The central question this book poses is: How can our cities thrive in a hotter future? What will we do in the face of climate change, especially regarding the consequences of filling the atmosphere with varying levels of carbon? In short, if high greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, there is a possibility that global temperatures could rise significantly. We would then witness a sudden melting of the Greenland ice sheet and the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet. These events would have severe effects on sea-level rise.

In this book, Matthew Khan, a leading expert in environmental and urban economics, shows that our future lies in our ability to adapt. Cities and regions will slowly transform as we change our behavior and develop our surroundings in response to climate change. In his witty, serious, and committed prose, the author shows us how this will happen. His book is not without optimism about our lives in the cities of the future. The core of his conviction for our bright future is based on our individual freedom of choice. Unlike birds and butterflies, we have a much wider range of options that will enable us to protect ourselves. This personal freedom will reveal ways that will help city dwellers adapt to climate change.

The importance of this book stems from its presentation of serious studies on the future of climate change, in addition to showcasing the views of various economists—both behavioral and traditional—as well as climate scientists. It also discusses the strategies that most countries will follow to adapt, especially considering that some cities will prosper at the expense of others, and that global capitalism will reap more wealth by selling adaptation products to the new generation.

• Publishing House: Arab Scientific Publishers, Inc.
• Author: Matthew E. Khan
• Number of Pages: 272
• Year of Publication: 2011
• ISBN: 9786140101876
• Cover Type: Paperback