I finally got around to reading the book a couple months ago so let me take this opportunity to say I found it excellent throughout. Thank you for writing it!
When writing a book like this it must be so tempting to play to the prejudices of one political faction or another, or to decide on a particular narrative and then let the narrative dictate the details. The best thing about this book is that it does neither of those things. It's driven instead by the data and by genuine curiosity and a desire to figure out answers to some important problems. Even when the answers are tentative or might occasionally turn out to be wrong, that attitude lifts this book above so many others.
I think your book makes a nice companion to Factfulness by the Roslings, focusing on environmental issues that didn't get so much attention there, given the authors' backgrounds.
I could raise many questions about technical details in the book where I'd like to learn more. Obviously no book like this can provide absolutely definitive answers to all the questions it raises. Putting the more technical questions aside, though, what nags at me most is a question raised by the book's basic framing: Just how prevalent is the attitude that humanity is doomed due to climate change? I looked up the survey you cite and it's quite striking at face value, though it's still just one survey and it would be interesting to try asking the question in other ways, and to other groups, and to dig a little more deeply into where the respondents got that idea and how exactly they think climate change will wipe us out. I don't think half the young people in my local area (Utah, USA) would say they think humanity is doomed due to climate change, though my area could be unusual in this respect.
It’s a brilliant book. I’m a recent graduate of an International Development Master’s program, and this book filled me with renewed purpose that I’m on the right path in life. Inspiring, informative, if you read one book this year make it this one.
Nice to read Jacks comment and with depth and breadth in ID I’m sure you have also read factfulness (H.Rosling) and Enlightenment now S.Pinker). They along with so much of Hannah’s research reports and book make the whole road ahead more clear and positive.
"Recent graduate", "on the right path" I love those words. That's why I follow 80,000 hours which is also where I discovered Hannah and this book. I recommend them to anyone.
"Recent graduate", "on the right path" I love those words. That's why I follow 80,000 hours which is also where I discovered Hannah and this book. I recommend them to anyone.
None of the call stations of the crisis are unfixable. That is as a collective including the entities creating it. Mainly trans global corporations. Individuals and communities cannot make a statistically significant contribution to mitigating the dynamic.
I don't understand your point of you here. You're basically blowing smoke up our ass. Your lack of urgency is at a level of moral bankruptcy in my opinion. All of the things you mentioned are very prescient issues. That need corrected ASAP. They have nothing to do with Solving the climate crisis. Every one of them could be restored perfectly and it would do nothing to stop the unknowable, unimaginable and untenable climate future unless we directly address it.
We're on our only two things that are on the list of absolute that must be done to save complex lifeforms this earth. Everything else is ancillary, anecdotal even, if they are not implemented.
STOP Fossil fuel extraction and use
Direct atmospheric sequestration of carbon
The first, for obvious reasons. It is the causation and the facilitation of all that ails us. The second, to reverse the tipping point of the positive feedback loop that has already been tipped back towards our favor. It's our one and only chance. The insanity is already there. It's being done for between 600 and $1200 a ton by over a dozen energy with quality carbon fiber retailing for $32,000 per ton.
I find your narrative a bit disingenuously if not totally. For the very reason I stated earlier. Obviously the topics you were dressed urgent and need genuine commitment. Only after the urgent genuine commitment is made concerning direct climate crisis medication.
Smells like fossil fuel fellation in here.........
"Regional climate"? The entire planet is undergoing and will continue to do so in unprecedented and dangerous to multicellular life form change. Your knowledge of the septic is a bit sparse.
That said, if you must know. I have solar, wind & battery storage. I produce a bit over half of my own diesel from my own soy beans. I power an entire farm unless fossil fuel emissions created carbon in the average family of four in the ubiquitous four bedroom four basement rectangle ranch house. Take your fossil fuel cocksleeve existence elsewhere, Spanky.
I came to the Substack after reading the book. The book was recommended and I read it and really enjoyed the fresh air of real facts and figures as well as the perspectives from around the world. I have recommended this book to several people and sent my copy to a good friend. I guess I am a kind of "just the facts, ma'am" kind of guy, but I really enjoy real information rather than inflated rhetoric and pounding table anger.
Thank you for sharing real facts and figures and balanced views, sharing both good and bad from our 'solutions'. We really need much more of this.
I sincerely hate not being able to edit from the platform. When the mobile app is your only access, things are a bit cumbersome. No doubt intentionally
I finally got around to reading the book a couple months ago so let me take this opportunity to say I found it excellent throughout. Thank you for writing it!
When writing a book like this it must be so tempting to play to the prejudices of one political faction or another, or to decide on a particular narrative and then let the narrative dictate the details. The best thing about this book is that it does neither of those things. It's driven instead by the data and by genuine curiosity and a desire to figure out answers to some important problems. Even when the answers are tentative or might occasionally turn out to be wrong, that attitude lifts this book above so many others.
I think your book makes a nice companion to Factfulness by the Roslings, focusing on environmental issues that didn't get so much attention there, given the authors' backgrounds.
