press release
under_the_weather_pressrelease_dec_2022_sodero.pdf |
How transport affects the climate crisis – and vice versa
In the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, Nova Scotian and climate researcher Dr. Stephanie Sodero reflects on how driving, flying and shipping are entangled with the climate emergency. In short, fossil-fueled mobility worsens severe weather and, in turn, severe weather disrupts mobility. A shift to zero-emission vehicles is critical but insufficient to prepare communities for the climate emergency.
In her new book, Under the Weather: Reimagining Mobility in the Climate Crisis Dr. Sodero uses two Atlantic Canadian case studies – Hurricanes Juan (2003) and Igor (2010) – as a springboard to contribute to pressing cultural and policy discussions about community resilience by imagining human mobility that works with, rather than against, the climate in ways that benefit local communities.
"As Hurricanes Fiona and Dorian show, the book and its ideas are only increasing in relevance as communities are confronted with climate impacts on roads and inside homes."
The book makes five recommendations:
Revolutionise mobility. Create interdisciplinary, time-limited, and empowered working groups to consider: What different mobility futures are possible? What counts as appropriate movement in a decarbonized society? What does local mobility need to look like in the face of more severe weather?
Prioritise vital mobilities. Create a mix of approaches, including community-based care, telemedicine, and emerging tech to ensure access to everything from medical oxygen to homecare workers in the face of disruption.
Embrace green and blue. Implement approaches that increase storm buffers like living shorelines; accommodate ecological flows like swollen rivers; and monitor ecological health using citizen science.
Rebrand redundancy. Ensure back-up options and associated skills are available. Active transportation, like biking and canoeing, paired with alternative technologies, like electric vehicles and Sea-Doos. Translate the concept of root cellars to goods, energy, and skills that act as a stop gap when global just-in-time lean supply chains fail, as experienced in the 2015 fuel shortage.
Think flex. From walking to school to flying for work, backup travel plans, familiarity with alternative routes and cancellation policies, will be the new norm. Develop a culture of community disaster evacuation preparedness.
“My book can help shape conversations about climate action and community resilience on the ground with policy makers, community advocates, and researchers.”
Stephanie Sodero is a Nova Scotian who is a Lecturer in Climate Change and Health at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, University of Manchester (UK).
In the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, Nova Scotian and climate researcher Dr. Stephanie Sodero reflects on how driving, flying and shipping are entangled with the climate emergency. In short, fossil-fueled mobility worsens severe weather and, in turn, severe weather disrupts mobility. A shift to zero-emission vehicles is critical but insufficient to prepare communities for the climate emergency.
In her new book, Under the Weather: Reimagining Mobility in the Climate Crisis Dr. Sodero uses two Atlantic Canadian case studies – Hurricanes Juan (2003) and Igor (2010) – as a springboard to contribute to pressing cultural and policy discussions about community resilience by imagining human mobility that works with, rather than against, the climate in ways that benefit local communities.
"As Hurricanes Fiona and Dorian show, the book and its ideas are only increasing in relevance as communities are confronted with climate impacts on roads and inside homes."
The book makes five recommendations:
Revolutionise mobility. Create interdisciplinary, time-limited, and empowered working groups to consider: What different mobility futures are possible? What counts as appropriate movement in a decarbonized society? What does local mobility need to look like in the face of more severe weather?
Prioritise vital mobilities. Create a mix of approaches, including community-based care, telemedicine, and emerging tech to ensure access to everything from medical oxygen to homecare workers in the face of disruption.
Embrace green and blue. Implement approaches that increase storm buffers like living shorelines; accommodate ecological flows like swollen rivers; and monitor ecological health using citizen science.
Rebrand redundancy. Ensure back-up options and associated skills are available. Active transportation, like biking and canoeing, paired with alternative technologies, like electric vehicles and Sea-Doos. Translate the concept of root cellars to goods, energy, and skills that act as a stop gap when global just-in-time lean supply chains fail, as experienced in the 2015 fuel shortage.
Think flex. From walking to school to flying for work, backup travel plans, familiarity with alternative routes and cancellation policies, will be the new norm. Develop a culture of community disaster evacuation preparedness.
“My book can help shape conversations about climate action and community resilience on the ground with policy makers, community advocates, and researchers.”
Stephanie Sodero is a Nova Scotian who is a Lecturer in Climate Change and Health at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, University of Manchester (UK).