Are We Screwed?

by Geoff Dembicki

A declaration of independence, and a call for systemic change, from the generation that will be most impacted by climate change.

If anyone doubted the potential political power of the Millennial generation, Bernie Sanders' campaign put it in the spotlight. Are We Screwed? makes clear that the ardor for change defines this generation, especially when it comes to climate change, and they are willing to consider options that their elders might think naive and impractical, rejecting a capitalism that cares only about profit and a political system riven by false ideology. In telling the stories of his contemporaries around the globe, in describing how they think and the many ways they are already effecting change, Geoff Dembicki documents a historic shift in values and a corresponding re-thinking of how social change can happen.

As of this year, the millennial generation (18- to 34-year-olds) will become North America's largest demographic. It is also the generation that has lived with the looming reality of global warming and will be most affected by its impacts. In vividly reported dispatches from Beijing to Paris, from San Francisco to New York, Dembicki examines what millennial responses to climate change look like and how they are shaping our future. He also provides an essential perspective on how climate change is intensifying generational tensions and shifts in society. In the process, a portrait of a generation emerges that goes a long way toward re-branding it in ways that are positive and full of hope for the future.

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Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Climate Change

Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through Goodreads’ First Reads program. As should probably be evident by the subject matter (global warming), this is not a warm & fuzzy read. I had to break up my reading of this with some lighthearted fiction to avoid feeling utterly mired in despair. From a research standpoint, there wasn’t much presented here that I didn’t already know about. The author did introduce some younger activitists battling climate change, and reading about their experiences was interesting. It was encouraging to see the statistics the author presented about younger generations being more concerned about the climate and taking a broad global outlook to probelms, as opposed to a narrow nationalistic one. While that is a leap in the right direction, I do wonder if there will be enough time for the next generation to implement changes, or if the idealism in those surveyed will stagnate with age. The book does have a younger voice, and reading this, I picked up a sense of frustration shared by many that an older, decaying generation seems to prefer that a planet die with them, rather than change the status quo. Despite the bleakness of the data, the author maintains an upbeat attitude and optimistic hope for the future. I hope he is proven right in that regard. My takeaway was that the question isn’t so much “are we screwed?” as “how badly are we screwed?” Can we recover and back away from the brink of destruction? The events of 2016 and 2017 (to date) don’t make me feel very optimistic about the future.

[Alex Abboud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the stories of what individuals are doing to fight climate change. Your mileage may vary depending on interest in each profile/story. Recommend the book, in spite of unsatisfactory conclusions.

[Heikemarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides important context and insight for the continuing fight against climate change. As a millennial, I was especially interested in the perspective of the author regarding the specific challenges millennials face when considering climate change as a long-term threat. I thought the book was a good balance of old information (why climate change is important, why climate change is real), and several premises about how millennials are specially affected and have specifically attacked the problem - the author posits that some of these solutions are millennial specific. I thought the tone was a little young - millennials are hitting their 30s now, and I don't think the "chip on the shoulder, not allowed to sit and the big kids table" angle fit with me as a millennial, in addition to edging really near the edge of overgeneralizing about a whole bunch of people (namely, a global cohort of individuals within a certain age range - especially since most data was extremely US and Canada-centric). I become more interested in the individual stories and examples woven in became much more compelling as the book went on (I hated the first guy, a dude trying out self-sustainable farming in Canada), and found myself eager to read the second half of the book, which was solutions-oriented. At the end of the day, it contributes to the discussion and does a great job of researching and bringing together disparate voices into the context of a larger movement. I left with enough hope to feel empowered to take action.

[D.R. Oestreicher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen Harper, Fort McMurray, Athabasca tar sands, … Are We Screwed? By Geoff Dembicki is a Canadian book about climate change and millennials. While the book centers on Canadian politics and pipelines, it also includes chapters on climate change, Bernie Sanders, Silicon Valley, and Washington lobbyists. The sole optimistic message is that millennials might save the planet.

If you understand the threat of climate change, this book will terrify you by showing how the system is rigged in favor of short-term profits for the fossil fuel industry. It also offers some hope that the millennials might make a difference, but the possibly too late for much of the world.

For my detailed report: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2018/0...

Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20... for book recommendations.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a significant amount of selection bias in the research and an almost unpalatable amount of generalization of ideas from single data points. While the author obviously met with and interviewed a number of people as well as doing a fair amount of research, the conclusions reached in the book are narrowly focused and not at all extensible to the wider world. I found the narrative disappointing and myopic. The simple truth is that, yes, we are screwed. There are pockets of people trying to change that but the author's conclusions and sweeping generalizations about an entire cohort of people are off-base and useless. If you're interested in some of the things people are doing to fight climate change, go ahead and check this one out from the library but it's not worth buying.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes.

There's still people in the trenches making some progress, and they're gaining more traction as the boomers die off; but really there's not enough time left for a few more decades of gradual power transfer.

