, activist, permaculture designer and teacher, and a prominent voice =
in modern earth-based spirituality and ecofeminism. She is the author or co= -author of thirteen books, including The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Anc= ient Religion of the Great Goddess and the ecotopian novel The Fifth Sacred=
Thing, and its sequel City of Refuge.

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Midwest Book Review
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