GEOG1000
Module Reading List

Planet Under Threat, 2021/22, Semester 1
Paul Chatterton
p.chatterton@leeds.ac.uk
Tutor information is taken from the Module Catalogue

Geo 1000. Planet under threat. Reading list

PART 1. SCIENCE, BIO-PHYSICAL IMPACTS AND POLICY

Introduction Session

Readings

IPCC (2014) Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Summary for Policymakers. https://archive.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/syr/AR5_SYR_FINAL_SPM.pdf (esp AR5 Summary for Policymakers)

IPCC (2018) Summary for Policymakers of IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C https://www.ipcc.ch/2018/10/08/summary-for-policymakers-of-ipcc-special-report-on-global-warming-of-1-5c-approved-by-governments/

NASA: https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

Royal Society: https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/climate-change-evidence-causes/basics-of-climate-change/

UN Climate Change https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/climate-change/

Spratt, D and Sutton, P (2008) Climate code red: the case for emergency action. Scribe Publications: New York.

Climate Change: Past, Present, and Future

Readings

Earth’s climate has always changed, but how do we disentangle natural signals from the impact of human activity?

Crowley, T.J. (2000) Causes of climate change over the past 1000 years. Science 289. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.289.5477.270

Zachos, J. et al. (2001) Trends, Rhythms, and Aberrations in Global Climate 65 Ma to Present. Science 292. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1059412

Neukom, R. et al. (2019) No evidence for globally coherent warm and cold periods over the preindustrial Common Era. Nature 571. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1401-2

Oreskes, N. (2004) The scientific consensus on climate change. Science 306. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1103618

Deep Time Walk free app (https://www.deeptimewalk.org/) – Follow Earth’s 4.6 billion year history in a 4.6 km walk!

Welcome to the Anthropocene

Human impact on the Earth system is clear, and we’ll explore the newest chapter of our planet’s long history – the Anthropocene.

Readings

Lewis, S.L. and Maslin, M.A. (2015) Defining the Anthropocene. Nature 519. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14258

Zalasiewicz, J. et al. (2018) The Anthropocene. Geology Today 34(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/gto.12244

Zalasiewicz, J. et al. (2016) The geological cycle of plastics and their use as a stratigraphic indicator of the Anthropocene. Anthropocene 13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2016.01.002

Steffen, W. et al. (2015) The trajectory of the Anthropocene: The Great Acceleration. The Anthropocene Review 2. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2053019614564785

Malm, A. and Hornborg, A. (2014) The geology of mankind? A critique of the Anthropocene narrative. The Anthropocene Review 1. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2053019613516291

Biodiversity and the biology of climate change

The term biodiversity is used a lot, but what does it actually mean, why is it important to the planet and what threatens it? We’ll look at the impacts of climate change on biological systems. Including biodiversity, phenology, genetics, distributions, dynamics, physiology, morphology and productivity.

Readings

Johnson et al. (2017). Biodiversity losses and conservation responses in the Anthropocene. Science: 270-275 https://science.sciencemag.org/content/356/6335/270

How many species on Earth? Why that’s a simple question but hard to answer https://theconversation.com/how-many-species-on-earth-why-thats-a-simple-question-but-hard-to-answer-114909

SCHEFFERS et al. (2016). The broad footprint of climate change from genes to biomes to people. SCIENCE https://science.sciencemag.org/content/354/6313/aaf7671

PECL et al (2017). Biodiversity redistribution under climate change: Impacts on ecosystems and human well-being SCIENCE https://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6332/eaai9214.abstract

Further reading

Costello, May, Stork (2013). Can We Name Earth's Species Before They Go Extinct? Science 339: 413-416 DOI: 10.1126/science.1230318

Kenneth J. Loceya, and Jay T. Lennona. Scaling laws predict global microbial diversity. PNAS, 2016 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1521291113

What happens to the natural world if all the insects disappear? https://theconversation.com/what-happens-to-the-natural-world-if-all-the-insects-disappear-111886

Aichi Biodiversity Targets https://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/

Peacock (2017). The biosphere. In: Holden, J. (ed) An introduction to Physical Geography and the Environment 4th Edition. Pearson. Particularly pp 253-256. Earlier editions of the book will content similar information but page numbers will be different

Campbell, N (2018) Biology 11th Edition, Pearson Education Limited, USA (9th edition or later is appropriate though the course specifically uses the 11th edition; there is no need to buy this book unless you wish to do so as the library has many copies). Unit 8 covers the Ecology of Life, so relevant sections from this unit.