The most inspiring story is that of Paul: who gave up on the whole endeavor of trying to bring about political change, bought 40 acres of forest, and now lives mostly apart from civilization. (But not everyone can afford 40 acres.)

[Kim]

Interesting and hopeful review of the ways in which people, mostly young people, are taking action to stabilize the climate and build a saner world. I especially learned much I did not know about the divestment campaign.

I hope that if there's an updated edition to focus on the Green New Deal, it will include voices of Black youth; their absence from this story left a noticeable hole.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times, it kind of wandered off in a lot of different directions, but I loved the comprehensive look at how screwed we are (yes, we are in a way) and the hope for the future.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed all the different stories in this book - some of the individual situations I had heard a little bit about at the time, so it was interesting to go more in-depth - but I really did not care for the author’s writing style and felt like I was just rolling my eyes every other line by the end of the book. At one point, he describes how he was hungover at a meeting with some Wall Street financial advisors - because he had gone to see a band perform the night before, and he told his friends he only wanted to have a couple Miller high lifes because he had this important meeting the next day, but then the band ended up being so cool and eclectic that he couldn’t resist just throwing back the Miller high lifes, and so he ended up being hungover for like half this meeting. And in case you’re wondering, no, his being hungover really had no impact on the meeting. He could easily have told the story without even mentioning it. But seriously - Miller high lifes? Did he sign a product placement contract or something?

I can’t say I recommend this book, but I appreciate that it’s a little more hopeful than your typical climate change book, and it focuses mostly on what young people are doing, which I personally found pretty cool. But there are many other, better climate change books more worth your time.

[Remy · Rating 1 out of 5]

You might enjoy this book and learn a thing or two if you're a liberal who only pays attention to some mainstream media news.
If you're a Marxist this book is trash. Throw it away.
God where do I even begin? In this book, totally devoid of any historical, material, or political analysis, you will find information that is already easily accessible and some anecdotes that range from banal to outright stupid.
First off, the very premise of generational "analysis" is ridiculous and does nothing but obfuscate class relation (which this book fails to look at entirely).
Any criticisms of capitalism are lukewarm. Some capitalists are criticized while others, like the CEO of Lyft (which puts MORE not less cars on the road and provides no new service!) Are praised!
Furthermore THE WORLDS BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT EVEN MENTIONED. NOT ONCE! ITS THE US MILITARY.
I could go on. This book offers nothing new or radical, it's the same liberal drivel you hear everywhere and doesn't do a damn thing to challenge climate change. Don't read this book.

[Edward Etzkorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the more important books I have read in recent years. It is a more optimistic look at our upcoming future, so long as we all recognize that climate change IS HAPPENING and we CAN do something about it. As a person who has read at least a dozen books on the subject of climate change, this is the first written by a millennial who will be among those most affected by climate change that (sad to say) my generation and the generations before us have tried to ignore. Most important of all, it shows us directions that we can head to reduce the impact of climate change on our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Climate change is happening, but we do not have to be screwed. We CAN do something about it.

[Mike Stolfi · Rating 3 out of 5]

As to the title premise, I'd still say yes, we are and no, it's not their fault.
Although the demographics are in the future's favor as far as this goes, the ones running the status quo will continue lining their pockets while there's still a planet to pillage.....
So as usual, we'll react to the situations we create, because it's the path of least social resistance....
And for the record, this isn't how a real top predator would handle things....
But the book was amusing, it's nice to get a hopeful perspective on things & hear from one defending the so often maligned generation in question.

[John Cheadle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the author did well to capture what I and many of my generation feel is a threat to our continued existence, and the total frustration we experience as those in power do little to nothing to address it. There is an excellent, level-headed call to action section at the end for those feeling empowered to do something (which is hopefully everyone).

[Hannah Pigeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I understand Trump's election impacts climate change, but I could have done without the chapter on the Sanders campaign. I liked the stories of taking on Fortune 500 companies and biking around the world to document the impact of climate change. Overall I think I learned a decent amount, but wouldn't mind doing away with the American politics part of the book.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to not screw up the climate:

Educate yourself.
Eat less meat.
Use your transosportation choices as an opportunity to think systemactically.
Engage politically.
Protest with your time, voice, written word and where you spend your money.
Choose your lifestyle and your career wisely.

[Lauraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Partly hopeful, and partly disconcerting, but an important look at climate change and how young people today will be the most affected and what they are doing about it right now.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important, if now out-dated, information. Worth the read.

[Mária · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book while doing some research for my final thesis and I am glad I found it. It's very interesting and at the same time terrifying book. Do we have a future? What is it look like? It's important to educate yourself about the state of our planet because it's us, Millennials, who have to live with the consequences. What I learnt is that every, even the smallest thing, counts and everyone can make a difference.