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As you can read in this morning’s Globe and Mail, there are strong arguments that our societies should consider what may sound like a shocking initiative -- rationing of emissions-intensive consumption. My essay is here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-climate-crisis-is-like-a-world-war-so-lets-talk-about-rationing/ or available as a PDF download from the link at the bottom of this page.

I wrote the article after years of studying WWII Britain and its wartime initiatives that required all citizens to be cautious in their consumption of goods, from fuel to metals to clothing to imported foods. Those conservationist programs helped Britain and its Allies win the war, and had further co-benefits including increased personal health, sense of civic duty, and commitment to community.  I believe that similar programs could help us win our war for climate stability, and improve our societies in myriad ways.  

Please do read my piece, and please do submit comments to the Globe and Mail or to me through my contact form or directly to eleanor@eleanorboyle.com. To face our environmental challenges, our societies need all hands on deck.  We need your energy and your ideas. I deeply value any and all of your comments, whether you agree with me or not. If you have better ideas than mine, excellent!  Talking with each other will be the route to effective solutions.

Below are the main books, articles, and websites that directly informed my Globe and Mail article.  I hope you find these references as stimulating and exciting as I did.  

 

REFERENCES to my Globe and Mail essay published Dec. 14, 2019

Boyle, Eleanor. 2012. High Steaks: Why and How to Eat Less Meat. New Society.

Cohen, Maurie. 2011. “Is the UK preparing for ‘war’? Military metaphors, personal carbon allowances, and consumption rationing in historical perspective.” Climate Change (2011) 104:199-222.

Cox, Stan. 2013. Any Way You Slice It: The Past, Present and Future of Rationing. The New Press.

Grassroots Innovations. 2013. Carbon Rationing Action Groups: An Innovation History. February 1, 2013.

Klein, Seth. 2019. When It Comes to Climate Action, the Public is Ahead of Our Politics: Analysis of National Climate Poll. sethklein.ca. August 12, 2019.

McKibben, Bill. 2016. A World at War: We’re Under Attack from Climate Change—and Our Only Hope is to Mobilize Like We Did in WWII. New Republic. August 15, 2016.

Monbiot, George. 2006. “Drastic Action is Needed on Climate Change, and Here’s the Plan.” The Guardian. October 31, 2006.

Mosby, Ian. 2014. Food Will Win the War: The Politics, Culture and Science of Food on Canada’s Home Front. UBC Press.

Sodha, Sonia. 2019. “Sin taxes on meat or flying won’t change a climate hypocrite like me. Rationing might.” The Guardian. June 1, 2019.

Stiglitz, Joseph. 2019. “The Climate Crisis is Our Third World War. It Needs a Bold Response.” The Guardian. June 4, 2019.

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. 2019. Poll: American Voters support Climate Action.  September 4, 2019. 

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