2071: The World We'll Leave Our Grandchildren

by Chris Rapley, Duncan Macmillan

How has the climate changed in the past?

How is it changing now?

How do we know?

And what kind of a future do we want to create?

Genres: Nonfiction, Plays, Climate Change, Nature

196 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a bit disingenuous and a total misnomer to represent this as a 'play'. What is IS, is a lecture given by scientist and climate change expert Chris Rapley, that has, apparently, been shaped by the playwright Duncan Macmillan. Had I known that, I PROBABLY wouldn't have read it, as it is a fairly dry and technical examination of what SHOULD be a growing concern for all of us. The facts are presented and are very scary indeed - it just isn't quite what I was expecting.

[Nathan Terry John Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite possibly the quickest and easiest book I've ever read. But you’ll see why once you open up the book for yourself. The pacing is quick and makes a good starting point to understand climate science at a more basic level. 2071 doesn't bog you down in pages of hard data. Instead there are only a few paragraphs per page, sometimes only just a sentence. It gives the book greater delivery for normally such a depressing topic no one wants to talk or think about.

There are graphs and pictures to look at but all in black & white, not that it had any negative impact on my reading experience for not being in colour. I think 2071 should be read in all high schools across the country. It is a simple but effective read and will help many understand why climate change is not only a threat to the planet we know as our home, but a threat to all of mankind.

[Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provides an overview of the earth's climate system before explaining the process of human-induced climate change in an informed yet easy to understand manner. Rapley's reasoned approach is undeniably accurate and compelling. Clear, thought-provoking and emotive, it can and should be read in one sitting. More people should read this book.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most concise and readable pieces about the climate crisis that is logical, frightening, and a bit hopeful. My one issue is that as a piece of writing it is not inherently theatrical.

[Karmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

reached the end.
AND THEN IT ALL MADE SENSE THAT IT WAS A PLAY.

great ending, i could almost hear it staged.

[Destinee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative, it discussed glaciers, icebergs and ice shelves and sheets. It’s putting into perspective the reality of what an increase climate does and what our lack of action will result in.
For some reason, in my mind, I assumed if we stopped co2 emissions by a certain rate and time, then we will prevent an irreversible changes. But it seems these changes have already begun, or at least the build up to them. Even if we stopped co2 emissions to the 2*[degree] cap, by 2050 or whatever date, the sea levels will STILL rise and the ice will STILL melt bc carbon stays in the atmosphere for a very long time. So I’m retrospect rhetoric damage is already kind of done, but what we can do is limit how much further it goes. Bc adapting to a 4degree increase may not be possible, even for humans.
Yup .
Pretty deep book.
ALSO I found out how maritime ice sheets work. They’re big ice lands that sit atop a bedrock that’s submerged. But once separated and stuff due to heat, gravity pulls the ice down which increases sea levels!

Cool right!

I also like how this book was published in 2014-5 and it discusses timelines such as 2020 and other future potentials but it’s so ethereal to have surpassed these years and still remain concerned for climate change, or the fear that if anything we have as a society gotten worse.

[Denis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed. I was expecting this book to give more of a picture of what life would be like in 2071 and found it rather simplistic. The writing style seemed pitched at a reading age of about 10 to 12 and with the big print and lots of white space I read the whole book in about an hour. Maybe that's deliberate and the book is aimed to be an easy, non-technical read that gets its very important message across. I was already reasonably aware of climate change and totally convinced of the urgency and massive scale of the problem and so didn't really learn anything new. I'd recently read "Requiem for a Species" and found that excellent but it's probably heading the other way in terms of depth and complexity.

Both books are very scary. My grandchildren are teenagers and it's really hard to know what skills they are going to need to survive over the next 50-70 years. I was hoping this book might give me some answers but it didn't and gave very little guidance as to what we or they as individuals could do to make a difference (other than becoming an engineer to help in mitigation and recovery).

[Jyl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and basic introduction of the science of global warming.

Based on fact it reads more like a PowerPoint presentation than a book with 1 to 3 point per page. Some longer sentences, a bit of structure and chapters would have been a plus.

Surely there is some good knowledge here for the people that don't know more about the topics and wants a 1-0-1 class this being said some points could have been developed more.

Sarcastically for a book talking about effort on global warming and climate change more that 2/3 of the pages are blank with sometime only one or 2 lines on it :)

[crx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps trump should get sent this book bc I heard rich people are afraid of dying & this sure as hell isn’t painting a rosy picture of our future. But capitalism means he’ll be well insulated from all the impacts (of climate change) so 🤡🤡🤡🤡. I think everyone knows the situation we’re in but it’s always so much more comfortable for us to ignore what’s really happening :).... (I think)we’re doomed.

PS my dream career is whatever Chris Rapley is doing

[A M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the play version and was quite surprised at the format. I was expecting dialogue, stage direction, anything to indicate it was more than a speech/presentation.

That being said, it was a powerful speech, a hard hitting factual presentation of the gravity of the situation the climate is currently in.

Almost like 'essential' reading so that people can better understand the effects that the human race is having on the world - particularly those of us in the developed world.

[Tsehay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This can be quickly read in one setting. The layout is scarce - a few paragraphs at most per page, sometimes only one paragraph or one sentence. At the end of the book I understood this to be a play, but the layout does add to the urgency of the message.

Published five years ago now, this is an excellent and critical little book on climate change.

[Ellen Hibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick an easy read, explaining how the effects of climate change have been tracked over the years and changes that have occurred.

"There is justified cynicism surrounding the Paris meeting." Definitely justified unfortunately!

[Alexei Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrative of climate change from the past to the present to the future and whether the start of the Anthropocene is where the Holocene ended and humans started to have an adverse effect on the climate. Written in 2015 so pre-Trump pulling out of Paris agreement and way pre-COVID.

[Kinsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well I thought I was getting into a book about how to help stop climate change, but instead I just read a lot about the science behind climate change. Rapley just confirmed that the world is in big trouble and the end is near. So, not really what I was hoping for.

[kathryn donovan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The near future doesn’t look too good.

[Alan Fricker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would appreciate an update for this very clear exposition of some of the science demonstrating the climate breakdown

[Smita Poojary · Rating 5 out of 5]

What kind of future do we want to create? An excellent read on climate change describing the changes, cause and impact of this issue.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

i need to go lie down for forty-five minute. no, an hour! a full hour!

[Siena · Rating 4 out of 5]

well fuck.

[Ella · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[John Cybart · Rating 4 out of 5]

i watched idiocracy and then read this and i’m like damn dude are we toast?

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

scary stuff. let's save the planet, ya'll

[ŞULE BİLGİ]

msaöaşis

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very easy going and very informative .
A book that everyone living on the plant called Earth should read.

[Paddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://paddyjohnston.tumblr.com/post/...

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should be compulsory to read. Without global collaboration there will be a very disappointing and unhealthy future for the generations to come.

[Holly Weatherby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, however given the book is about how much change is need to prevent the temperature of the earth increasing some suggestions for actions individuals could take would have been nice.