Table of Contents
Preface xi
1 Selling Our Future 3
Food: The 'Weak Link 4
The Emerging Politics of Food Scarcity 9
Our Global Ponzi Economy 14
Mounting Stresses, failing States 18
Plan B-A Plan to Save Civilization 23
I The Challenges
2 Population Pressure: Land and Water 31
Civilization's Foundation Eroding 32
Water Tables Palling 38
Farmers Losing Water to Cities 41
Land and Water Conflicts 44
Cars and People Compete for Grain 48
The Rising Tide of Environmental Refugees 51
3 Climate Change and the Energy Transition 55
Rising Temperature and Its Effects 56
Melting Ice, Rising Seas 61
Melting Glaciers, Shrinking Harvests 66
Rising Temperatures, Falling Yields 69
The Decline of Oil and Coal 71
A Challenge Without Precedent 75
II The Response
4 Stabilizing Climate: An Energy Efficiency Revolution 79
A Revolution in Lighting Technology 81
Energy-Efficient Appliances 84
Zero-Carbon Buildings 87
Electrifying the Trans-port System 91
A New Materials Economy 96
Smarter Grids, Appliances, and Consumers 103
The Energy Savings Potential 106
5 Stabilizing Climate: Shifting to Renewable Energy 109
Turning to the Wind 113
Solar Cells and Thermal Collectors 117
Energy from the Earth 125
Plant-Based Sources of Energy 128
Hydropower: Rivers, Tides, and Waves 132
The World Energy Economy of 2020 135
6 Designing Cities for People 143
The Ecology of Cities 145
Redesigning Urban Transport 147
The Return of Bicycles 151
Reducing Urban Water Use 154
Farming in the City 158
Upgrading Squatter Settlements 160
Cities for People 162
7 Eradicating Poverty and Stabilizing Population 168
Educating Everyone 171
Toward aHealthy Future 174
Stabilizing Population 181
Rescuing Failing States 185
A Poverty Eradication Agenda and Budget 188
8 Restoring the Earth 192
Protecting and Restoring Forests 193
Planting Trees to Sequester Carbon 198
Conserving and Rebuilding Soils 202
Regenerating Fisheries 206
Protecting Plant and Animal Diversity 209
The Earth Restoration Budget 211
9 Feeding Eight Billion People Well 216
Raising Land Productivity 217
Raising Water Productivity 222
Producing Protein More Efficiently 226
The Localization of Agriculture 230
Strategic Reductions in Demand 233
Action on Many Fronts 236
III The Great Mobilization
10 Can We Mobilize Fast Enough? 241
Shifting Taxes and Subsidies 244
Coal: The Beginning of the End 249
Stabilizing Climate 253
Three Models of Social Change 256
A Wartime Mobilization 259
Mobilizing to Save Civilization 261
What You and I Can Do 266
Notes 269
Index 341
Acknowledgments 363
About the Author 369
