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Terra Nova: The New World After Oil, Cars, and Suburbs
Many experts agree that energy is the defining issue of this century. Economic recessions, foreign wars, and foreclosures are only a few of the results of America’s dependence on oil. In Terra Nova , ecologist Eric Sanderson elucidates the interconnections between oil and money, cars and transportation, and suburbs and land use. He then charts a path toward renewed economic growth, enhanced national security, revitalized communities, and a sustainable environment: a new form of the American Dream.
Taking a uniquely cross-disciplinary, accessible approach, Sanderson delves into natural history, architecture, chemistry, and politics, to show how the American relationship to nature shaped our past and predicates our future. Illustrated throughout with maps, charts, and infographics, the book suggests how we achieve a better world through a self-reinforcing cycle of tax reform, retrofitted towns and cities, bicycles and streetcars, and investment in renewable energy.
Praise for Terra Nova :
“If you’re going to read one book on the end of oil and the future of energy, make it this one. Eric Sanderson has thought deeply about the impact of our petroleum-dependent economy, how we got here, and where we’re headed. You may not agree with everything you read here, but this book should be the launching point for a desperately needed discussion about our modern way of life.” ―Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive and To Sell Is Human
“The highly readable text is complemented by illustrations, including maps, statistical tables, and extensive notes. VERDICT: The information supplied here would be difficult to find elsewhere. This book is recommended for all readers interested in the future of the United States and for both public and academic library collections.”
― Library Journal
“Likening oil, cars, and suburbs to modern-day Sirens, those ‘beautiful winged monsters’ that tempted Odysseus with their songs, conservation ecologist Sanderson ( Mannahatta ) discourages an over-reliance on these things in this well-intentioned cautionary volume. The comparison is an ambitious one he employs throughout, believing they could doom Americans the way the Sirens would have doomed Odysseus, had he succumbed to their choruses . . . . Sanderson commendably outlines ‘a new way of life . . . designed to sustain American prosperity, health, and freedom for generations to come,’ but whether his suggestions or admonitions will be taken seriously is another matter entirely.”
― Publishers Weekly
Taking a uniquely cross-disciplinary, accessible approach, Sanderson delves into natural history, architecture, chemistry, and politics, to show how the American relationship to nature shaped our past and predicates our future. Illustrated throughout with maps, charts, and infographics, the book suggests how we achieve a better world through a self-reinforcing cycle of tax reform, retrofitted towns and cities, bicycles and streetcars, and investment in renewable energy.
Praise for Terra Nova :
“If you’re going to read one book on the end of oil and the future of energy, make it this one. Eric Sanderson has thought deeply about the impact of our petroleum-dependent economy, how we got here, and where we’re headed. You may not agree with everything you read here, but this book should be the launching point for a desperately needed discussion about our modern way of life.” ―Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive and To Sell Is Human
“The highly readable text is complemented by illustrations, including maps, statistical tables, and extensive notes. VERDICT: The information supplied here would be difficult to find elsewhere. This book is recommended for all readers interested in the future of the United States and for both public and academic library collections.”
― Library Journal
“Likening oil, cars, and suburbs to modern-day Sirens, those ‘beautiful winged monsters’ that tempted Odysseus with their songs, conservation ecologist Sanderson ( Mannahatta ) discourages an over-reliance on these things in this well-intentioned cautionary volume. The comparison is an ambitious one he employs throughout, believing they could doom Americans the way the Sirens would have doomed Odysseus, had he succumbed to their choruses . . . . Sanderson commendably outlines ‘a new way of life . . . designed to sustain American prosperity, health, and freedom for generations to come,’ but whether his suggestions or admonitions will be taken seriously is another matter entirely.”
― Publishers Weekly
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2013
24 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 28, 2014
Finally a conservationist who not only sees and understands the big picture, but has a well thought response and plan of action for addressing the ultimate causes that endanger wildlife and natural habitats. Sanderson has written a thoroughly researched treatise on the history and causes of the current life suffocating triumvirate of oil, cars and suburbs in America, and how Americans can go about undoing the damage to the land and social fabric of the nation. As befits a scientist well versed in data analysis and management (his specialty is in GIS), the book is filled with insightful figures and diagrams, from where the oil wells were in the lower 48 states historically, to how railway and highway networks and housing developments spread throughout the continent.
