Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future
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- Author：Elizabeth Kolbert
- ISBN：0593136284
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Summary
NATIONAL BESTSELLER - The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction returns to humanity's transformative impact on the environment， now asking: After doing so much damage， can we change nature， this time to save it？
RECOMMENDED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AND BILL GATES - SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR WRITING - ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post - ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time， Esquire， Publishers Weekly， Kirkus Reviews - "Beautifully and insistently， Kolbert shows us that it is time to think radically about the ways we manage the environment。"--Helen Macdonald， The New York Times
With a new afterword by the author
That man should have dominion "over all the earth， and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth" is a prophecy that has hardened into fact。 So pervasive are human impacts on the planet that it's said we live in a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene。
In Under a White Sky， Elizabeth Kolbert takes a hard look at the new world we are creating。 Along the way， she meets biologists who are trying to preserve the world's rarest fish， which lives in a single tiny pool in the middle of the Mojave; engineers who are turning carbon emissions to stone in Iceland; Australian researchers who are trying to develop a "super coral" that can survive on a hotter globe; and physicists who are contemplating shooting tiny diamonds into the stratosphere to cool the earth。
One way to look at human civilization， says Kolbert， is as a ten-thousand-year exercise in defying nature。 In The Sixth Extinction， she explored the ways in which our capacity for destruction has reshaped the natural world。 Now she examines how the very sorts of interventions that have imperiled our planet are increasingly seen as the only hope for its salvation。 By turns inspiring， terrifying， and darkly comic， Under a White Sky is an utterly original examination of the challenges we face。
RECOMMENDED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AND BILL GATES - SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR WRITING - ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post - ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time， Esquire， Publishers Weekly， Kirkus Reviews - "Beautifully and insistently， Kolbert shows us that it is time to think radically about the ways we manage the environment。"--Helen Macdonald， The New York Times
With a new afterword by the author
That man should have dominion "over all the earth， and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth" is a prophecy that has hardened into fact。 So pervasive are human impacts on the planet that it's said we live in a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene。
In Under a White Sky， Elizabeth Kolbert takes a hard look at the new world we are creating。 Along the way， she meets biologists who are trying to preserve the world's rarest fish， which lives in a single tiny pool in the middle of the Mojave; engineers who are turning carbon emissions to stone in Iceland; Australian researchers who are trying to develop a "super coral" that can survive on a hotter globe; and physicists who are contemplating shooting tiny diamonds into the stratosphere to cool the earth。
One way to look at human civilization， says Kolbert， is as a ten-thousand-year exercise in defying nature。 In The Sixth Extinction， she explored the ways in which our capacity for destruction has reshaped the natural world。 Now she examines how the very sorts of interventions that have imperiled our planet are increasingly seen as the only hope for its salvation。 By turns inspiring， terrifying， and darkly comic， Under a White Sky is an utterly original examination of the challenges we face。
Reviews
Byram
，
A quick read that is both enlightening and demoralizing。 Its premise in its approach to climate change is to highlight all the ways we've geo-engineered ourselves into problems with water and riverway design， air pollution， carbon footprints， and ocean and water-life despeciation， and how we are now essentially forced to try to geo-engineer our ways out of it。 While it feels a little fragmented in how it skips between anecdotes and ideas， the author sneaks up on you with clear-eyed writing about A quick read that is both enlightening and demoralizing。 Its premise in its approach to climate change is to highlight all the ways we've geo-engineered ourselves into problems with water and riverway design， air pollution， carbon footprints， and ocean and water-life despeciation， and how we are now essentially forced to try to geo-engineer our ways out of it。 While it feels a little fragmented in how it skips between anecdotes and ideas， the author sneaks up on you with clear-eyed writing about the awe and hopelesness that drives the innovation that we are now forced to consider。 The running theme is that we have no choice but to keep mucking with our environment to save ourselves， and how depressing that is given our long track record of just making things worse the more we meddle。 It's both a fascinating review of human ingenuity and a big old red flag。 You definitely won't leave this book feeling at all hopeful about what's to come， but it is a good read if you want to prepare for what's coming down the pike。 。。。more
