Island Press Field Notes

Cities across the globe have been designed with a primary goal of moving people around quickly—and the costs are becoming ever more apparent. The consequences are measured in smoggy air basins, sprawling suburbs, a failure to stem traffic congestion, and 1.25 million traffic fatalities each year. It is clear that change is needed. Instead of planning primarily for mobility, our cities should recalibrate planning and design to focus on the safety, health, and access of people in them.

A podcast interview with Ed Struzik, author of Firestorm: How Wildfires Will Shape Our Future

While getting a book out to the right people in order to spread awareness of the important subjects discussed is an incredibly important part of Island Press’ mission statement, finding authors who exemplify Island Press’ desires to inspire change regarding environmental issues is both necessary and rewarding.

From “California Wildfires Rip Through Parched Land,” to “Wildfires Force Thousands to Evacuate in Southern France,” to “Devastating Wildfire Can Be Seen from Space,” news headlines around the world reveal a new reality of devastating megafires. This summer, California’s Detwiler Fire burned over 80,000 acres and crept uncomfortably close to Yosemite National Park. In Canada, military aircrafts were called in to battle flames that ravaged British Columbia and forced the evacuation of nearly 40,000 people.