Capitalism Exacerbates the Vulnerability of “Extreme Cities” to Climate Change
NOVANEWS
By Ashley Dawson, Verso Books
An American flag flies near homes that remain damaged and mostly untouched since Superstorm Sandy hit the coastline, May 5, 2013, in Ortley Beach, New Jersey. (Photo: Mark Wilson / Getty Images)
No amount of technological innovation or small design fixes can ensure that extreme cities and their residents survive, so long as they follow capitalism's founding principle of "grow or die" on a planet with finite resources. In this lightly edited excerpt from Extreme Cities, Ashley Dawson makes the case for radical solutions to transform economic and social inequality and to address the impacts of climate change in urban areas.
There is a precariousness to urban life in the face of climate change-induced disasters like Hurricane Sandy. After Sandy,...