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Brown MA, Beasley B, Atalay F, Cobb KM, Dwiveldi P, Hubbs J, Iwaniek DM, Mani S, Matisoff D, Mohan JE, Mullen J, Oxman M, Rochberg D, Rodgers M, Shepherd M, Simmons R, Taylor L, Toktay LB. Translating a Global Emission-Reduction Framework for Subnational Climate Action: A Case Study from the State of Georgia. Environ Manage 2021; 67:205-227. [PMID: 33449138 PMCID: PMC7809095 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-020-01406-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Subnational entities are recognizing the need to systematically examine options for reducing their carbon footprints. However, few robust and comprehensive analyses are available that lay out how US states and regions can most effectively contribute. This paper describes an approach developed for Georgia-a state in the southeastern United States called "Drawdown Georgia", our research involves (1) understanding Georgia's baseline carbon footprint and trends, (2) identifying the universe of Georgia-specific carbon-reduction solutions that could be impactful by 2030, (3) estimating the greenhouse gas reduction potential of these high-impact 2030 solutions for Georgia, and (4) estimating associated costs and benefits while also considering how the solutions might impact societal priorities, such as economic development opportunities, public health, environmental benefits, and equity. We began by examining the global solutions identified by Project Drawdown. The resulting 20 high-impact 2030 solutions provide a strategy for reducing Georgia's carbon footprint in the next decade using market-ready technologies and practices and including negative emission solutions. This paper describes our systematic and replicable process and ends with a discussion of its strengths, weaknesses, and planned future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn A Brown
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
| | - Blair Beasley
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Fikret Atalay
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Kim M Cobb
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Puneet Dwiveldi
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jeffrey Hubbs
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - David M Iwaniek
- Urban Studies Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Sudhagar Mani
- School of Chemical, Materials & Biomedical Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30605, USA
| | - Daniel Matisoff
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Jaqueline E Mohan
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30607, USA
| | - Jeffrey Mullen
- College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Michael Oxman
- Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30308, USA
| | - Daniel Rochberg
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Michael Rodgers
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Marshall Shepherd
- Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Richard Simmons
- Strategic Energy Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Laura Taylor
- School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - L Beril Toktay
- Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30308, USA
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Rudd MA, Moore AFP, Rochberg D, Bianchi-Fossati L, Brown MA, D'Onofrio D, Furman CA, Garcia J, Jordan B, Kline J, Risse LM, Yager PL, Abbinett J, Alber M, Bell JE, Bhedwar C, Cobb KM, Cohen J, Cox M, Dormer M, Dunkley N, Farley H, Gambill J, Goldstein M, Harris G, Hopkinson M, James JA, Kidd S, Knox P, Liu Y, Matisoff DC, Meyer MD, Mitchem JD, Moore K, Ono AJ, Philipsborn J, Sendall KM, Shafiei F, Shepherd M, Teebken J, Worley AN. Climate research priorities for policy-makers, practitioners, and scientists in Georgia, USA. Environmental Management 2018; 62:190-209. [PMID: 29796704 PMCID: PMC6060861 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-018-1051-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Climate change has far-reaching effects on human and ecological systems, requiring collaboration across sectors and disciplines to determine effective responses. To inform regional responses to climate change, decision-makers need credible and relevant information representing a wide swath of knowledge and perspectives. The southeastern U. S. State of Georgia is a valuable focal area for study because it contains multiple ecological zones that vary greatly in land use and economic activities, and it is vulnerable to diverse climate change impacts. We identified 40 important research questions that, if answered, could lay the groundwork for effective, science-based climate action in Georgia. Top research priorities were identified through a broad solicitation of candidate research questions (180 were received). A group of experts across sectors and disciplines gathered for a workshop to categorize, prioritize, and filter the candidate questions, identify missing topics, and rewrite questions. Participants then collectively chose the 40 most important questions. This cross-sectoral effort ensured the inclusion of a diversity of topics and questions (e.g., coastal hazards, agricultural production, ecosystem functioning, urban infrastructure, and human health) likely to be important to Georgia policy-makers, practitioners, and scientists. Several cross-cutting themes emerged, including the need for long-term data collection and consideration of at-risk Georgia citizens and communities. Workshop participants defined effective responses as those that take economic cost, environmental impacts, and social justice into consideration. Our research highlights the importance of collaborators across disciplines and sectors, and discussing challenges and opportunities that will require transdisciplinary solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murray A Rudd
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
| | - Althea F P Moore
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Daniel Rochberg
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | | | - Marilyn A Brown
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Athens, GA, USA
| | - David D'Onofrio
- Atlanta Regional Commission, 229 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Carrie A Furman
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jairo Garcia
- City of Atlanta Office of Resilience, 55 Trinity Av. SW, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Ben Jordan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Jennifer Kline
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division, Brunswick, GA, USA
| | - L Mark Risse
- University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Patricia L Yager
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jessica Abbinett
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Merryl Alber
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jesse E Bell
- North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies, North Carolina State University, Asheville, NC, 28801, USA
| | - Cyrus Bhedwar
- Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kim M Cobb
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Dr., Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Juliet Cohen
- Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Atlanta, GA, 30306, USA
| | - Matt Cox
- The Greenlink Group, 695 Pylant St NE, Atlanta, GA, 30306, USA
| | - Myriam Dormer
- The Nature Conservancy in Georgia, 100 Peachtree St. NW, Suite 2250, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, USA
| | - Nyasha Dunkley
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division, 4244 International Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30354, USA
| | - Heather Farley
- The College of Coastal Georgia, School of Business and Public Management, One College Drive, Brunswick, GA, 31520, USA
| | - Jill Gambill
- University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Mindy Goldstein
- Emory University School of Law, 1301 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Garry Harris
- Center for Sustainable Communities, 100 Flatshoals Ave SE, Atlanta, GA, 30316, USA
| | - Melissa Hopkinson
- Institute for Environmental & Spatial Analysis, University of North Georgia, Oakwood, GA, 30566, USA
| | | | - Susan Kidd
- Center for Sustainability, Agnes Scott College, 141 E. College Ave., Decatur, GA, 30030, USA
| | - Pam Knox
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Daniel C Matisoff
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Michael D Meyer
- WSP USA Inc., 845 Spring Street, Unit 204, Atlanta, GA, 30308, USA
| | - Jamie D Mitchem
- Institute for Environmental & Spatial Analysis, University of North Georgia, Oakwood, GA, 30566, USA
| | - Katherine Moore
- Sustainable Growth Program, Georgia Conservancy 230 Peachtree Street Suite 1250, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Aspen J Ono
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | | | - Kerrie M Sendall
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, 30460, USA
| | - Fatemeh Shafiei
- Spelman College Department of Political Science, 350 Spelman Lane SW, Atlanta, GA, 30314, USA
| | | | - Julia Teebken
- Department of Political and Social Sciences, Graduate School of East Asian Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Vulnerability and Human Condition Initiative, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ashby N Worley
- The Nature Conservancy in Georgia, 100 Peachtree St. NW, Suite 2250, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, USA
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