JJ Im
，
다 읽고나면 책 제목이 왜 "Under A White Sky"인지 이해할 수 있다。지구의 기온상승을 억제하기 위하여 Solar geoengineering 연구의 하나로 작은 입자로 만들어진 Diamond와 같은 미세한 particle을 성층권에 뿌려 - 마치 토성의 고리와 흡사하게 - 태양 빛을 반사시키게 되면 하늘은 Blue sky에서 White sky로 변하고， 하지만 저녁 노을은 더 이상 환상적일 수 없다는 이야기인데， 그로 인하여 어떤 다른 문제들이 발생할는지는 해봐야 하는 일이고。。。， 어차피 이대로 간다면 인류는 공룡처럼 사라질지도 모르고。。。 마지막 말이 인상적인데， "This has been a book about people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems。" 도대체 우리 인간은 지나치게 독창적인가 아니면 지나치게 우둔한 건가？ Elizabeth Kolbert의 표현대로 Olym 다 읽고나면 책 제목이 왜 "Under A White Sky"인지 이해할 수 있다。지구의 기온상승을 억제하기 위하여 Solar geoengineering 연구의 하나로 작은 입자로 만들어진 Diamond와 같은 미세한 particle을 성층권에 뿌려 - 마치 토성의 고리와 흡사하게 - 태양 빛을 반사시키게 되면 하늘은 Blue sky에서 White sky로 변하고， 하지만 저녁 노을은 더 이상 환상적일 수 없다는 이야기인데， 그로 인하여 어떤 다른 문제들이 발생할는지는 해봐야 하는 일이고。。。， 어차피 이대로 간다면 인류는 공룡처럼 사라질지도 모르고。。。 마지막 말이 인상적인데， "This has been a book about people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems。" 도대체 우리 인간은 지나치게 독창적인가 아니면 지나치게 우둔한 건가？ Elizabeth Kolbert의 표현대로 Olympus산을 둘러싸고 신에게 싸움을 걸만큼。。。 。。。more
Alicja
，
Całkiem pogodna książka o tym， że nie ma co liczyć， że powstrzymany globalne ocieplenie。 Elizabeth Kolbert podaje moc przykładów na piękno życia na ziemi oraz rozmaitych działań， aby je ocalić。 Nie pozostawia jednak złudzeń。 Ogólnie polecam。
Victoria Grace
，
Kolbert is such a fascinating researcher， and somehow makes topics that are dread-inducing to even look at not just visible， but comprehensible and human-scaled。 Weird to call this one a quick， vital read but it was！
Beth
，
Really well written sections， but felt like it was missing an overall setup to start。 A lot of similar material to other books like Rising。 I think I know too much about the depressing subject to appreciate this take fully。
Octavia
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3 1/2 Stars， once more a decent read with excellent prose by the New Yorker journalist Kolbert。 Providing an overview of intriguing new solutions to extinction and climate change， Kolbert gives an insightful introduction to new technologies， in by and large elegant prose。 Still， she has a peculiar， vexatious penchant for describing the appearances and personalities of scientists she visited while writing this。 Furthermore， despite Under a White Sky's short length， there is a repetition of the im 3 1/2 Stars， once more a decent read with excellent prose by the New Yorker journalist Kolbert。 Providing an overview of intriguing new solutions to extinction and climate change， Kolbert gives an insightful introduction to new technologies， in by and large elegant prose。 Still， she has a peculiar， vexatious penchant for describing the appearances and personalities of scientists she visited while writing this。 Furthermore， despite Under a White Sky's short length， there is a repetition of the impacts of fish， several concepts of geoengineering， fundamental pillars of knowledge on global warming， and extinction explored meticulously in the more thorough preceding Pultizer's Prize-winning book The Sixth Extinction。 The coherence of the book is flawed， as it seems to be essentially a collection of essays， however， the author does not explicitly brand it as so， and the structure is an element that contrasts inferiorly to the previous book。 Notwithstanding， it is overall a commendable book。 。。。more
Casey
，
Whoa。 An excellent reminder of how little I know about the world。
Eleni Pinnow
，
This book is essentially "If You Give a Mouse a CookieIf You Give A Mouse a Cookie" in science writing。 Kolbert details the problems that are endemic to the anthropocene and the solutions to those problems （which wind up creating more problems）。 There's the expected chapter on places like New Orleans and an explanation for why there are issues with flooding and the "solutions" that have been put in place。 The book explores a variety of types of problems and solutions that have their root in huma This book is essentially "If You Give a Mouse a CookieIf You Give A Mouse a Cookie" in science writing。 Kolbert details the problems that are endemic to the anthropocene and the solutions to those problems （which wind up creating more problems）。 There's the expected chapter on places like New Orleans and an explanation for why there are issues with flooding and the "solutions" that have been put in place。 The book explores a variety of types of problems and solutions that have their root in humans interacting with nature （land loss， endangered species， climate change， invasive species）。 It's enlightening and thought-provoking。 As I finished the book I though， "hm， I'm going to need some time to process this。" I think Kolbert is one of the best science writers in the business， and this book solidifies my opinion even more。 。。。more
Daniel Franklin
，