Part I covers the history that led to the current prevalence of suburbia and sprawl and the dependence on oil and automobiles. Part II is the author's action plan. Here lies the crux of his thesis, that through a major rejigging of the tax code to raise the costs of raw materials and wastes while removing all other taxes, there will be a cascading effect that would eventually reverse sprawl by making cars too costly due to higher gas prices. He also recommends taxing property and infrastructure by the area and quality of the natural landscapes they replace, and higher taxes for living further from work. The three major sources of renewable energy, wind, solar and geothermal are discussed as well to elaborate how the U.S. has the potential to replace current fossil fuel usage with these. Finally Part III rounds up the book by emphasizing the difficulties, yet rewarding outcomes of this revolution in physical and social landscape.
What the author advocates is ambitious to say the least, but I do admire his grand vision of a sort of urban utopia of higher density, more social living not dependent on cars. However one might paint this version of a less oil centered future, there is no denying it also represents a decline compared to a more materially and energy abundant past of the previous century, as other writers have expressed. Whether we voluntarily change our ways to adapt to it or wait for nature to force the change on us is the question.
While many others have written about the difficulties ahead, few have shown such a positive can do attitude as Sanderson has, and that makes this book a refreshing change from the usual doom and gloom ones.
Part I covers the history that led to the current prevalence of suburbia and sprawl and the dependence on oil and automobiles. Part II is the author's action plan. Here lies the crux of his thesis, that through a major rejigging of the tax code to raise the costs of raw materials and wastes while removing all other taxes, there will be a cascading effect that would eventually reverse sprawl by making cars too costly due to higher gas prices. He also recommends taxing property and infrastructure by the area and quality of the natural landscapes they replace, and higher taxes for living further from work. The three major sources of renewable energy, wind, solar and geothermal are discussed as well to elaborate how the U.S. has the potential to replace current fossil fuel usage with these. Finally Part III rounds up the book by emphasizing the difficulties, yet rewarding outcomes of this revolution in physical and social landscape.
What the author advocates is ambitious to say the least, but I do admire his grand vision of a sort of urban utopia of higher density, more social living not dependent on cars. However one might paint this version of a less oil centered future, there is no denying it also represents a decline compared to a more materially and energy abundant past of the previous century, as other writers have expressed. Whether we voluntarily change our ways to adapt to it or wait for nature to force the change on us is the question.
While many others have written about the difficulties ahead, few have shown such a positive can do attitude as Sanderson has, and that makes this book a refreshing change from the usual doom and gloom ones.
April 12, 2015
This author has some great audacious ideas. I still don’t know if they would be possible or not. I was initially intimidated because the subject could be quite dull and very unpleasant. And the book is literally heavy – the paper is 70 lb. Vellum, which must be unusual for a book. But the author has a way of making unpleasantness palatable. He injects himself into the book, and comes off sounding no better than the rest of us, and then proceeds to go though the history of oil and the upcoming lack of it without making you feel guilty. Pigouvian taxes are taxes that tax things not seen by the economy “to limit their negative qualities and to amplify their positive effects”. Sanderson sees Pigouvian taxes as a foundation for reordering society to lessen dependence on oil, and in radical ways. He explains consequences that could naturally follow implementation of these types of taxes. These include fewer suburbs, shorter commutes not powered by gasoline, frequent streetcar service with fares are already paid by taxes, smaller streets designed specifically for streetcars and to exclude cars, revitalization of neighborhoods, and recovery of previously developed suburbs. He explains how renewable power sources can be used to replace oil, reserving the use of oil for airplane travel. The ideas he presents sound like they could work-that there is a way for a soft landing when the oil begins to run out and the climate turns inhospitable. I can’t imagine any governing body I know of implementing his ideas, but maybe someday, with the help of people like Eric Sanderson, that will be different.
