Climate Change and the Future of Southern California

Released July 2009

PREFACE

Climate Change and the Future of Southern California is an essays publication which introduces readers to the scenarios, impacts and potential responses with respect to climate change. It is written mainly from the perspective of Southern California. A primary objective is to disseminate information and perspectives about climate change, particularly with respect to its impacts under various scenarios, and to illustrate how Southern California could respond to address this global challenge.

It should be noted that this publication may not capture the full spectrum of opinions and perspectives on the science of climate change or its underlying causes. Discussions of this subject can be found from numerous sources. The primary intent of this set of essays is to focus on potential impacts and response options for the Southern California region. Our hope is to continue raising the awareness and understanding of climate change issues and facilitate constructive policy dialogues and actions.

Preparation of Climate Change and the Future of Southern California was guided by SCAG's Benchmarks Task Force, consisting of local elected officials and regional issue experts in Southern California. The complete 2009 climate change essays report, along with past State of the Region Reports, has been posted on the SCAG Web site at www.scag.ca.gov/publications.

For additional information, please contact Ping Chang, the report's editor at (213) 236-1839 or email chang@scag.ca.gov

Report Download

Download the Climate Change and the Future of Southern California report by section or as one file.

• Complete Report ( 3 MB )

Sections

• Preface
• Introduction and Summary
• Climate Change – What Should Southern California Prepare for? Dan Cayan
• Peak Oil and Climate Change: Scenarios and Implications Municipal and regional planning in the context of the global energy transition
  Bryan Davidson
• How Planning Can Combat Climate Change in Southern California William Fulton
• Green Buildings – A Tool for Stemming Climate Change? Walker Wells
• Education for a Green Region Mona Field
• Governance and Financing Policy in Southern California: Transformative Changes to Achieve Climate Change Goals Dan Mazmanian, Mark Pisano, Richard Little, Alison Linder
• Climate Disruption: Searching for Sustainability in Southern California Monty Hempel
• Guest Essay Authors by Title
• Overview of AB 32 and SB 375
• Greenhouse Gas Reduction Best Practice Guide and Resources
• Acronyms
• Acknowledgements