ELIZABETH KOLBERT - UNDER A WHITE SKY 7。75/10“Under a White Sky” aptly weaves travelogue， science reporting and explanatory journalism。 Without beating around the bush or throwing you under the scientific jargon bus， she makes it apparent how far we already are from a world of balanced nature and how far we must go to find a new equilibrium for the planet's future for mankind。The book is about humans trying to mend the destruction caused by humans themselves。 Leaving the natural world to restore ELIZABETH KOLBERT - UNDER A WHITE SKY 7。75/10“Under a White Sky” aptly weaves travelogue， science reporting and explanatory journalism。 Without beating around the bush or throwing you under the scientific jargon bus， she makes it apparent how far we already are from a world of balanced nature and how far we must go to find a new equilibrium for the planet's future for mankind。The book is about humans trying to mend the destruction caused by humans themselves。 Leaving the natural world to restore itself is no longer a viable option， considering the anguish that would inevitably emanate。The people she meets are trying to overturn the course of man-made environmental disasters， whether electrifying a river， shooting diamond dust into the stratosphere or genetically modifying an invasive species into extinction （CRISPR）。 We as humans are trapped by our own arrogance。 The countries culpable for snowballing carbon emissions are the rich ones， but getting to zero would require everyone to stop emitting， including those countries that have contributed almost nothing to the problem， and getting to zero will not stop global warming， only slow it down， we have passed the point of no return。 We are THE invasive species on earth。 Animals and plants cannot be blamed for our own onslaught and annihilation of natural habitats。 Most species become invasive because they adapt （Darwin's evolution） to the baneful environment humans have created。 We are THE invasive species that seek cures for diseases often caused by our own doing。 At the rate we are going， soon， the biggest mammal outside of a zoo will soon be the cow。It has become increasingly clear that the climate we will end up with will probably not be the one life on Earth is accustomed to。 。。。more
Nadine in NY Jones
，
This was phenomenal， fantastic， fascinating， amusing， inspiring， and terrifying。 I would even say this is a "must read" for everyone。 I wasn't sure how much more there was to read about， after having read and enjoyed Kolbert's previous book， but I needn't have worried。 While the focus in The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History is on how humans are endangering species， the focus in this book is on how humans are affecting the environment。 There is plenty of new material in here， including stud This was phenomenal， fantastic， fascinating， amusing， inspiring， and terrifying。 I would even say this is a "must read" for everyone。 I wasn't sure how much more there was to read about， after having read and enjoyed Kolbert's previous book， but I needn't have worried。 While the focus in The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History is on how humans are endangering species， the focus in this book is on how humans are affecting the environment。 There is plenty of new material in here， including studies of methods to keep invasive carp out of our waterways （or convince people to love eating carp and suppress the population that way， since humans are excellent at overfishing）， how to stabilize land along the Mississippi in the Louisiana bayous， how to save coral reefs， what to do about cane toads， how to more efficiently scrub carbon from the atmosphere， how to replenish the ice sheets， and how to lower the global temperature。It's short， which some may see as a plus and others may see as a minus。 Kolbert intended to continue researching her topics when COVID hit， and she had to cancel planned trips。 I see this as a plus: she probably has extra material now ready and waiting to go into her NEXT book！ And， I just like short books。The end of the last chapter was so powerful （and it contains title！） that I feel the need to quote large chunks of it: This has been a book about people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems。 In the course of reporting it， I spoke to engineers and genetic engineers， biologists and microbiologists， atmospheric scientists and atmospheric entrepreneurs。 Without exception， they were enthusiastic about their work。 But， as a rule， this enthusiasm was tempered by doubt。 The electric fish barriers， the concrete crevasse， the fake cavern， the synthetic clouds—these were presented to me less in a spirit of techno-optimism than what might be called techno-fatalism。 They weren’t improvements on the originals; they were the best that anyone could come up with， given the circumstances。… Andy Parker is the project director for the Solar Radiation Management Governance Initiative， which works to expand the “global conversation” around geoengineering。 His preferred drug analogy for the technology is chemotherapy。 No one in his right mind would undergo chemotherapy were better options available。 “We live in a world，” he has said， “where deliberately dimming the fucking sun might be less risky than not doing it。” But to imagine that “dimming the fucking sun” could be less dangerous than not dimming it， you have to imagine not only that the technology will work according to plan but also that it will be deployed according to plan。 And that’s a lot of imagining。… scientists can only make recommendations; implementation is a political decision。 You might hope that such a decision would be made equitably with respect to those alive today and to future generations， both human and nonhuman。 But let’s just say the record here isn’t strong。… Suppose that the world—or just a small group of assertive nations—launched a fleet of SAILs [Stratospheric Aerosol Injection Lofter]。 And suppose that even as the SAILs are flying and lofting more and more tons of particles， global emissions continue to rise。 The result would not be a return to the climate of pre-industrial days or to that of the Pliocene or even that of the Eocene， when crocodiles basked on Arctic shores。 It would be an unprecedented climate for an unprecedented world， where silver carp glisten under a white sky。 。。。more
Teresa
，
hubris"a book about people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems。""techno-fatalism" hubris"a book about people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems。""techno-fatalism" 。。。more
S
，
In the author’s own words， this book is about “people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems。” It includes case studies on endangered species， geo/civil engineering， and global warming。 In each case we learn of solutions gone wrong and proposed solutions to come。 While this is an interesting overview， one part is missing: a thesis。 There are hints that it’s something like: we’ve already gone too far; human intervention is risky but inevitable。 This sentiment is clear In the author’s own words， this book is about “people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems。” It includes case studies on endangered species， geo/civil engineering， and global warming。 In each case we learn of solutions gone wrong and proposed solutions to come。 While this is an interesting overview， one part is missing: a thesis。 There are hints that it’s something like: we’ve already gone too far; human intervention is risky but inevitable。 This sentiment is clearer in the second half of the book （re。 global warming） but only timidly suggested in the first。 It left me feeling as if this conclusion was made while， not before， the book was written。 And it left me wondering at times， so what？ Now what？ 。。。more
Andy
，
Disasters tend to be in the details。 Maybe that's a boring story but it's a happier lesson than the main theme of this book。 The author uses various true stories to illustrate how trying to control nature leads to new problems that people then try to fix by trying to control nature。 I agree it is good to consider unintended consequences。 The potential harmful consequence of this book is promoting a feeling that we're doomed to a vicious cycle of never-ending disasters。 I believe there is a sort Disasters tend to be in the details。 Maybe that's a boring story but it's a happier lesson than the main theme of this book。 The author uses various true stories to illustrate how trying to control nature leads to new problems that people then try to fix by trying to control nature。 I agree it is good to consider unintended consequences。 The potential harmful consequence of this book is promoting a feeling that we're doomed to a vicious cycle of never-ending disasters。 I believe there is a sort of a recipe for manufacturing catastrophes， but that we don't have to keep following it。 Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology， Culture， and Deviance at NASAThe Cure for Catastrophe: How We Can Stop Manufacturing Natural DisastersRats， Lice， and History: Being a Study in Biography， Which， After Twelve Preliminary Chapters Indispensable for the Preparation of the Lay Reader， Deals With the Life History of Typhus FeverThe Death and Life of the Great LakesLearning from mistakes is definitely valuable。 Fixing the problems we have now is necessary。 We are part of nature。 Separating us from nature is part of the problem with global warming， etc。 The Asian carp disaster， for example， was preventable with basic principles of good project planning。 It wasn't an inevitable consequence of the publication of Silent Spring。 Overall， this book is well-written story-telling and the audio narrator is excellent， but I was a little uncomfortable with the clever theme， and the stories are things you've heard about before if you read science/environment stuff: Asian carp， the Chicago River， etc。 。。。more
Caitlin
，
