Environmental Humanities

Published by: Committee on Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change on Social and Political Stresses, Board on Environmental Change and Society, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council
Although focused on events outside the United States, Climate and Social Stress: Implications for Security Analysis recommends a range of research and policy actions to create a whole-of-government approach to increasing understanding of complex and contingent connections between climate and security, and to inform choices about adapting to and reducing vulnerability to climate change.

Climate Change and Infrastructure, Urban Systems, and Vulnerabilities looks at key elements of urban systems, including transportation, communication, drainage, and energy, in order to better understand the damages caused by climate change and extreme weather. This report not only breaks new ground as a component of climate change vulnerability and impact assessments but also highlights critical research gaps in the material. Implications of climate change are examined by assessing historical experience as well as simulating future conditions.
Developed to inform the 3rd National Climate Assessment, and a landmark study in terms of its breadth and depth of coverage and conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy, Climate Change and Infrastructure, Urban Systems, and Vulnerabilities examines the known effects and relationships of climate change variables on American infrastructure and risk-management policies.

This book reviews actions (as of January 2015) of selected federal departments and agencies to adapt their own missions, infrastructure, operations, and personnel to projected climate change. This synthesis is not comprehensive. It identifies common approaches among agencies, examples of specific actions, and notable barriers the federal government faces.

This assessment was developed by a team of more than 100 experts from 8 U.S. Federal agencies (including employees, contractors, and affiliates) to inform public health officials, urban and disaster response planners, decision makers, and other stakeholders within and outside of government who are interested in better understanding the risks climate change presents to human health.

This book addresses federal activities to enhance understanding about the risks climate change poses to public health; federal resources used by selected states and localities to address these risks; and challenges states and localities face and actions federal agencies could take to mitigate them. This book also provides a suggested sequence of steps that health departments can undertake to assess such health vulnerabilities associated with climate change.