Carson, R. (1962). Silent Spring. Pelican Books. The book Silent Spring inspired the modern environmental movement. Its importance is as relevant today as it was when it was written.

de Souza Machado (2017). Microplastics as an emerging threat to terrestrial ecosystems. Global Change Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14020

Fitter and Fitter (2002). Rapid Changes in Flowering Time in British Plants. Science 1689-1691. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/296/5573/1689

Grace, J. (2017). Vegetation and environmental change. In: Holden, J. (ed) An introduction to Physical Geography and the Environment 4th Edition. Pearson. Earlier editions of the book will content similar information

Hassall (2019). Animals will struggle to adapt fast enough to cope with climate change, study finds. https://theconversation.com/animals-will-struggle-to-adapt-fast-enough-to-cope-with-climate-change-study-finds-120857

Spooner et al. (2018). Rapid warming is associated with population decline among terrestrial birds and mammals globally. Global Change Biology https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14361

Habitat destruction

Habitat destruction is one of the main threats to biodiversity on the planet and we’ll consider the impacts of it in this lecture.

Readings

The WWF Living Planet Report (2018) http ://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/all_publications/living_planet_report_2018/

Watson et al (2016). Half the world’s ecosystems at risk from habitat loss, and Australia is one of the worst. https ://theconversation.com/half-the-worlds-ecosystems-at-risk-from-habitat-loss-and-australia-is-one-of-the-worst-64663

Lurgi (2019). Habitat loss doesn’t just affect species, it impacts networks of ecological relationshipshttps ://theconversation.com/habitat-loss-doesnt-just-affect-species-it-impacts-networks-of-ecological-relationships-117687

Further readings

Dirnitrov, R., Hovi, J., Sprinz, D. F., Saelen, H. & Underdal, A. Institutional and environmental effectiveness: Will the Paris Agreement work? Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews-Climate Change 10, https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.583 (2019).

Gupta J. (2011). A history of international climate change policy. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews-Climate Change. 2010;1(5):636-53

Lesnikowski, A. et al. What does the Paris Agreement mean for adaptation? Climate Policy 17, 825-831, https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2016.1248889 (2017).

Winning, M. et al. Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement and the costs of delayed action. Climate Policy 19, 947-958, http://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2019.1615858 (2019).

The UK national policy response

This session will examine how the UK has responded to climate change.

Reading

Nash, S., and Steurer, R. (2019). Taking stock of Climate Change Acts in Europe: living policy processes or symbolic gestures? Climate Policy 19 (8). Pg 1052-1065

Further readings

Farstad, F., Carter, N. & Burns, C. What does Brexit Mean for the UK's Climate Change Act? Political Quarterly 89, 291-297, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-923x.12486 (2018).

Jude, S. R. et al. Delivering organisational adaptation through legislative mechanisms: Evidence from the Adaptation Reporting Power (Climate Change Act 2008). Science of the Total Environment 574, 858-871, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.09.104 (2017).

Lorenzoni, I. & Benson, D. Radical institutional change in environmental governance: Explaining the origins of the UK Climate Change Act 2008 through discursive and streams perspectives. Global Environmental Change-Human and Policy Dimensions 29, 10-21, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2014.07.011 (2014).

Pielke, R. A. The British Climate Change Act: a critical evaluation and proposed alternative approach. Environmental Research Letters 4, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/4/2/024010 (2009).

Climate change, the economy and green growth

This session is not running this year, but here's some readings in case you are interested. We will look at some of the debates and controversies about what kind of economy and economic growth. We need to create a sustainable planet and climate safe future.

Reading

Simms, A., Victoria Johnson and Peter Chowla (2010) Growth isn't Possible. Why we need a new economic direction. Earthscan: London. Downloadable at: https://neweconomics.org/2010/01/growth-isnt-possible

Dietz, R., O'Neill, D.W., 2013. Enough Is Enough: Building a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources. Routledge, London.

Raworth, K., 2013. What is economics? Online video presentation. http://www.kateraworth.com/2013/11/12/what-is-economics-anyway/

Further reading

Spratt, S and Simms, A (2009) The Great Transition. New Economics Foundation. London. Downloadable at: https://neweconomics.org/2009/10/the-great-transition

Steffen, W., et al., 2015. Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science 347 (6223), 1259855.

Stern, N., 2007. The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Urhammer, E., Røpke, I., 2013. Macroeconomic narratives in a world of crises: An analysis of stories about solving the system crisis. Ecological Economics 96, 62-70.

