The sustainability challenges of yesterday have become today's resilience crises. National and global efforts have failed to stop climate change, transition from fossil fuels, and reduce inequality. We must now confront these and other increasingly complex problems by building resilience at the community level. But what does that mean in practice, and how can it be done in a way that's effective and equitable?
The Community Resilience Reader offers a new vision for creating resilience, through essays by leaders in such varied fields as science, policy, community building, and urban design. The Community Resilience Reader combines a fresh look at the challenges humanity faces in the 21st century, the essential tools of resilience science, and the wisdom of activists, scholars, and analysts working with community issues on the ground. It shows that resilience is a process, not a goal; how resilience requires learning to adapt but also preparing to transform; and that resilience starts and ends with the people living in a community. Despite the formidable challenges we face, The Community Resilience Reader shows that building strength and resilience at the community level is not only crucial, but possible.
From Post Carbon Institute, the producers of the award-winning The Post Carbon Reader, The Community Resilience Reader is a valuable resource for students, community leaders, and concerned citizens.
Introduction Daniel Lerch
PART I: Understanding Our Predicament Chapter 1. Six Foundations for Building Community Resilience Daniel Lerch Chapter 2. The Environmental Crisis: The Needs of Humanity Versus the Limits of the Planet Leena Iyengar Chapter 3. The Energy Crisis: From Fossil Fuel Abundance to Renewable Energy Constraints Richard Heinberg Chapter 4. The Economic Crisis: The Limits of 20th Century Economics and Growth Joshua Farley Chapter 5. The Equity Crisis: The True Costs of Extractive Capitalism Sarah Byrnes and Chuck Collins Chapter 6. The Roots of Our Crises: Does Human Nature Drive Us Toward Collapse? William Rees
PART II: Gathering the Needed Tools Chapter 7. Systems Literacy: A Toolkit for Purposeful Change Howard Silverman Chapter 8. A Crash Course in the Science of Sustainability Margaret Robertson Chapter 9. A Crash Course in the Science of Resilience Brian Walker and David Salt Chapter 10. Pulling It All Together: Resilience, Wisdom, and Beloved Community Stephanie Mills
PART III: Community Resilience in Action Chapter 11. Energy Democracy Denise Fairchild and Al Weinrub Chapter 12. Building Community Resilience at the Water's Edge Rebecca Wodder Chapter 13. Food System Lessons from Vermont Scott Sawyer Chapter 14. Learning Our Way Toward Resilience William Throop Chapter 15. Beyond Waste: Sustainable Consumption for Community Resilience Rosemary Cooper Chapter 16. Resilient Streets, Resilient Cities Mike Lydon Chapter 17. Community Resilience and the Built Environment Daniel Lerch Chapter 18. Conclusion: Where to Start Asher Miller
"The Community Resilience Reader has not come a minute too soon. This is essential reading for college classes, local planning boards, conservation commissions, community activists, resilience study groups and anyone shaken by the environmental, energy, economic and equity crises now confronting humankind. Readers looking for ways to navigate the troubled waters ahead will find innovative, thoughtful, and wise guidance throughout these pages. This book reflects the paradigm shift so desperately needed from a system of unsustainable growth to one of resilience and reintegration with the natural world. Everything that needs to be done is doable—but only if humankind digs in to do the hard work ahead. The Community Resilience Reader serves as a much needed guidepost."
