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alivegurl 's review for:
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming
by David Wallace-Wells
THIS BOOK IS MAJORLY INSIGHTFUL! I thought I'd catch your attention with that one very strong, very true statement. First I heard about this book was when a favourite Youtuber of mine talked about reading it a while back. Truth be told, I have no recollection of her opinions on said book, but it stuck with me. And so, as an excuse for my thesis project, I decided to grab it from the bookstore—and it's probably the most newly published book I own today.
This book consists of 227 pages, but it took me only 15 of them to be completely gripped and horrified for our imminent future. Honestly, I'm also one of those people who hadn't yet known the condition of the earth to be quite as bad. For starters, I didn't know how bad the forest fires in California and Florida are like—I thought they were bad, but not THAT BAD. Second of all, I didn't know what this would entail—major flooding that will eventually drown several major cities, deadly heat waves striking numerous nations on earth and the uneven and difficult agriculture situation. What struck me the most is the cascading effect of each and every one of these phenomena—they're not exclusive at all, but instead will snowball into an, well, uninhabitable planet.
I love how this book is so thorough in its explanation, addressing each and every aspect of the fight for the environment, using a wide array of statistical and scientific data. Aside from that, it also introduces a variety of terminologies that will be good for us to use. For instance, I've never heard of the term Anthropocene before, and now I know exactly what it means. Of course there should be a name to the era we're living in right now. What better name would fit the criteria but, well, that. (If you don't know what it means, feel free to Google it). Although, I must say, there are sentences and passages that I had to read over and over again because I didn't get it the first time. But every single sentence in this book opens my eyes to the new reality and what that means for mankind. Also, I've never read a book more worth quoting than this.
All that being said, however, there are certain points from the book that I do not agree with.
First of all, I do consider the fight against plastic waste a fight for the environment. The waste crisis that this world has affects other lifeforms as well, especially—but not restricted to—sea creatures. It could eventually lead to their extinction, if they keep dying from plastic consumption. (And we've all heard the news: they DO keep dying). Aside from that, landfills mounting from plastic waste—if not properly sorted and mixed with organic waste, which they so often do—will release methane gas, which, as we all knows, is a much stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Also, the toxic contained in each plastic waste are very likely to leach into the ground and, eventually, the groundwater—which adds up to the water crisis that is, evidently, a very much global warming issue.
Secondly, I do believe that our individual consumption choice can make a difference. Yes, I think we need to elect the right kind of people in government, so that they can protect the planet on a much grander scale. But that doesn't mean that our everyday choices don't matter—they do. We can always vote with our money, choosing to use a greener vehicle or create less waste or utilise energy-efficient machines. We can also rally or protest or make our voice heard through social media—something, anything to get the message across that we want a healthier planet for the future.
Ultimately, all I want to say is: this book is a must-read for just about anyone, possibly especially those who still think climate change is a myth. It's a great, thorough read on the state of the environment today and where it will most likely be in the near future.
BRB noting down all the reference literature for further reads.
This book consists of 227 pages, but it took me only 15 of them to be completely gripped and horrified for our imminent future. Honestly, I'm also one of those people who hadn't yet known the condition of the earth to be quite as bad. For starters, I didn't know how bad the forest fires in California and Florida are like—I thought they were bad, but not THAT BAD. Second of all, I didn't know what this would entail—major flooding that will eventually drown several major cities, deadly heat waves striking numerous nations on earth and the uneven and difficult agriculture situation. What struck me the most is the cascading effect of each and every one of these phenomena—they're not exclusive at all, but instead will snowball into an, well, uninhabitable planet.
I love how this book is so thorough in its explanation, addressing each and every aspect of the fight for the environment, using a wide array of statistical and scientific data. Aside from that, it also introduces a variety of terminologies that will be good for us to use. For instance, I've never heard of the term Anthropocene before, and now I know exactly what it means. Of course there should be a name to the era we're living in right now. What better name would fit the criteria but, well, that. (If you don't know what it means, feel free to Google it). Although, I must say, there are sentences and passages that I had to read over and over again because I didn't get it the first time. But every single sentence in this book opens my eyes to the new reality and what that means for mankind. Also, I've never read a book more worth quoting than this.
All that being said, however, there are certain points from the book that I do not agree with.
First of all, I do consider the fight against plastic waste a fight for the environment. The waste crisis that this world has affects other lifeforms as well, especially—but not restricted to—sea creatures. It could eventually lead to their extinction, if they keep dying from plastic consumption. (And we've all heard the news: they DO keep dying). Aside from that, landfills mounting from plastic waste—if not properly sorted and mixed with organic waste, which they so often do—will release methane gas, which, as we all knows, is a much stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Also, the toxic contained in each plastic waste are very likely to leach into the ground and, eventually, the groundwater—which adds up to the water crisis that is, evidently, a very much global warming issue.
Secondly, I do believe that our individual consumption choice can make a difference. Yes, I think we need to elect the right kind of people in government, so that they can protect the planet on a much grander scale. But that doesn't mean that our everyday choices don't matter—they do. We can always vote with our money, choosing to use a greener vehicle or create less waste or utilise energy-efficient machines. We can also rally or protest or make our voice heard through social media—something, anything to get the message across that we want a healthier planet for the future.
Ultimately, all I want to say is: this book is a must-read for just about anyone, possibly especially those who still think climate change is a myth. It's a great, thorough read on the state of the environment today and where it will most likely be in the near future.
BRB noting down all the reference literature for further reads.