Vulnerabilities of Urban Communities to Climate Change

Abstract

Climate change has become one of the “hottest picks” so to speak, not only in academic circles but in the world of mainstream media, too. Yet exactly a much more scientific approach is required to distinguish real concerns from sensationalist fake news which so often find their way into newspapers, radio, or television. Academia must refrain from copying non-fact-based (hypo-)thesis as climate change is too serious an issue as well. The approach of “build, shop, work differently” should lead to implementing the concept of self-contained and sustainable neighborhoods; reducing unnecessary daily individual traffic reduces avoidable pollution. We shall address the intertwined issue of whether or not elected office holders should propose such a change in consumer attitude, or if civil society itself would manage to first create the required awareness, then act accordingly. Introducing Slow Cities and Smart Cities leads to the major argument: not only working or shopping near to where we live is important but re-considering whether society should really depend on imported foodstuffs having been transported thousands of miles by air or sea, then lorry, or not better switch to a much more regional, environmentally friendly way of meeting ones' daily needs not to reject globalization per se but to create a regionalized, climate friendly variety of it. Finally, restructuring supply chain logistics might be a key development needed to successfully tackle and combat climate change on a global scale.

Citation

Jurgens, K. (2024), "Vulnerabilities of Urban Communities to Climate Change", Açikalin, Ş.N. and Erçetin, Ş.Ş. (Ed.) The Social Consequences of Climate Change, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 11-19. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83797-677-520241002