New Book Announcement: Climate Chaos
By Garlynn Woodsong, Managing Director, Woodsong Associates, LLC
At Woodsong Associates, we believe that bold, community-rooted planning is essential to navigating the overlapping crises of our time: climate change, housing, racial and economic injustice, and environmental degradation. That’s why I’m excited to announce the release of my new book, Climate Chaos: Killing People, Places, and the Planet. This book is a call to action, a roadmap, and a rallying cry for anyone committed to creating a livable, equitable, and regenerative future.
Edited by Dr. John Hans Gilderbloom, Climate Chaos brings together voices from across the country to explore how climate change, pollution, systemic racism, the petrochemical industry, housing instability, and economic inequality intersect.
The findings are stark: environmental injustice, caused directly by the petrochemical and petroleum industries, is killing people and destabilizing communities.
“Our research determined that four measures of airborne pollution (PM10, PM2.5, NOx, SOx) show statistically significant relationships with shortened lives of the poor… Regulatory enforcement of clean air matters. It is a life or death issue.”
“Citizens near high levels of pollution in Louisville’s West End lost anywhere from 10 to 12 years of life expectancy, whether in nearly all black or white neighborhoods.”
The book doesn’t stop at diagnosis. It shares what can be done to stop the destruction and build a new paradigm: one grounded in ecological resilience, walkability, economic justice, and local empowerment.
The publication of this work wasn’t without risk. Just before it went to press, lead editor John Hans Gilderbloom survived an assassination attempt. In the face of violence and intimidation, he stood firm, committed to truth-telling and system change. His courage reinforces the urgency and gravity of what we’re up against: these industries, already used to sponsoring criminal acts in so many other venues and ways, didn’t hesitate to seek to silence the messenger(s) in this case, either, and made an attempt on the life of the lead author:
“The imminent publication of Climate Chaos was announced by the arrest of an assassin.” … “John Hans Gilderbloom is a fearless truth teller. He survived a brutal assault and learned to thrive despite some hearing and eyesight loss and PTSD.”
Despite the risk, the publication of this book demonstrates the power of community. Following the introductory section that clearly identifies the problem, the book then pivots to an exploration of what we can do to forge the resilient, regenerative communities that we need. This book is not just about documenting the problem; it’s about building a new narrative, one where walkable neighborhoods, climate resilience, and justice are not mutually exclusive, but interdependent. It outlines real strategies for local governments, organizations, and movements to scale up climate-smart, community-driven solutions.
I was honored to co-author Chapter 16, Portland: The Best Livable City in America, alongside Gilderbloom and Porter Stevens. It’s part of the book’s third section, Neighborhood and City Efforts to Combat Climate Change, and offers a case study of Portland’s journey toward sustainability, including a clear-eyed assessment of where the city is today, and some recommendations to shape the work it has yet to do.
As someone who’s worked for years on-the-ground in Portland’s planning ecosystem, I wanted to lift up real solutions and real obstacles. We argue that cities like Portland can and should serve as models for the hundreds of mid-sized cities across the U.S., places where strategic investments in dense, mixed-use development and multimodal transportation systems can produce climate benefits and community wealth.
“The other 270 mid-sized cities in America should look to Portland as an example of how investing in alternative transit and dense, mixed-use neighborhoods can pay off handsomely: an example of how “being green” and economically thriving do not have to be competing ideas.”
We also dig into specifics, including the need for regional governance of e-bike share programs such as Biketown, and major investments in bike and pedestrian infrastructure, especially in the suburbs and exurbs where lower-income communities have been displaced.
“ In order for access to [Biketown] to be truly equitable, it really should be managed by the regional government, Metro, rather than the city, so that the e-bikes can become available for suburban residents, including many people of color who had previously been priced out of the city and now reside in other nearby jurisdictions. Further, the city and the region need to concentrate many more resources on building out a regional bicycle and pedestrian trail system, to allow for safe, comfortable, and enjoyable bicycling and e-biking experiences to be available for more people to reach more destinations.”
My hope is that Climate Chaos will catalyze conversations and drive action across planning departments, city halls, community organizations, and neighborhood coalitions. Whether you’re already deep in this work, or just beginning to explore what’s possible, I invite you to read the book, share it, and join the movement for transformational change.
You can find Climate Chaos here.
Let’s build the future we deserve. Together.
In solidarity,
Garlynn Woodsong
Managing Director, Woodsong Associates
Executive Director, PLACE Initiative
President and Chair, Oregon Cooperative Housing Network
Managing Broker, Forma Realty