Victor, P.A., 2008. Managing without Growth: Slower by Design, Not Disaster. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK.

Wiedmann, T.O., Schandl, H., Lenzen, M., Moran, D., Suh, S., West, J., Kanemoto, K., 2015. The material footprint of nations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112 (20), 6271-6276.

Climate change and the media and public discourse

This session is not running this year, but here's some readings in case you are interested. This session will examine how climate change is communicated to the public.

Reading

Moser, C. (2010). Communicating climate change: history, challenges, process and future directions. WIREs Climate Change (1) 31-53

Further reading

The entire issue of Geopolitics 9,1, (2004) Special issue on resources and conflict, including:

Philippe Le Billon (2004) The Geopolitical economy of ‘resource wars’, Geopolitics, 9:1, 1-28, DOI: 10.1080/14650040412331307812

Special issues: articles in Political Geography on Climate Change and Conflict 26, 6, 627-736 (August 2007), including:

Barnet, J. & Adger, W. N. 2007: ‘Climate Change, human security and violent conflict’ Political Geography, 26, 639-655.

Climate Justice Movements

This session discusses the climate justice concept and the movements inspired by it.

Readings (just dip into selected books, no need to read them all)

Antipode on Environmental Justice Volume 41 Issue 4 , Pages 591 - 843 (September 2009)

Angus, I. (ed) 2009: The Global Fight for Climate Justice London: Resistance Books.

Klein, N. 2014: This Changes Everything: capitalism vs. the climate Penguin Books.

Building Bridges Collective, 2010: Space for Movement: reflections from Bolivia on climate justice, social movements and the state Footprint Worker’s Co-op: Leeds.

Chatterton, P. Featherstone, D. & Routledge, P. (2014) ‘Articulating Climate Justice in Copenhagen: antagonism, the commons and solidarity’ Antipode.

Further reading

Agyeman, J & Evans, B. 2004: ‘‘Just sustainability’: the emerging discourse of environmental justice in Britain?’ The Geographical Journal 170, 2, 155-164.

Bali Principles of Climate Justice, 2002: See http://www.ejnet.org/ej/bali.pdf. Accessed 18.01.10..

Bond, P. 2010: ‘Climate Justice Politics Across Space and Scale’ Human Geography. 3, 2, 49-62.

Routledge, P. 2011: ‘Translocal Climate Justice Solidarities’ in John Dryzek, J., and Richard Norgaard, R, and Schlosberg, D. (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society. Oxford: OUP. pp. 384-398.

White, A. 2009: ‘The Movement of Movements: from Resistance to Climate Justice https://www.sharing.org/information-centre/blogs/movement-movements-resistance-climate-justice

Check out Extinction Rebellion and the #Youthstrike https://www.facebook.com/extinctionrleeds/ and https://www.facebook.com/LeedsYS4C/?eid=ARCfGTaAOl9ECYx3SZpFOsVSTpWREHXU37XhmvmyVHMUUrqKluZ3XVtOhmnRSr-l1jhxEL-AlR87NimJ

The Food Crisis and Food Movements

This session discusses the food crisis associated with climate change and the movements practising food soveeignty.

Readings

Sample one articles from special issues of:

Third World Quarterly Vol 36, no 3, 2015
The Journal of Peasant Studies Vol 42, nos 3-4, 2015

Desmarais, A. 2007: La Via Campesina: globalization and the power of peasants London: Pluto Press.

Patel, R. 2009: ‘What does food sovereignty look like?’ The Journal of Peasant Studies 36, 3, 663-673.

Windfuhr. M and Jonsen, J. 2005: Food Sovereignty: towards democracy in localised food systems Rugby, Warwickshire: ITDG Publishing.

Wittman, H. 2009: ‘Reworking the metabolic rift: La Via Campesina, agrarian citizenship, and food sovereignty’ The Journal of Peasant Studies 36, 4, 805-826

Further reading

Boyer, J. 2010: ‘Food security, food sovereignty, and local challenges for transnational agrarian movements: the Honduras case’ The Journal of Peasant Studies 37, 2, 319-351.

Patel, R. 2009: ‘What does food sovereignty look like?’ The Journal of Peasant Studies 36, 3, 663-673.

