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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
This book is horrifying, alarming, and absolutely necessary. For too long we have believed that global warming won't be so bad, that it won't affect us directly, that someone will come in at the last second to save us, or that by the time global warming actually affects us, we'll can then start doing something about it. But it's already too late—the damage has already begun, it'll only get worse, and there is nothing in place to even begin the process of minimizing the harm, let alone stopping it.
This isn't a fun book to read by any means, but it is one you should read regardless. We need to face facts now.
This isn't a fun book to read by any means, but it is one you should read regardless. We need to face facts now.
challenging
informative
medium-paced
An excellent book, more up-to-date than many other books on similar topics - although already somewhat out-of-date due to the coronavirus pandemic and the inflation, energy crises and Ukrainian conflict that we have seen since publication.
The only bit I didn't like was the attribution of stagnant wage growth to lost productivity due to climate change. Given the incredible increase in the wealth of the wealthiest (even just 15 years ago, that someone would have $250B would have seem insane, yet Musk has more than that now..) it is clear that there has been considerable growth in the economy, just that the average worker hasn't benefited from it. Blaming it on climate change seems to let the billionaires off the hook.
The only bit I didn't like was the attribution of stagnant wage growth to lost productivity due to climate change. Given the incredible increase in the wealth of the wealthiest (even just 15 years ago, that someone would have $250B would have seem insane, yet Musk has more than that now..) it is clear that there has been considerable growth in the economy, just that the average worker hasn't benefited from it. Blaming it on climate change seems to let the billionaires off the hook.
dark
informative
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
An incredibly sobering yet hopeful look at what an Earth post-climate catastrophe may look like. Well-researched, well organized, and delivered in a manner which conveys the fierce urgency of warming as a threat to all of humankind
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
'The Uninhabitable Earth' was certainly very informative - it is exactly what it says on the tin, what are the consequences of global warming?
The material was interesting and relevant to our world today, and is approached in chapters each about a certain consequence: oceans, wildfires, or politics for example. While I was familiar with many of these, there were also pieces of information that I didn't even consider, such as:
'Since 1950, much of the good stuff in the plants we grow—protein, calcium, iron, vitamin C, to name just four—has declined by as much as one-third, a landmark 2004 study showed. Everything is becoming more like junk food. Even the protein content of bee pollen has dropped by a third.'
I also thought the info on the various impact around the world was worth the read: Russia will benefit from climate change the most, and Bangladesh already being hit due to disadvantageous geographic location, flat and low-lying topography, high population density;, high levels of poverty, reliance of many livelihoods on climate sensitive sectors, particularly agriculture, and the estimate is that by 2050, 1 in every 7 people will be climate change refugees. Australia will be the first rich country impacted by climate change.
The data was put together in a chronological way, the author stating thins such as the degree increase 20 years ago, at present, and the estimate. This made it even more alarming, when you consider the changes that many of us have made in our lifestyle, in our priorities, and yet the future remains terrifying. How are politicians taking actions, how are world leaders pushing positive change in policies?
While there was some commentary on it, the book very much stayed with the data and the information at present than made any meaningful suggestions. Which is fine, it served the purpose of the summary, but I could see how for some readers this would be disappointing.
However, my most disappointing was on the execution style, the writing. There were some fluffy quotes from fiction writers or philosophers that I didn't think had a place here, some ideas were discussing round and round, saying the same thing with different worlds, and I thought at times the author was even contradicting himself. The book starts with him stating that things seem urgent, but in reality data modelling is hard so we haven't reached the predicted numbers in the past. But the tone throughout the rest of the read, the data and the events that we were presented with, were in direct contradiction to that.
A worthwhile read, but still not the climate change book I'd recommend to people.
The material was interesting and relevant to our world today, and is approached in chapters each about a certain consequence: oceans, wildfires, or politics for example. While I was familiar with many of these, there were also pieces of information that I didn't even consider, such as:
'Since 1950, much of the good stuff in the plants we grow—protein, calcium, iron, vitamin C, to name just four—has declined by as much as one-third, a landmark 2004 study showed. Everything is becoming more like junk food. Even the protein content of bee pollen has dropped by a third.'
I also thought the info on the various impact around the world was worth the read: Russia will benefit from climate change the most, and Bangladesh already being hit due to disadvantageous geographic location, flat and low-lying topography, high population density;, high levels of poverty, reliance of many livelihoods on climate sensitive sectors, particularly agriculture, and the estimate is that by 2050, 1 in every 7 people will be climate change refugees. Australia will be the first rich country impacted by climate change.
The data was put together in a chronological way, the author stating thins such as the degree increase 20 years ago, at present, and the estimate. This made it even more alarming, when you consider the changes that many of us have made in our lifestyle, in our priorities, and yet the future remains terrifying. How are politicians taking actions, how are world leaders pushing positive change in policies?
While there was some commentary on it, the book very much stayed with the data and the information at present than made any meaningful suggestions. Which is fine, it served the purpose of the summary, but I could see how for some readers this would be disappointing.
However, my most disappointing was on the execution style, the writing. There were some fluffy quotes from fiction writers or philosophers that I didn't think had a place here, some ideas were discussing round and round, saying the same thing with different worlds, and I thought at times the author was even contradicting himself. The book starts with him stating that things seem urgent, but in reality data modelling is hard so we haven't reached the predicted numbers in the past. But the tone throughout the rest of the read, the data and the events that we were presented with, were in direct contradiction to that.
A worthwhile read, but still not the climate change book I'd recommend to people.
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
"Es peor, mucho peor, de la que imaginas." Así empieza este libro que, con datos claros y una narrativa que pone ante tus ojos el escenario de una catástrofe que se desarrolla sin freno alguno en cada rincón del planeta, no deja lugar a dudas de que la situación es una tragedia de tal dimensión que es difícil de comprender.
Si ya estaba alarmado antes por el cambio climático, ahora lo estoy mucho más. Lo que nos espera son décadas de desastres naturales y humanos a una escala nunca antes vista. Y, lo más frustrante de todo, es que el sistema que rige a la sociedad moderna (desde gobiernos con sus políticas de cortas miras, empresas cuyo único fin es la acumulación de capital, y una sociedad demasiado cómoda como para poner límites a su consumo) no da señales de cambiar en absoluto, por lo que el prospecto de elevar la temperatura del planeta en 4 o 5 grados no se ve como una mala fantasía, sino como una inevitable realidad.
Si ya estaba alarmado antes por el cambio climático, ahora lo estoy mucho más. Lo que nos espera son décadas de desastres naturales y humanos a una escala nunca antes vista. Y, lo más frustrante de todo, es que el sistema que rige a la sociedad moderna (desde gobiernos con sus políticas de cortas miras, empresas cuyo único fin es la acumulación de capital, y una sociedad demasiado cómoda como para poner límites a su consumo) no da señales de cambiar en absoluto, por lo que el prospecto de elevar la temperatura del planeta en 4 o 5 grados no se ve como una mala fantasía, sino como una inevitable realidad.
I put this off for so long - and for good reason. It's devastating, depressing, scary, and alarmist. I feel like it should be. I'm overwhelmed by the damage we've done and the miles we have to go. May the fear bolster my courage.
informative
reflective
medium-paced