This book was so interesting as it discusses what nature will look like in the age of the Anthropocene。 It was a good follow up to The Sixth Extinction。 I was shocked at some of humanity’s ‘good’ ideas that we’ve had over the years， like reversing a river’s flow。 Our hubris has caused so many problems， and are we， and our solutions， really the answer to climate change？ There were lots of important points addressed， and I really enjoyed this book for expanding my knowledge。 She’s a writer I will This book was so interesting as it discusses what nature will look like in the age of the Anthropocene。 It was a good follow up to The Sixth Extinction。 I was shocked at some of humanity’s ‘good’ ideas that we’ve had over the years， like reversing a river’s flow。 Our hubris has caused so many problems， and are we， and our solutions， really the answer to climate change？ There were lots of important points addressed， and I really enjoyed this book for expanding my knowledge。 She’s a writer I will keep reading returning to！ 。。。more
Bonnie
，
I listened to the audiobook， which may be part of the problem。 I choose to listen to this because I was so impressed and moved by Kolbert’s much better The Sixth Extinction。 this book was boring and too scientific for a lay reader。 Humans have managed to destroy rivers， lakes and natural habitats。 We have put so much carbon in our atmosphere that global warming is threatening to kill us all。 Yes， this is serious stuff， but the solutions to our problems are so incredibly complex and expensive and I listened to the audiobook， which may be part of the problem。 I choose to listen to this because I was so impressed and moved by Kolbert’s much better The Sixth Extinction。 this book was boring and too scientific for a lay reader。 Humans have managed to destroy rivers， lakes and natural habitats。 We have put so much carbon in our atmosphere that global warming is threatening to kill us all。 Yes， this is serious stuff， but the solutions to our problems are so incredibly complex and expensive and will probably have serious side effects that trying to solve them seem futile to me。 。。。more
marcia
，
very readable science and actions for climate change 。 many extintsions and how they occurred。 what we have done and what we might be able to do for the future of our world。
Eithan
，
It's a nice book， like everyone says- a book about people trying to salvage what they can from mistakes done by other people。 Sometimes it's sad， sometimes inspiring but there's always that sense that we've f*cked up the world so much that it's now only a question of how little we can save so we don't destroy it all， and it creeps the hell out of me It's a nice book， like everyone says- a book about people trying to salvage what they can from mistakes done by other people。 Sometimes it's sad， sometimes inspiring but there's always that sense that we've f*cked up the world so much that it's now only a question of how little we can save so we don't destroy it all， and it creeps the hell out of me 。。。more
Joseph
，
I really enjoyed the premise of this book - an investigation into and reflection on our ability as humans to control the environment and the the unanticipated byproducts of these efforts。 As for the content， I appreciated Kolbert's ability to connect the immense scientific/economic/logistical problems she was describing to the populations that are currently baring the brunt of our （collective） past intervention and the possible effects current remedies may have。 However， while intersting， these I really enjoyed the premise of this book - an investigation into and reflection on our ability as humans to control the environment and the the unanticipated byproducts of these efforts。 As for the content， I appreciated Kolbert's ability to connect the immense scientific/economic/logistical problems she was describing to the populations that are currently baring the brunt of our （collective） past intervention and the possible effects current remedies may have。 However， while intersting， these observations by Kolbert felt a little one-note。 Fortunately， the book wasn't very long， so my some redundancy was ok and didn't sour my overall opinion of the Under a White Sky。 I should also note that I don't have a very high aptitude for the sciences and may have failed to appreciate Kolbert's work as much as someone with more pre-existing knowledge may have。 。。。more
Maz
，
An exceptional little book that covers a range of environmental issues。 It's。。。 A necessary read， although it weighs very heavily on your heart。 Well researched， well versed， and well written。 An exceptional little book that covers a range of environmental issues。 It's。。。 A necessary read， although it weighs very heavily on your heart。 Well researched， well versed， and well written。 。。。more
molly
，
