Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future
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- Author：Elizabeth Kolbert
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Summary
'Important， necessary， urgent and phenomenally interesting' HELEN MACDONALD，
New York Times
ONE OF THE SUNDAY TIMES 'BOOKS OF 2021'
The author of the international bestseller 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？
Elizabeth Kolbert has become one of the most important writers on the environment。 Now she investigates the immense challenges humanity faces as we scramble to reverse， in a matter of decades， the effects we've had on the atmosphere， the oceans， the world's forests and rivers - on the very topography of the globe。
In Under a White Sky， she 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 desert; 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， changing the sky from blue to white。
One way to look at human civilisation， 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 imperilled 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。
ONE OF THE SUNDAY TIMES 'BOOKS OF 2021'
The author of the international bestseller 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？
Elizabeth Kolbert has become one of the most important writers on the environment。 Now she investigates the immense challenges humanity faces as we scramble to reverse， in a matter of decades， the effects we've had on the atmosphere， the oceans， the world's forests and rivers - on the very topography of the globe。
In Under a White Sky， she 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 desert; 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， changing the sky from blue to white。
One way to look at human civilisation， 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 imperilled 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
James Boyce
，
This book is really interesting。 The goal is to think through the technological advances necessary to live in a world that is going through the implications of climate change and then to consider the implications of these moves。 We have got ourselves here through technological advancement， what technological advancement will be necessary to make a livable future？ Some of the interesting examples surveyed were electrifying the Chicago River to prevent an Asian Carp infestation in the Great Lakes This book is really interesting。 The goal is to think through the technological advances necessary to live in a world that is going through the implications of climate change and then to consider the implications of these moves。 We have got ourselves here through technological advancement， what technological advancement will be necessary to make a livable future？ Some of the interesting examples surveyed were electrifying the Chicago River to prevent an Asian Carp infestation in the Great Lakes Basin， dealing with a sinking Louisiana coast while still managing the floods from the Mississippi， using reflective particles to block some radiation from the sun （sounds like science-fiction）， and taking carbon from the atmosphere and pumping it underground。I enjoyed reading this and learned a lot about the implications of the current amount of atmospheric carbon and a changing planet。 。。。more
Paul
，
Maybe I'm too well read （ha！）， but the book seemed a little redundancy to me。 Much of what she discusses involves science of which I am already aware。 （Kolbert's "The Sixth Extinction" was a sure-fire 5-star hit。 But her last section explaining the book's title was eye-opening to me。 And I recommend it if only for that。 But the other sections follow some other aspects of global warming's effects and possible treatments， so others should be 'woke' by the book's overall discussions。 Maybe I'm too well read （ha！）， but the book seemed a little redundancy to me。 Much of what she discusses involves science of which I am already aware。 （Kolbert's "The Sixth Extinction" was a sure-fire 5-star hit。 But her last section explaining the book's title was eye-opening to me。 And I recommend it if only for that。 But the other sections follow some other aspects of global warming's effects and possible treatments， so others should be 'woke' by the book's overall discussions。 。。。more
Mal Warwick
，
For at least 200，000 years， homo sapiens enjoyed the bounty of the Earth， rendering only minimal damage to the planet。 That began to change with the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the late eighteenth century。 Achim Steiner， Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme， explains。 “The pressures we exert on the planet have become so great that scientists are considering whether the Earth has entered an entirely new geological epoch: the Anthropocene， or the age of humans。 It m For at least 200，000 years， homo sapiens enjoyed the bounty of the Earth， rendering only minimal damage to the planet。 That began to change with the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the late eighteenth century。 Achim Steiner， Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme， explains。 “The pressures we exert on the planet have become so great that scientists are considering whether the Earth has entered an entirely new geological epoch: the Anthropocene， or the age of humans。 It means that we are the first people to live in an age defined by human choice， in which the dominant risk to our survival is ourselves。” Now， steps we have taken to better our lives are coming back to haunt us。 It’s high time to change the habits that threaten the future of life on Earth。Today， all but the most isolated individual is aware of the climate crisis。 It’s the most dramatic and far-reaching consequence of our continuing efforts to control nature。 But the damage our species has inflicted on Planet Earth goes far beyond the carbon emissions that accelerate climate change。 And it’s that damage， and what men and women are doing to reverse it， that’s the subject of Elizabeth Kolbert’s absorbing new book， Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future。 As she explains， it’s “a book about people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems。”Exploring the efforts to reverse the control of natureIn a previous book， The Sixth Extinction， Elizabeth Kolbert eloquently demonstrated how human activity has triggered a massive reduction in the diversity of life on Earth。 It’s only the sixth mass extinction in our planet’s history。 Now she has turned her discerning eye to the efforts by scientists （and some people in business） to tackle such problems as invasive species and the loss of coastal land through flooding as well as rising carbon emissions。 She has traveled widely， touching down in Death Valley， Iceland， Australia， and Switzerland。 And she did not conduct typical journalistic interviews that may last an hour or three。 Kolbert hangs out with her subjects for as long as a week at a time。 And she gets her hands dirty。Invasive speciesKolbert opens with the reversal of the Chicago River in the nineteenth century that “upended the hydrology of roughly two-thirds of the United States。” One of the consequences was the ever-present threat that Asian carp will make their way into the Great Lakes。 Asian “carp were first introduced to control nuisance algae blooms and aquatic vegetation in aquaculture facilities， farm ponds and sewage lagoons。” Now， four invasive species of carp native to Asia are leaving “a trail of environmental destruction in their wake” on the Mississippi River。