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8 Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

modifications, the optimization may be very useful for companies and busi-
nesses, especially those that have clusters or groups of buildings in one area.
Finally, the last chapter has conclusions for the next generation of people,
companies, and governments about sustainability. I wrote this chapter because
the problems today with global warming and climate change are directly the
fault of my generation. We “baby boomers” lived off our land and exploited
others for decades. We are now paying the price because the world is indeed
“round”dnot “flat” as some “populist” economic commentators would
arguedhence the atmospheric and other pollutions that we cause in one part of
the world travel to our part of the globe too. In fact, this group’s current de-
fense of the flat world idea in economic and business terms is equally as wrong
and short sighted.
Consider the economic crisis that did not hit just the United States or even
the EU and Asia. The “d-recession” impacted everyone. Money has been
misplaced and even stolen from New York City to London to Paris to Rome
and around the world again to Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, New Delhi, and now to
Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Everyone must be careful.
The point is that the last chapter tries to provide the details from the green
industrial revolution perspective in terms of what this means for jobs, careers,
and the future of our planer that we have handed over to young people.
Without doubt, the problems are enormous and will need time, money, and
people to solve them. The clock is ticking and the environment becoming
worse daily around the world. With the United States withdrawing (June 1,
2017) from the UN Paris Accord from December 2015, there will be even
more “drama” for the next few years.
These are not statements from one more of those crazy scientists,
academics, or economists on the far “left.” No! The facts exist. Insurance
companies are the bottom line here and their rates and even reluctance to
insure certain communities, regions, or areas of the United States has started
and expanded. Some countries and their cities as well as industries can no
longer get insurance. In short, our world is at risk. We do not have any time left
to debate it. We all must act now.

REFERENCES
Clark II, W.W., 2009a. Sustainable Communities: Case Studies. Springer Press.
Clark II, W.W., 2009b. Analysis: 100% renewable energy. In: Lund, H. (Ed.), Renewable Energy
Systems. Elsevier Press, pp. 129e159 (Chapter 6).
Clark, W.W., Fast, M., 2008. Qualitative Economics. Coxmoor Press, Oxford, UK.
Clark II, W.W., Lund, H., 2008. Integrated technologies for sustainable stationary and mobile
energy infrastructures. Utility Policy Journal 16 (2), 130e140.