Rosset, P.M. 2003: ‘Food sovereignty: global rally cry for farmer movements’ Food First Backgrounder 9, 4, 1-4. https://foodfirst.org/food-sovereignty-global-rallying-cry-of-farmer-movements/

Guest session. Racial Justice Network

In this session members of the Racial Justice network will discuss with us their work promote racial and climate justice

https://racialjusticenetwork.co.uk/

Sustainable cities and the climate emergency

This session will introduce students to the basic elements of a sustainable city and the broader challenge of the climate emergency for cities.

Readings

P Chatterton A Civic Plan for a climate emergency. http://unlockingsustainablecities.org/climate-emergency.html

P Chatterton. 2018 Unlocking sustainable cities. A manifesto for real change. Pluto press: London (available to purchase From Geog reception £9)

Simon, D (2017) Rethinking sustainable cities. Accessible, green and fair. Policy press, University Bristol

Further reading

Bulkeley, H., Castan-Broto, V., Hodson, M. & Marvin, S. 2010. Cities and low carbon transitions, Routledge.

H Girardet 1999 Creating sustainable cities Schumacher briefing.

John Flint and Mike Raco.2012 (eds.) The future of sustainable cities : critical reflections. Bristol: Policy Press

William E. Rees (1997) Is ‘sustainable city’ an Oxymoron?, Local Environment, 2:3, 303-310

Graham Haughton 1999 Environmental Justice and the Sustainable City Journal of planning education and research, Volume: 18 issue: 3, page(s): 233-243

Giradet H et al (2008) Surviving the century. Earthscan Books.

Satterthwaite, D (ed) (1999) The Earthscan reader in sustainable cities. London: Earthscan.

Also see the Journal Sustainable cities and Society: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/sustainable-cities-and-society

Leeds Climate Commission carbon roadmap https://www.leedsclimate.org.uk/leeds-carbon-roadmap

Leeds Citizens Jury omn Climate Change https://www.leedsclimate.org.uk/leeds-citizens-jury-recommendations-published

The Car free city

This session will look at the origins principles and future possibilities for a city beyond the car

Reading

Chapter 1: P Chatterton. 2018 Unlocking sustainable cities. A manifesto for real change. Pluto press: London (chapter on car free city)

Further reading

Wollen and J. Kerr (eds), Autopia: Cars and Culture (London: Reaktion Books, 2002)

Mullen and G. Marsden, 'Mobility justice in low carbon energy transitions', Energy Research & Social Science 18 (2016), 109-11

Sager and S. Bergmann The Ethics of Mobilities: Rethinking Place, Exclusion, Freedom and Environment (London: Routledge, 2008

Foletta and J. Henderson, Low Car(bon) Communities: Inspiring Car-free and Car-lite Urban Futures (Oxon: Routledge, 2016

Sadik-Khan and S. Solomonow, Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution (New York: Viking, 2016

Whitelegg, Mobility: A New Urban Design and Transport Planning Philosophy for a Sustainable Future (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016

Newman and J Kenworthy. The end of automobile dependence. Island press, 2015

The post carbon city

In this session students will be introduced ideas of energy in the city and how cities can make a rapid transition to zero carbon.

Readings

Chapter 2: P Chatterton. 2018 Unlocking sustainable cities. A manifesto for real change. Pluto press: London (chapter on post carbon city)

Further readings

R Heinberg, The party’s over. Oil war and the fate of industrial societies (Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers, 2005

Lerch, 'Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty', guidebook, Post Carbon Institute, 2007, available at: http://www.postcarbon.org/publications/post-carbon-cities/ (Accessed 23 February 2018

Heinberg and D. Lerch (eds), The Post Carbon Reader (Healdsburg, CA: Watershed Media, 2010

Desai and P. King, One Planet Living: A Guide To Enjoying Life On Our One Planet (London: Alaistair Sawday, 2006)

Heinberg, Power Down: Options and Actions for Post-Carbon World, (Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers, 2004

Holmgren, Future Scenarios: How Communities Can Adapt to Peak Oil and Climate Change, (White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 2009

Rifkin, The Third Industrial Revolution: How Lateral Power is Transforming Energy, the Economy, and the World, (New York: St Martin's Press, 2011

Laybourn-Langton, 'Community and Local Energy: Challenges and Opportunities', report, Institute for Public Policy Research, 2016, available at: www.ippr.org/files/publications/pdf/community-energy_June2016.pdf (Accessed 23 February 2017

Kemp (ed), 'Zero Carbon Britain 2030: A new energy strategy', report, Zero Carbon Britain research project, Centre for Alternative Technology, 2010, available at: http://www.zerocarbonbritain.org/en/zcb-publications

C40 Cities and Arup, 'Deadline 2020: How cities will get the job done', available at: www.c40.org/other/deadline_2020 (Accessed 23 February 2018)

The Biocity

In this session students will be introduced to the green city agenda and how to enhance transform and nurture nature in the city.

Reading

Chapter 3: P Chatterton. 2018 Unlocking sustainable cities. A manifesto for real change. Pluto press: London (chapter on the bio city)

Further reading

Norman, Sustainable Pathways for our Cities and Regions: Planning within Planetary Boundaries (Oxon: Routledge, 2018

McGregor, D. Simon, and D. Thompson (eds), The Peri-Urban Interface: Approaches to Sustainable Natural and Human Resource Use (London: Earthscan, 2006)

United Nations, 'Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable', Sustainable Development Goals web site, available at: www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/cities

Kabisch, H. Korn, J. Stadler and A. Bonn (eds), Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Areas: Linkages between Science, Policy and Practice (Cham: Springer International, 2017

Mercer, C. Scott, K. Pringle et al, 'A Brief Guide ot the Benefits of Urban Green Spaces', joint publication of Leeds Ecosystem, Atmosphere and Forest (LEAF) centre, United Bank of Carbon (UBoC), and University of Leeds Sustainable Cities Group, available at: www.leaf.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/LEAF_benefits_of_urban_green_space_2015_upd.pdf

Newman, T. Beatley and H. Boyer, Resilient Cities: Responding to Peak Oil and Climate Change (Washington, DC: Island Press, 2009)

Hawken (ed), Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming (London: Penguin, 2018)

Browning, C. Ryan and J. Clancy, '14 Patterns of Biophilic Design: Improving Health & Well-Being in the Built Environment', report, Terrapin Bright Green LLC (2014), available at: www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/report/14-patterns/

Hemenway, The Permaculture City: Regenerative Design for Urban, Suburban, and Town Resilience (White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2015)

Beatley, Handbook of Biophilic City Planning & Design (Washington, DC: Island Press, 2017)

Donovan, Feral Cities: Adventures with Animals in the Urban Jungle (Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2015)

The common city

In this session students will be introduced to the idea of the common city and how to rebuild civic democracy and local economies to meet the challenges of the climate ecological and social emergencies.

Readings

Chapter 4: P Chatterton. 2018 Unlocking sustainable cities. A manifesto for real change. Pluto press: London (chapter on the common city)

Further readings

Davidson and K. Ward (eds), Cities under Austerity: Restructuring the US Metropolis (New York: SUNY Press, 2018)

Harvey, A Brief History of Neoliberalism (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007)

Lees, T. Slater, E. Wyly, Gentrification (London: Routledge, 2007)

Mayer, C. Thörn and H. Thörn (eds), Urban Uprisings. Challenging Neoliberal Urbanism in Europe (London: Palgrave MacMillan, 2016)

Kallis, Degrowth (New York: Columbia University Press, 2018)

D'Alisa, F. Demaria and G. Kallis (eds), Degrowth: A Vocabulary for a New Era (London: Routledge, 2015)

Jackson, Prosperity without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet (London: Earthscan, 2011)

Schor, Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth (London: Penguin, 2010)

Raworth, Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist (London: Random House Business, 2018)

North and M. Scott Cato (eds.) Towards just and sustainable economies. The social and solidarity economy North and South (Bristol, Policy Press, 2016)

CAMPUS FIELDTRIPS

Ecosystem services

We will be using the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment to map ecosystems across the University campus

https://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.356.aspx.pdf

Campus fieldtrip. Monitoring air quality

https://sustainability.leeds.ac.uk/the-living-lab/airquality/

CLIMATE CINEMAS

Climate Cinema I

Climate Change the facts (David Attenborough, BBC). Via: Box of Broadcasts (BoB)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p076qj9l

Jones JPG, Thomas‐Walters L, Rust NA, Veríssimo D. Nature documentaries and saving nature: Reflections on the new Netflix series Our Planet. People Nat. 2019;00:1–6. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10052

Climate Change Cinema II.

The great global warming swindle (2007) Martin Durkin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Global_Warming_Swindle

Climate Change Cinema III. The age of stupid (2009, Franny Armstrong)

https://www.spannerfilms.net/films/ageofstupid

Climate Cinema IV Demain (Tomorrow, 2015)

https://www.demain-lefilm.com/en/film

This list was last updated on 14/09/2021

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