The Earth Remains Forever: Generations at a Crossroads

by Rob Jackson

Writing especially for people who've tuned out the environmental debate, Rob Jackson persuasively argues that we're at a crucial turning point in environmental history, where choices we make now will determine the quality of life into the unforeseeable future. Laying out the scientific facts in plain language and with flashes of humor, he shows how the escalation of population growth and resource consumption in the twentieth century caused problems from ozone depletion to global warming, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss. At the same time, however, he highlights ongoing solutions to these problems and ways in which we can create a sustainable future for subsequent generations and all life on earth. His urgent message is not that we've already failed, but that we can succeed.

189 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2002

About the author

Michelle and Kevin Douglas Provostial Professor and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and at the Precourt Institute for Energy
[Earth System Science]

Rob Jackson and his lab examine the many ways people affect the Earth. They seek basic scientific knowledge and use it to help shape policies and reduce the environmental footprint of global warming, energy extraction, and other issues. They're currently examining the effects of climate change and drought on old-growth forests. They are also working to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the Global Carbon Project (globalcarbonproject.org), which Jackson chairs.

Rob is a current Djerassi artist in residence and a recent Guggenheim Fellow and sabbatical visitor in the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. He is also a Fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Geophysical Union, and Ecological Society of America. He received a Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering from the National Science Foundation, awarded at the White House.

Academic Appointments
Professor, Earth System Science
Senior Fellow, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
Senior Fellow, Precourt Institute for Energy

Reviews

[Ariadna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

For starters, I think this is a great book! Super informing and thought-provoking. Anyway, in my opinion, this is not the kind of book that people that are not passionate about the environment and climate change would read because it sometimes too specific and difficult.

I couldn’t understand some of the quotes but I enjoyed the critique perspective of the author about the united states’ consumerism. The chapter about the ozone layer is compelling.

The last chapter, with the big analogy about the big world war, was kind of dull in my view. But I recommend it.

Ps. It is physically comfortable because it is not to big or heavy. 🤩

[Elise B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rob Jackson, the author of “The Earth Remains Forever”, persuasively argues that the earth is in a critical turning point of changes that require humans to be aware and choose wisely for every decision we make has an impact on the outcome in the future. Rob Jackson is Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and Nicholas School of Environment and Earth Science at Duke University. Within this scientific novel, Jackson continually talks about the impact of every decision and changes that continually occurring each and everyday. Jackson breaks his book into 4 sections titled, “Living with Success”, which Jackson talks about the importance of learning from the past, “The Richness of Life”, which covers the current loss of biodiversity, “Ozone Awareness”, which emphases the issues about UV Rays, CFC’s, and the depletion of the ozone, and finally “The Changing Earth”, where Jackson gives his insight of things that we can do to make the right decisions.
Reading books, like “The Earth Remains Forever” isn’t normally my cup of tea, but I thoroughly and honestly really enjoyed reading it. Rob Jackson does a wonderful job of describing the issues we are facing today, while keeping it intriguing and simple enough for the common reader to understand at the same time. This book expanded my understanding and knowledge on the issues we are currently facing today, such as global warming, over harvesting, species invasions, and the depletion of the ozone to name a few. Jackson also divides the book into 4 comprehensible sections making it easier to follow. There is obviously so much that one could talk about in terms of global changes, but Jackson takes only what was necessary to make his point that it is going to take hard work, creativity, and sacrifice, but together each of us can help to make the changes in this world positive which will better our future.