Global Warming and More: See the Big Picture
The planet is approaching, or beyond, its capacity to handle many of the requirements we place on it. Find out more about the major issues for the whole planet of global warming, peak oil, and resource depletion. Reading materials are recommended, based on personal experience, to help the new reader gain hold of some of the vital facts, and perhaps to take action going forward in efforts to protect the planet.
PlanetThoughts: Love your Planet
The 21st century finds the world facing what some have called a "perfect storm" of oncoming challenges. Without most of us realizing it, that storm is already underway, and is touching us already. The site PlanetThoughts.org was created recently to help raise awareness and understanding of the issues, which include more than "just" global warming.What is that perfect storm? The primary aspects are:
- Dwindling supplies of relatively clean and accessible carbon-based fuels (oil and gas), likely to become more visible in the form of shortages in the next 5 to 20 years. No one is sure when these sources will start to run out, but it is inevitable.
- Marked trends related to global warming, changing weather patterns, and rising ocean levels. The hard science is in, and some dramatic changes are already underway, most visible in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
- Depletion of food and other natural resources, such as ocean fish stocks, topsoil, and declining diversity of species. Predictions of total collapse of commercial fishing in the ocean by 2040 have been made; I feel it will be far sooner unless strong international regulation comes into effect.
- Inflaming of world-wide terrorism and of conflicts in sensitive areas, much of it traceable back to poverty and the decline of local resources. Often, a combination of fundamentalist religion and economic ambition leads to wars.
- Risk of global pandemic disease initiated in areas stressed through drought, flooding, and overpopulation. SARS and bird flu originated in Asia in large part due to overcrowding and poor farm hygiene
Our best hope over time is that a world-wide community will emerge to engage with the key ideas relating to the incredible gift that is our planet, and how to preserve it and enable a bright future.
Recommended general reading on environment and energy
Silent Spring
The classic, said to have started the environmental movement. Written by a brave and concerned author, Rachel Carson, it described the widespread and deadly effects of DDT, and how industry fought to continue using it despite its terribly destructive effects on the environment.
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/09/2008)
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The Solar Economy: Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future
An optimistic description, based on decades of work on solar energy, on how to roll up the sleeves and implement what the author believes is a perfectly good alternative source of energy, if only we would get off our rears. And for the most part, he is convincing. A leading thinker and activist in the German environmental movement.
Amazon Price: $25.55 (as of 07/09/2008)
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Walden and Civil Disobedience (Barnes & Noble Classics)
Along with Silent Spring, this should be required reading for all who want to be environmental activists, scientists, or simply responsible citizens. It describes with loving care what it is like to commune with nature. This very human experience is at the core, and steers the best of today's environmental efforts.
Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 07/09/2008)
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The Crises of the 21st Century
These books focus on crises caused by disappearance of resources such as trees, water, fish, or cheap oil and gas, to name a few. Highly recommended reading!
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
An excellent, thoughtful, and analytic look at how various societies over the last two thousand years have survived or collapsed dramatically. Looks at widely different cases, from desert tribes to Vikings. Some common threads emerge and are discussed. Hint: be careful with trees and ocean fish, and be nice to your neighbors. George, are you listening?
Amazon Price: $12.24 (as of 07/09/2008)
The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century
A lively and alarming depiction of a world imploding due to combined crises of climate change, oil depletion, and resource depletion. This is not fiction, although it is based on drawing conclusions about where we are headed. For example: oil WILL eventually run out. How will we transport food? How will we fertilize food? Where will plastics come from? What about heat? Now, if we burn coal and coal tars, won't that just cause more global warming, and will that work anyway? Will we have global energy supplies and distribution capability to manufacture and distribue solar panels, windmills, etc. These are some of the important questions addressed in a wrenching manner. Not for those who worry easily.
Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 07/09/2008)
The End of Oil: On the Edge of a Perilous New World
Focuses on "peak oil", that is, the moment in time when oil (and gas) become harder and harder to extract. The effects on society are examined, and they are extensive. Some potential answers are examined, and the shortcomings of each is also examined. Not as alarming as The Long Emergency, but makes up for it with methodical detailing of all the issues that are coming inevitably in this century, as oil runs out.
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/09/2008)
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