Play Book Tag discussion

Losing Earth: A Recent History by Nathaniel Rich - 4* - My Review

This book documents opportunities that existed from 1979 to 1989 to address climate change, and the manner in which the US went from bipartisan agreement that something must be done to our current state of polarization. Many people may not be aware that climate change and the science associated with it were not always political issues, and that many leaders of both parties (along with the global community) agreed that this was an impending crisis that needed to be addressed. World leaders came very close to a global agreement back in 1989 at a conference in the Netherlands to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.

“More carbon has been released into the atmosphere since [the Noordwijk conference ended in 1989] than in the entire history of civilization preceding it.”

The author traces the efforts to raise awareness and take actions, resulting in the formation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He cites the early acceptance by the oil industries in their programs focused on alternative sources of energy and studying the issue from within. The author provides the history of what occurred to lose the previous momentum. The primary reasons relate to economics, politics, and human nature, with a common bond of short-term thinking.

The Afterword provides some hope and notes that the fundamentals of the science behind climate change have not changed. I think it is enlightening to see how close the global community came to an agreement on this issue in the 1980s, which provides at least a glimmer of optimism that it may be possible in the future.

PBT Comments: Addressing global warming is an extreme example of a moral dilemma. Do we continue to deny climate change, enjoying our own lives as they are now, or do we make changes that show we care about future generations?