December 27, 2018
Very detailed about how our presence on this planet has affected this planet. I definitely had to take some extended breaks.
August 11, 2016
There's not much I can say about this book and the author's optimism about changing the American Lifestyle that other reviewers haven't noted, but it is a consciousness raising book for all of us who don't live in the consciousness aware, smaller, hipper cities such as Boulder, CO and Davis, CA where the hippies and elite rule. Places like Aspen, CO where the local transportation is already the bomb from Aspen to Glenwood Springs and there are the arts and the Aspen Institute and a beautiful playground called the Rockies are the ones where this will first catch on.
Once people see how lovely it is to live in condensed density surrounded by natural playgrounds, it won't be such a hardship to give up the suburban house and yard or to stack on the existing infrastructure to increase density. Sound-proofing exists for a reason. There are several grassroots movements that are building bike corridors and surprise fungrounds, such as the bike group DORBAwhich is very active in identifying patches of nature and creating bike and hike trails, some upwards of 10 mile loops within a stretch that is no more than a mile or two long, smack dab in the middle of residential and commercial neighborhoods.
This book also gives us a plan on how to begin encouraging our local governments to start small and scale outwards. For instance, small city revitalization plans could include building parking garages on the perimeter of the city center, removing all on street parking and converting the city center to pedestrian and mass transit traffic only. Perhaps the transit w/in the city center comes free with the parking fee. Car sharing services such as ZipCar replace car ownership for those country drives.
I loved the graphs and the explanation about how much energy we use to heat a meal and to move a car. This is a book to appeal to the senses. It is a book to get you excited. When young people wonder how they can contribute to society, this is a book to put in their hands with the invitation to come up with creative ways to put it to practice.
Once people see how lovely it is to live in condensed density surrounded by natural playgrounds, it won't be such a hardship to give up the suburban house and yard or to stack on the existing infrastructure to increase density. Sound-proofing exists for a reason. There are several grassroots movements that are building bike corridors and surprise fungrounds, such as the bike group DORBAwhich is very active in identifying patches of nature and creating bike and hike trails, some upwards of 10 mile loops within a stretch that is no more than a mile or two long, smack dab in the middle of residential and commercial neighborhoods.
This book also gives us a plan on how to begin encouraging our local governments to start small and scale outwards. For instance, small city revitalization plans could include building parking garages on the perimeter of the city center, removing all on street parking and converting the city center to pedestrian and mass transit traffic only. Perhaps the transit w/in the city center comes free with the parking fee. Car sharing services such as ZipCar replace car ownership for those country drives.
I loved the graphs and the explanation about how much energy we use to heat a meal and to move a car. This is a book to appeal to the senses. It is a book to get you excited. When young people wonder how they can contribute to society, this is a book to put in their hands with the invitation to come up with creative ways to put it to practice.
July 18, 2013
Wow what a great book.
Not only does it delve into the history of oil and how its use changed and framed society,
and the science involved, but it gives ideas on how we can move beyond that dependence.
One thing majorly lacking in our current economic model is nature.
The cost and value of all that nature brings and is expected to take by how our society runs.
They calculate the physical cost to a company of extracting a natural resource, shipping it, selling it to those who make things with it, but there is no reflection of the cost of nature who created that resource to begin with, no cost that reflects how easily or how hard for nature to replenish it.
It doesnt reflect the cost of the biodiversity that nature provides nor the systems it utilizes to clean the air, the water, to recycle elements.
It doesnt reflect the asthetics nature provides that we humans need.
That all has to be added in, especially to make changes. It would make renewable energy more profitable, make quality and recycleability and long life a priority.
The American Dream is used often but not defined well..this book defined it as building a society that wants things to be better for future generations. I like that definition. Too much today is done for this second, to make as much monetary profit now, gather as much power and influence as you can now, with little to no regard for future generations, or even for tomorrow.
It was enjoyable and informative. We as a society need to change how we do things, how our cities and towns are run and planned, how we value things, esp how we value nature.
Not only does it delve into the history of oil and how its use changed and framed society,
and the science involved, but it gives ideas on how we can move beyond that dependence.
One thing majorly lacking in our current economic model is nature.