I was super excited to read this- thought that it might be a sort of non-fiction version of The Ministry for the Future。 And my expectations were probably quite high， given how much I enjoyed her earlier opus The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History。 This was good， but struck me more as an essay collection loosely tied around the theme of humans trying to solve the problems of the Anthropocene through new technology。 Like most essays， some caught my interest more than others。 The interminable I was super excited to read this- thought that it might be a sort of non-fiction version of The Ministry for the Future。 And my expectations were probably quite high， given how much I enjoyed her earlier opus The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History。 This was good， but struck me more as an essay collection loosely tied around the theme of humans trying to solve the problems of the Anthropocene through new technology。 Like most essays， some caught my interest more than others。 The interminable chapter on the pupfish living in a tiny sinkhole in the middle of the desert immediately leaps to mind as my own personal weakest link。I really shouldn't start with weak links， though， because several of the other chapters were highly interesting。 The attempts to electrocute carp in the Mississippi River/Lake Michigan water system， the beleaguered communities living on the rapidly disappearing coastline of Louisiana， some of the seemingly far-fetched schemes to launch various substances into space （including diamonds！） and more quickly turn down the temperature， attempts at carbon recapture， all of these were good stories。 Although surprisingly well-covered in fictional form by Ministry for the Future， really。One last gripe though is that the book has a distinctly unfinished feel。 She mentions COVID-19 ending her globetrotting interviews and I immediately thought aha。 Ah， well， perhaps there will be a second book。 。。。more
Angie
，
A very well written and fascinating book about humans trying to solve problems we have created。 The end of the book turns the focus to climate change and weighs the importance and implications of climate-altering geoengineering ideas。 I found the book was more realistic and direct instead of optimistic which I appreciated and it really makes you think about some big important questions
Richard Reese
，
Elizabeth Kolbert， author of the Pulitzer Award winning The Sixth Extinction， has written a potent new book， Under a White Sky。 She sums it up as “a book about people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems。” So much of what we do echoes the plot of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice folktale — vivid imaginations， half-baked cleverness， dangerous overconfidence， and zero foresight result in frightening unintended consequences。 Kolbert puts on a journalist uniform， and visits t Elizabeth Kolbert， author of the Pulitzer Award winning The Sixth Extinction， has written a potent new book， Under a White Sky。 She sums it up as “a book about people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems。” So much of what we do echoes the plot of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice folktale — vivid imaginations， half-baked cleverness， dangerous overconfidence， and zero foresight result in frightening unintended consequences。 Kolbert puts on a journalist uniform， and visits the wizards on the cutting edge of ingenious technology。 She presented eight scenarios of human hubris。 Two are about climate change。 The title， “Under a White Sky，” is a reference to her discussion of SRM。 Solar Radiation Management is what is usually meant by “geoengineering。” The goal of SRM visionaries is to reduce the rate of atmospheric warming by bouncing away a significant portion of the incoming solar radiation。 To do this， they envision dumping a million tons of highly reflective particles into the stratosphere each year — 40，000 planeloads of sulfur dioxide， calcium carbonate， or something。 Some fear that SRM would turn the blue skies white。 What could possibly go wrong？ I need to put this in context。Petroleum geologist Walter Younquist noted that in less than 500 years， we’re going to burn up the oil， gas， and coal that took more than 500 million years to create。 It took 109 years to consume the first 200 billion barrels of oil， ten years for the second 200 billion， and six and a half years for the third。 Of all the oil ever consumed， 90 percent has been used since 1958。 We’re taking a high speed one-way joyride into the deep unknown， with no brakes， and no understanding。Alice Friedemann explained why life as we know it would be impossible without fossil energy。 Many core processes cannot be run on electric power — trucking， shipping， air travel， manufacturing， agriculture， mining， and so on。 Wind turbines， solar panels， and high capacity storage batteries have limited working lifespans， and making them requires high impact processes and materials。 They are “re-buildable，” not “renewable。” The current electric grids of the world were not designed to reliably function on intermittent inflows of energy。 So， the global transition to happy “green” energy would be a monumental undertaking。The atmosphere is already overloaded with greenhouse gases， and we constantly add more。 This leads to a perpetual downward spiral。 As the gases accumulate， the atmosphere retains more heat， shiny white ice sheets keep melting， so less incoming solar heat is reflected away， so the atmosphere gets warmer， so more ice melts…， etc。 Vast regions of permafrost are beginning to thaw， allowing ancient organic material to decompose， and emit methane。 Vast undersea deposits of frozen methane hydrates are beginning to melt， sending even more methane into the atmosphere。 Consequently， this is why the planet’s formerly tolerable climate is shape-shifting into a furious city-smashing movie monster。 It’s important to understand that the carbon released into the atmosphere does not quickly dissipate， it accumulates。 Environmental historian J。 R。 McNeill wrote， “Some proportion， perhaps as much as a quarter， of the roughly 300 billion tons of carbon released to the atmosphere between 1945 and 2015 will remain aloft for a few hundred thousand years。” If all of humankind camped on Mars for 50 years， the warming cycle on Earth would not promptly stop。 Not everyone is an enthusiastic fan of SRM。 As the planet continues warming， more flights will be needed to release more tonnage of reflective particles。 What goes up， must come down。 Could falling dust harm our lungs？ If sulfur dioxide particles were used， this could damage the ozone layer， and add sulfuric acid to the rain。 The bottom line is that SRM does not eliminate the primary cause of climate change — massive ongoing emissions of carbon compounds。Kolbert also discussed a theoretical solution to the climate crisis。 She visited the brave new world of Direct Air Capture （DAC）。 It involves extracting the carbon from the atmosphere， and injecting it deep underground at locations with ideal geology， where it would mineralize into calcium carbonate， and harmlessly stay there forever。 One plan involved building 100 million trailer sized DAC units around the world。 It sounds like a miracle， the answer to our prayers。 We can save the world and keep living like lunatics too！In another scenario， she discussed Chicago’s heroic war on Asian carp。 The city is a ghastly disaster area that generates enormous amounts of sewage， garbage， pollution， and toxic waste。 Years ago， the Chicago River was used to conveniently move lots of crud into Lake Michigan， where it would be out of sight， out of mind， and out of nose。 Eventually， a few oddballs began to wonder if this was intelligent。 Luckily， experts solved the problem by changing the course of the flow。 They began sending the filthy dreck down the new Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal， which would eventually dump it into the Mississippi River， which is far less sacred to many Americans。 Unfortunately， the river is home to four species of Asian carp， some of which can weigh up to 100 pounds （45 kg）。 In the Mississippi， when motorboats pass by， numerous carp leap high into the air， sometimes injuring fishermen， and knocking boaters overboard。 Waterskiing has become an especially dangerous activity。Unfortunately， Chicago’s alterations to the flow of filth was not a flawless design。 It was theoretically possible for carp to migrate into the Great Lakes。 The carp are so good at extracting plankton that it was possible they might deplete food resources that enabled the survival of indigenous lake fish。 If they spread throughout the Great Lakes， it would be a death sentence for sport fish like walleye and perch。 This upset some folks。 Rachel Carson opposed poisoning the new canal， so they installed electrified underwater fences to electrocute the carp。 What were Asian carp doing in the Mississippi？ In 1964， the U。S。 Fish and Wildlife Service imported the fish to control exotic aquatic weeds。 How smart was that？Kolbert also spent time with folks engaged in genetic engineering。 The cool new CRISPR technology enables them to make green chickens。 Other gene splicers want to resurrect the extinct passenger pigeon。 My father was in diapers when the last bird died in 1914。 Some estimate that there were once 3 to 5 billion passenger pigeons。 In 1800， they may have been the most numerous birds on Earth。 The pigeons were forest animals， and their primary food was mast — nuts and berries that grew on trees and woody brush。 A。 W。 Schorger （1884-1972） wrote an outstanding book on pigeon history。 He mentioned a 1663 report from Quebec， noting that one scattershot blast into a dense flock could kill up to 132 birds。 Some migrating flocks， a mile wide （1。6 km）， and miles long， darkened the sky for up to three days。 Folks could hear the roar of countless wings before the flocks came into view。 They could fly up to 62 miles per hour （100 km/h）。 Farmers hated the huge flocks that generously assisted at harvest time。 Market hunters adored them as an easy way to make money。 In 1913， William Hornaday wrote， “In 1869， from the town of Hartford， Michigan， three car loads of dead pigeons were shipped to market each day for forty days， making a total of 11，880，000 birds。 It is recorded that another Michigan town marketed 15，840，000 in two years。”Should we bring the pigeons back from extinction？ Forests were where they nested， where they roosted for the night， and home to their primary food resource， nuts。 While the hunters were taking a devastating toll on the birds， others were obliterating their habitat。 Loggers eagerly turned forests into gold。 Farmers nuked forests to expand cropland and pasture。 Explosive population growth converted forest ecosystems into hideous hotbeds of industrial civilization。 Greetings GMO pigeons！ Welcome to our nightmare！ Enjoy your resurrection！Kolbert’s book is easy to read， not too long， provides us with a provocative look in the mirror， and encourages us to reexamine our blind faith in unquestioned beliefs。 She gave us a pair of dueling quotes。 Hippy visionary Stewart Brand once asserted， “We are as gods and might as well get good at it。” This annoyed biologist E。 O。 Wilson， who responded， “We are not as gods。 We’re not yet sentient or intelligent enough to be much of anything。” A one hour interview with Kolbert discussing this book is HERE。 The message is， if you’re not pessimistic about the future， you’re not paying attention。 。。。more
