Science for a Green New Deal: Connecting Climate, Economics, and Social Justice

by Eric A. Davidson

Science, not politics, can take us beyond the hype and headlines to forge a realistic green new deal. Since it was first proposed in the US House of Representatives, the Green New Deal has been hotly debated, often using partisan characterizations that critique it as extreme or socialist. The intent was not simply to fight climate change or address a specific environmental concern, but rather to tackle how climate change and other environmental challenges affect the economy, the vulnerable, and social justice―and vice versa. In Science for a Green New Deal , Eric Davidson dissects this legislative resolution. He also shows how green new deal thinking offers a framework for a much-needed convergence of the natural sciences, social science, economics, and community engagement to develop holistic policy solutions to the most pressing issues of our day. Davidson weaves the case for linkages among multiple global crises, including a pandemic that has reversed progress on fighting poverty and hunger, an acceleration of climate change that has exacerbated storms, floods, droughts, and fires, and a renewed awareness of profound social injustices highlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement. Illustrating these points with his personal life experiences as a child growing up in Montana and as a famed researcher leading a large scientific society, Davidson relates these complex challenges to our everyday lives and decision-making. How, he asks, can we extract from the Earth's resources what we need for the prosperity, well-being, and dignity of current and future generations of billions of people without exhausting or polluting those resources? Written in clear, jargon-free prose, Science for a Green New Deal is a realistic and optimistic look at how we can attain a more sustainable, prosperous, and just future.

264 pages, Hardcover

Published July 26, 2022

Reviews

[Ron Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t what I expected. It rehashes the same basic territory as many other books on climate change. Davidson emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary research in the fields of climate change, economics, and social justice. He discusses the following topics:

• The harms of climate change and what the Green New Deal can do about it
• The links among ecology, economics, wellness, and justice
• The impact of human population growth on the environment, using water supply as an illustration
• How regenerative (not necessarily organic) agriculture can meet the fundamental provisioning challenge
• How we must phase out fossil fuels, which necessitates technological change
• Technological change includes automation, so we must mitigate job losses, e.g., labor retooling.
• The transition to a circular economy, in which product reuse is designed into its production.
• Changes in attitudes and structures are needed in academia/research institutions to embrace JEDI: justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

If you’ve read little about climate change you may find it useful. If you’ve read a lot most of this will be redundant.

[Connor Lyvers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great breakdown of positive reasons to move forward in political action towards a green and environmentally friendly future. It does so while taking into account other views, as well as how this path would affect people both socially and economically. It is a must read for both those in agreement with a green future and those on the fence.