I could raise many questions about technical details in the book where I'd like to learn more. Obviously no book like this can provide absolutely definitive answers to all the questions it raises. Putting the more technical questions aside, though, what nags at me most is a question raised by the book's basic framing: Just how prevalent is the attitude that humanity is doomed due to climate change? I looked up the survey you cite and it's quite striking at face value, though it's still just one survey and it would be interesting to try asking the question in other ways, and to other groups, and to dig a little more deeply into where the respondents got that idea and how exactly they think climate change will wipe us out. I don't think half the young people in my local area (Utah, USA) would say they think humanity is doomed due to climate change, though my area could be unusual in this respect.
It’s a brilliant book. I’m a recent graduate of an International Development Master’s program, and this book filled me with renewed purpose that I’m on the right path in life. Inspiring, informative, if you read one book this year make it this one.
Nice to read Jacks comment and with depth and breadth in ID I’m sure you have also read factfulness (H.Rosling) and Enlightenment now S.Pinker). They along with so much of Hannah’s research reports and book make the whole road ahead more clear and positive.
The most inspired early piece from Hanna and her colleagues is and was IMHO: https://ourworldindata.org/a-history-of-global-living-conditions a must read for everyone and the charts say it all.
"Recent graduate", "on the right path" I love those words. That's why I follow 80,000 hours which is also where I discovered Hannah and this book. I recommend them to anyone.
"Recent graduate", "on the right path" I love those words. That's why I follow 80,000 hours which is also where I discovered Hannah and this book. I recommend them to anyone.
It's an awesome book. I loved it and still think about its implications every time I open the fridge!
Loving your book! Smart, insightful, easy to read and so informative. It makes me feel better about the world 😊
Fantastic book! I'd highly recommend. Thank you for writing it Hannah!
None of the call stations of the crisis are unfixable. That is as a collective including the entities creating it. Mainly trans global corporations. Individuals and communities cannot make a statistically significant contribution to mitigating the dynamic.
I don't understand your point of you here. You're basically blowing smoke up our ass. Your lack of urgency is at a level of moral bankruptcy in my opinion. All of the things you mentioned are very prescient issues. That need corrected ASAP. They have nothing to do with Solving the climate crisis. Every one of them could be restored perfectly and it would do nothing to stop the unknowable, unimaginable and untenable climate future unless we directly address it.
We're on our only two things that are on the list of absolute that must be done to save complex lifeforms this earth. Everything else is ancillary, anecdotal even, if they are not implemented.
STOP Fossil fuel extraction and use
Direct atmospheric sequestration of carbon
The first, for obvious reasons. It is the causation and the facilitation of all that ails us. The second, to reverse the tipping point of the positive feedback loop that has already been tipped back towards our favor. It's our one and only chance. The insanity is already there. It's being done for between 600 and $1200 a ton by over a dozen energy with quality carbon fiber retailing for $32,000 per ton.
I find your narrative a bit disingenuously if not totally. For the very reason I stated earlier. Obviously the topics you were dressed urgent and need genuine commitment. Only after the urgent genuine commitment is made concerning direct climate crisis medication.
Smells like fossil fuel fellation in here.........
Mr Baldwin, please tell us how You personally have removed FossilFuels from Your life.
I consult on and sell Renewable Energy, and everywhere I turn has FossilFuels :
- roads
- travel, visiting family & vacations
- clothing
- farming & feeding me
- buying & bringing groceries home
- mining minerals to electrify society
We would be wiser to admit that we are Unwilling to reduce our luxurious lifestyles, and instead plan to
=> BE PREPARED <=
for drought, fire, flood, storms, earthquakes, volcanoes and refugees from changing regional climates.
"Regional climate"? The entire planet is undergoing and will continue to do so in unprecedented and dangerous to multicellular life form change. Your knowledge of the septic is a bit sparse.
Strawman bullshit is not relevant whatsoever.
That said, if you must know. I have solar, wind & battery storage. I produce a bit over half of my own diesel from my own soy beans. I power an entire farm unless fossil fuel emissions created carbon in the average family of four in the ubiquitous four bedroom four basement rectangle ranch house. Take your fossil fuel cocksleeve existence elsewhere, Spanky.
This is my favourite book of the year! I read it twice since Feb, the fastest I've ever come back to a book. Great work, Hannah!
Congrats Hannah, and thank you for the book. It's my go to for the real facts.
I came to the Substack after reading the book. The book was recommended and I read it and really enjoyed the fresh air of real facts and figures as well as the perspectives from around the world. I have recommended this book to several people and sent my copy to a good friend. I guess I am a kind of "just the facts, ma'am" kind of guy, but I really enjoy real information rather than inflated rhetoric and pounding table anger.
Thank you for sharing real facts and figures and balanced views, sharing both good and bad from our 'solutions'. We really need much more of this.
In addition to Sapolsky's "Determined," this is the most important and useful book in the past many years.
Congratulations 🥂!!!
Thanks Hannah. Just purchased.
Congrats! I look forward to getting my hands on a copy.
I sincerely hate not being able to edit from the platform. When the mobile app is your only access, things are a bit cumbersome. No doubt intentionally