Patti
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Kolbert presents us with a Pandora's box of geoengineering， only forgetting to include the hope。 It's a sobering read。 I was too depressed to give it 5 stars。 Kolbert presents us with a Pandora's box of geoengineering， only forgetting to include the hope。 It's a sobering read。 I was too depressed to give it 5 stars。 。。。more
Scott Humphries
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This is a worthwhile， if light， review of the environmental funk we find ourselves in。 Kolbert starts with a rundown on our perennial （and sometimes wacky） efforts to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes and then broadens her analysis to include all sorts of examples where we've shot ourselves in the foot trying to manipulate the environment， all as a precursor to discussing what we do about carbon emissions and the rising average global temperature。 Short and worth a read。 This is a worthwhile， if light， review of the environmental funk we find ourselves in。 Kolbert starts with a rundown on our perennial （and sometimes wacky） efforts to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes and then broadens her analysis to include all sorts of examples where we've shot ourselves in the foot trying to manipulate the environment， all as a precursor to discussing what we do about carbon emissions and the rising average global temperature。 Short and worth a read。 。。。more
Nitay
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A great read。 Kolbert is a delightful writer， keeping the feel both serious but never overbearing， as many environmental books can be。 The different chapters are refreshingly short and succinct， rarely feeling dragging or tiring。
Megan
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A fascinating book about people who are （paraphrasing Kolbert） trying to solve the world's biggest problems， which were created by people who were trying to solve the world's biggest problems。 A fascinating book about people who are （paraphrasing Kolbert） trying to solve the world's biggest problems， which were created by people who were trying to solve the world's biggest problems。 。。。more
Nicola Bramwell
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[ Cross-posted to the Nicola Bramwell Blog ]I honestly wasn’t a big fan of Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction—I thought it was too long and meandering—so I’m happy to report that I enjoyed this book a whole lot more。 It was much shorter and to the point， and it provided a lot of interesting information about conservation efforts that I had never heard of before。While Kolbert reviews the various environmental issues plaguing us today， she spends less time describing these issues in detail and mor [ Cross-posted to the Nicola Bramwell Blog ]I honestly wasn’t a big fan of Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction—I thought it was too long and meandering—so I’m happy to report that I enjoyed this book a whole lot more。 It was much shorter and to the point， and it provided a lot of interesting information about conservation efforts that I had never heard of before。While Kolbert reviews the various environmental issues plaguing us today， she spends less time describing these issues in detail and more time on the various methods that the world’s best scientists and engineers are exploring to potentially resolve these issues。 Kolbert covers several major topics， including loss of biodiversity， widespread coastal flooding and loss of landmass due to rising ocean levels， worsening weather patterns， and the melting of glaciers。The book feels more like several smaller works strung together rather than one cohesive book with a main idea， but I didn’t mind that because it allowed Kolbert to trim out the excess narration that I felt plagued The Sixth Extinction and focus more closely on delivering important information。That said， I have read more informative and in-depth books on conversation efforts and environmental issues in recent years， so this one falls firmly in the “slightly above average” category。 。。。more
Dawn Perrett
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I listened to it on an audiobook。 Somewhat interesting。 I viewed it as a college lecture series。
Brian Norman
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Exceptionally researched and tightly written， this book on climate change and what we are trying to do about it is a rewarding read。 Amazing how many ingenious ways we have of combating climate change yet cannot raise the funds to do so。
Geoffrey Hagberg
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