An atmospheric scientist explains why global climate change mitigation and energy decarbonization demand American diplomacy, technology, and policy
“Daniel Cohan makes a compelling case that the problem of climate change is solvable. Fixing the gridlock on global action requires fixing the gridlock here in the United States of America. Cohan shows how that can be done.”—David Victor, University of California, San Diego
Professor of environmental engineering Daniel Cohan argues that escaping the gravest perils of climate change will first require American diplomacy, technological innovation, and policy to catalyze decarbonization globally. Combining his own expertise along with insights from more than a hundred interviews with diplomats, scholars, and clean-technology pioneers, Cohan identifies flaws in previous efforts to combat climate change. He highlights opportunities for more successful strategies, including international “climate clubs” and accelerated development of clean energy technologies. Grounded in history and emerging scholarship, this book offers a forward-looking vision of solutions to confronting climate gridlock and a clear-eyed recognition of the challenges to enacting them.
Daniel Cohan is an atmospheric scientist and associate professor of environmental engineering at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and the recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER award.
“A convincing case for setting up smaller, nimbler coalitions of countries keen to advance climate action, rather than waiting for laggards to catch up. . . . His ideas may sound far-fetched today, but as the hunger for new ways of tackling the climate problem grows, they are also very welcome.”—Pilita Clark, Financial Times, Best New Books on Climate and the Environment
Awarded second place recognition in the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award, sponsored by the Society of Environmental Journalists
“Daniel Cohan makes a compelling case that the problem of climate change is solvable. Fixing the gridlock on global action requires fixing the gridlock here in the United States of America. Cohan shows how that can be done.”—David Victor, Professor of Innovation and Public Policy, the School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS), University of California, San Diego
“An essential and engaging read for anyone who wants to understand the climate policy landscape and where we go from here.”—Katharine Hayhoe, author of Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World
“Daniel Cohan offers an up-to-date and well-researched review of many policy options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. What separates Confronting Climate Gridlock from other books is its unusual and effective combination of engineering and social science expertise with a policy-heavy focus.”—Michaël Aklin, author of Renewables: The Politics of a Global Energy Transition
“Confronting Climate Gridlock is innovative in how it proposes solutions to climate problems using technology, diplomacy, and policy. This topic is timely and evolving.”—Venkat Lakshmi, Professor of Engineering Systems and Environment, University of Virginia
“Where an abundance of research narrowly focuses on politics, innovation, governance, and policy, Confronting Climate Gridlock embraces them all, and in doing so makes substantial contributions to critical ongoing debates about decarbonization, negative emissions, timing, scaling, and even justice, equity, and ethics.”—Benjamin K. Sovacool, author of Global Energy Justice
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