The cost and value of all that nature brings and is expected to take by how our society runs.
They calculate the physical cost to a company of extracting a natural resource, shipping it, selling it to those who make things with it, but there is no reflection of the cost of nature who created that resource to begin with, no cost that reflects how easily or how hard for nature to replenish it.
It doesnt reflect the cost of the biodiversity that nature provides nor the systems it utilizes to clean the air, the water, to recycle elements.
It doesnt reflect the asthetics nature provides that we humans need.
That all has to be added in, especially to make changes. It would make renewable energy more profitable, make quality and recycleability and long life a priority.
The American Dream is used often but not defined well..this book defined it as building a society that wants things to be better for future generations. I like that definition. Too much today is done for this second, to make as much monetary profit now, gather as much power and influence as you can now, with little to no regard for future generations, or even for tomorrow.
It was enjoyable and informative. We as a society need to change how we do things, how our cities and towns are run and planned, how we value things, esp how we value nature.
December 13, 2017
Although this book has great graphics and is well written I found it disappointing. The subtitle is "the New world after oil, cars and suburbs". If you have already done any investigation into this area you won't learn much new from more than half the book. While his argument living in the suburbs will be unsustainable as oil runs out is fine, as is his advocacy of more much renewable energy and use of streetcars/trams, the author makes it sound like this will be a fairly easy transition.
Now set that aside for a second - where I did NOT like this book is that it is ONLY about the United States. Its as if the rest of the world did not exist. This may come as news but the US constitutes a small fraction of the earths population. Moreover the problems we face as resources deplete is worldwide. You'd never know it from this book. If you are American then maybe this is for you but this reader is in need of answers to GLOBAL problems and this isnt it.
As a final note there is no chance of more renewables and city street cars being built during the Trump term in office.
Disappointing book. I learned very little new. Nice graphics and charts though.
Now set that aside for a second - where I did NOT like this book is that it is ONLY about the United States. Its as if the rest of the world did not exist. This may come as news but the US constitutes a small fraction of the earths population. Moreover the problems we face as resources deplete is worldwide. You'd never know it from this book. If you are American then maybe this is for you but this reader is in need of answers to GLOBAL problems and this isnt it.
As a final note there is no chance of more renewables and city street cars being built during the Trump term in office.
Disappointing book. I learned very little new. Nice graphics and charts though.
July 15, 2013
It's nice to read a book that confirms and reinforces some of your long-held beliefs. Oil, cars and suburbs have dominated American life for the last 100 years. The consequences will be somewhere on a continuum from painful to disastrous to catastrophic.
Sanderson is an optimist. He foresees a painful transition. He outlines a transformation to a livable post-oil world. His vision might work if everyone agreed with him and wanted to do what he suggests. Unfortunately we have a large part of our population who think like Mr. Dick Cheney, who once said: "The American lifestyle is not negotiable." People who think like that will guarantee that our future is catastrophic.
Sanderson is an optimist. He foresees a painful transition. He outlines a transformation to a livable post-oil world. His vision might work if everyone agreed with him and wanted to do what he suggests. Unfortunately we have a large part of our population who think like Mr. Dick Cheney, who once said: "The American lifestyle is not negotiable." People who think like that will guarantee that our future is catastrophic.
December 28, 2015
This book makes good points about increasing urban population density and how society can reap benefits from doing so. The problem with his ideas in my opinion is that it requires significant political upheaval to do so. Not saying it can't be done, but with the current system in place along with corporate interests, every attempt will be met with retaliation. I also don't agree with his energy storage solution. It works in small realms of geographic areas and come with a plethora of technical problems. Overall, it provides a great insight into how cities should be managed for purposes of sustainability and overall well-being.
September 14, 2013
This is a good book, full of many interesting ideas of how we can transform the US into a post-oil economy and society. Very well thought out. But, will we have the will to make these changes? Will Big Oil derail these efforts? I am not optimistic....
August 24, 2013
Innovative solutions to peak oil and climate change involving "gate duties" (taxes on natural resources, waste and use of the environment), increased density and transit.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews