Listen to the episode:

Find the shownotes through this link.

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Are you interested in a brighter future for our cities and humanity?

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Our summary today works with the book titled Brighter: Optimism, progress, and the future of environmentalism from 2022 by Adam Dorr, based on my reading experience and other summaries, linked in the shownotes. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see a brighter approach among the doom-and-gloom based on science and research. This book describes how human evolution and progress wipe out older, dirtier technologies, foster unprecedented prosperity, and open the door to mitigating environmental impacts. I hope this gives you some food for thought this time of the year or anytime and how to move forward.

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Welcome to today’s What is The Future For Cities podcast and its Research episode; my name is Fanni, and today I will introduce a research paper by summarising it. The episode really is just a short summary of the original paper, and, in case it is interesting enough, I would encourage everyone to check out the whole paper. Stay tuned until because I will give you the 3 most important things and some questions which would be interesting to discuss.

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Human progress has historically been a double-edged sword, bringing prosperity at the expense of the natural world. This has led to widespread environmental devastation and the daunting challenge of climate change. A common belief is that our only escape is to drastically scale back, potentially triggering a social crisis. But what if there’s an alternative that doesn’t force us to choose between ecological and social well-being?

In ‘Brighter’, environmental scientist and technology theorist Adam Dorr, who is also the Director of Research at RethinkX, presents a compelling argument for optimism. He explores imminent technological disruptions in four key sectors – Energy, Transportation, Food, and Labor. Dorr argues that these clean technologies aren’t just solutions to environmental crises like climate change; they’re economically superior to our current systems. Contrary to the belief that we’re stuck with outdated, harmful technologies, Dorr points out that the necessary clean technologies exist today. They are poised to revolutionize Energy, Transportation, Food, and Labor simultaneously in the next decade. The economic benefits of these technologies will naturally phase out older, less efficient and dirtier systems.

The book provides global examples of this shift. From China’s wind turbine initiatives to Egypt’s solar farm ambitions, and India’s move away from coal, the transition is already underway. In the U.S., solar and wind jobs are rapidly growing, and even communities like the Amish are adopting solar energy. Transportation is not just about electric vehicles; it’s about a complete transformation with autonomous vehicles, offering safer, more efficient, and affordable travel. In food production, advances in animal-free meat and dairy through precision fermentation and cellular agriculture are promising both environmental and economic benefits. And in the labour sector, automation and AI are already reshaping work dynamics.

Dorr acknowledges the severity of environmental challenges like climate change, ocean acidification, and biodiversity loss. However, ‘Brighter’ is a beacon of hope, showing that the tools and technologies to overcome these challenges exist and are driven by economic forces, not just philanthropy. The book underscores the importance of understanding our technological future to make informed environmental policies and investments. Dorr advocates for a path of progress and innovation, not regression. ‘Brighter’ redefines environmentalism for the 21st century, offering a roadmap to a future where environmental solutions and economic growth go hand in hand.

We all want a brighter future – for ourselves, for our children, for our family, friends and communities. For our planet. The question is how to get there. In Brighter, Dorr explains that the way forward is not regress, decrease and decline. The way forward is progress. We already have the tools and knowhow we need. We can solve climate change and other environmental problems the same way humanity has always met its greatest challenges – with innovation and prosperity.

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What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Do you have any follow up question? Let me know on Twitter at WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the transcripts and show notes are available! Additionally, I will highly appreciate if you consider subscribing to the podcast or on the website. I hope this was an interesting paper for you as well, and thanks for tuning in!

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Finally, as the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects:

1. The book emphasizes the potential of emerging technologies in energy, transportation, food, and labour to solve environmental issues while promoting economic growth.
2. Dorr highlights that the shift towards sustainable, cleaner technologies is primarily driven by their economic advantages, not just ecological benefits.
3. “Brighter” presents a new vision of environmentalism that integrates technological innovation and economic development as a path to a sustainable future.

Additionally, it would be great to talk about the following questions:

1. In what ways do you think our approach to environmentalism needs to evolve in the 21st century?
2. Can we achieve environmental sustainability without compromising on economic growth, according to your perspective?
3. How do you think the advancements in clean technologies will impact our daily lives in the next decade?
4. How can we as individuals contribute to the shift towards a more sustainable future, as suggested in Adam Dorr’s ‘Brighter’?

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