What are “the neighbourhood fundamentals” that can help us adapt to a 3-degrees climate warming? Best to be prepared…
Indy Johar’s Dark Matter Labs - and Imandeep Kaur’s Civic Square - have been constant inspirations to the Alternative Global since our foundation.
They are naturally cosmolocal, in our terms, because they constantly think of what the localised, strong-community responses to global trends would be. They are also are constantly innovating the structures of self-determination these communities might need, to shape and frame their future.
Here’s another great example of all that, a collaboration between the two, titled 3ºc-neighbourhood. Their opening pitch:
We are witnessing the acceptance of +1.5ºC or +2ºC global average temperatures becoming more commonplace to discuss, but these changes would already have huge impacts for millions of people’s lives, and are not something we want to further normalise through this work.
Many would say talking about a 3ºC world doesn’t even bear thinking about because its effects would be so disastrous, but unfortunately this has become a necessary reality to understand, and to prepare for. However, this work is absolutely not an acceptance or endorsement of that future.
Whilst immediate actions to adapt to the impacts of global temperature rises remain necessary, the focus on this alone risks only dealing with climate breakdown on a symptomatic level, and creating new industries of growth and extraction.
“We can ultimately control how much warming the world experiences, based on our choices as a society, and as a planet. Doom is not inevitable.”
We firmly believe that every effort and action in structurally and systemically reducing GHG emissions is urgently needed. Alongside confronting the consequences of a warmer planet, we need to actively reimagine how our neighbourhoods and economies function,
We invite you to hold these tensions together with us, as we become aware of and equip ourselves for the worst, whilst building towards a new, more hopeful future.
To inform this approach, alongside the current context and risks for neighbourhoods such as our own in Birmingham, we outline a direction of travel and a framework for measuring progress for a civic-led transition.
It will be firmly rooted at the neighbourhood scale, as well as responsive to the planetary constraints of material consumption and energy use.
This is to not only shield neighbourhoods from the severest impacts of resource and economic volatility. It’s also for them to be at the heart of boldly, creatively and joyfully co-leading the social, ecological, economic and climate transition of the 21st century that we know is possible.
More here (PDF).
DM and CS bring it down to exact politics and strategies, in the section “reimagining neighbourhood fundamentals”. Reproduced below - as much for its design loveliness as anything else - it’s a strong reminded of the lifestyle and infrastructural shifts we’ll have to make in our city living, as the climate worsening takes its course.
Visualisation of “Regenerative Resources”
Visualisation of “Renewable Energy Systems”
Visualisation of “Retrofit and Densification”
From the 3 degrees pdf.
In their conclusion, Dark Matter Labs and Civic Square say:
Implicit in all of these fundamental shifts is a transition away from an economy reliant on growth, consumption, inequality and exploitation - and towards a more democratic, just and civic economy, founded on a new abundance of the intangible assets of care, maintenance, collective intelligence, play and imagination.
This civic economy already exists, yet only at the margins.
What we're learning through understanding the current trajectory of global climate action, and its resultant climate and ecological impacts, is that radical transformations at a much more granular, local level are needed.
The consequence of this is an imperative to systematically shift the scale at which resources and infrastructure sit. In order to make an economic transition a reality. new actors and organisations to come to life.
Investing in Capability
Enhancing neighbourhood decision making and co-action, as well as building the capabilities and capacities of neighbourhoods to sense, interpret, collaborate on decision-making, and jointly implement solutions is crucial.
Investing in Universal Basic Infrastructure Systems
Investments should be channelled into innovative models of neighbourhood-level universal basic infrastructures.
These include community energy grids, food forests, repair labs and will form the backbone of anti-fragile infrastructure.These competencies are vital assets in navigating volatile conditions effectively.
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