“A well-fed grass carp can weigh more than eighty pounds，” Kolbert explains。 “In a single day it can eat almost half of its body weight， and it lays hundreds of thousands of eggs at a time。” And since the Chicago River， and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal， were diverted to connect to the Mississippi through the Illinois River， wildlife scientists are fighting a desperate battle to keep Asian carp out of the channel。 Should they reach the Great Lakes， the damage to the regional economy will be massive。 This is just one dramatic example of the high stakes on the table in the efforts to reverse the control of nature。Flood control gone awryThe United States Army Corps of Engineers is actively engaged both on the Mississippi’s northern reaches and on its southern。 Though little known in much of the country， the Corps of Engineers has played a pivotal role in our history。 The Panama Canal。 The St。 Lawrence Seaway。 The Bonneville Dam。 The Manhattan Project。 The Corps built them all。 But now， as Kolbert explains， “the Corps finds itself increasingly involved in backward-looping， second-order efforts” like erecting and managing electric barriers on the Sanitary and Ship Canal to block Asian carp from escaping to the Great Lakes。But the Corps of Engineers’ highest-profile work these days is its management of the levees， floodgates， and spillways on the lower reaches of the Mississippi。 In decades past， the Corps diverted the river to minimize flooding。 In part as a result， “Louisiana has shrunk by more than two thousand square miles” since the 1930s。 The “vast system， built to keep southern Louisiana dry， is the very reason the region is disintegrating， coming apart like an old shoe。”Saving endangered species and reversing global warmingIn each of these scenes， Kolbert introduces us to “engineers and genetic engineers， biologists and microbiologists， atmospheric scientists and atmospheric entrepreneurs。” They’re struggling to come to grips with the unintended consequences of man’s folly and to reverse the control of nature。 Every one of the people we encounter comes across as a three-dimensional human being in the author’s skillful presentation。 Later， she explores what dedicated scientists are doing to save endangered species such as the Devils Hole pupfish in Nevada and coral reefs in the Caribbean。 She visits a company pioneering negative-emissions technologies to absorb and sequester carbon dioxide in rocks。 She shows how another invasive species， the poisonous cane toad， is wreaking havoc in Australia。 There， scientists hope to use parasites and toad communication signals to combat the menace。Using genetic engineeringOthers Kolbert interviews in Australia are exploring genetic engineering。 As she contends， “The strongest argument for gene editing cane toads， house mice， and ship rats is also the simplest: what’s the alternative？ Rejecting such technologies as unnatural isn’t going to bring nature back。 。 。 The issue， at this point， is not whether we’re going to alter nature， but to what end？ ‘We are as gods and might as well get good at it，’ Stewart Brand” insists。The damage we do to the planet we shareHow on Earth have we managed to come so close to extinguishing life on Planet Earth？ Let me count the ways。** Introducing invasive species like the Asian carp in the USA and rabbits in Australia， whether intentionally or not** Building cities and expanding the reach of forage for animals， thus causing us to strip the Earth bare of trees and encroach on millions of acres of arable land** Polluting the atmosphere—and our bones—with radiation from decades of nuclear testing** Contaminating the soil， the water， and our bodies alike with immeasurable quantities of manufactured chemicals** Despoiling the seas with torrents of plastic waste** And， of course， burning colossal tonnages of fossil fuels that spew forth carbon emissions which now girdle the skies above usThe problems are legion。 “Atmospheric warming， ocean warming， ocean acidification， eutrophication—these are just some of the by-products of our species’s success，” Kolbert notes。At the root of much of this misbehavior lies overpopulation—and all the human “progress” that has enabled it。 Yes， we pay an enormous price for the comfortable lives we live。 And the reckoning is upon us。 It’s high time to reverse the control of nature that our species has pursued since the dawn of the Agricultural Revolution。About the authorNew Yorker staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert （born 1961） received the Pulitzer Prize for her sweeping survey of The Sixth Extinction。 Both that book and Under a White Sky as well as other examples of her writing examine aspects of the environmental chaos caused by human action in the Anthropocene。 Under a White Sky is her fifth book to date。 。。。more
Jorge Cimentada
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book was far from what I expected。 Some people suggested it because it can help balance out 'How to avoid a Climate Disaster' with readily available technology that is ready for usage。 The only chapter I slightly enjoyed on this book is the one about geoengineering but overall I didn't think the book is well written。 There were sudden jumps throughout the text to interviews which seemed out of place。 There was no 'real' explanation of any phenomena and when you found one， it quickly diverge This book was far from what I expected。 Some people suggested it because it can help balance out 'How to avoid a Climate Disaster' with readily available technology that is ready for usage。 The only chapter I slightly enjoyed on this book is the one about geoengineering but overall I didn't think the book is well written。 There were sudden jumps throughout the text to interviews which seemed out of place。 There was no 'real' explanation of any phenomena and when you found one， it quickly diverged to a quote from someone Kolbert was interviewing， putting you out of place。 There's no depth in the arguments or explanations but rather a superficial account of some technologies that we're using to adapt the planet to climate change。 I give it to two stars because towards the end of the book I started to enjoy the chapter on geoengineering but it was mostly because I find that topic interesting more than the content or writing style。 Some things I took from this book:- Geoengineering is literally playing god。 We have no idea what will happen if we spray stuff in the troposphere/atmosphere to keep earth cooler。 Moreover， there are difficult political dilemmas associated with this。- If we stop producing carbon dioxide tomorrow， the earth will continue to warm and there's no guarantee that it goes back to pre-industrial times。 In parallel to any effort we make to reduce carbon dioxide we should be striving to use things like genetic engineering to make crops， fish， coral reef and other animals which are much more heat resistant because heat will simply not go away for a long time。 。。。more
Luca Tanaka
，
A thought-provoking examination of the state of our fight struggle agains climate change。 Grim at times， but with a bent towards creativity （as the situation requires）， Kolbert questions whether we are beyond not just reversal， but mitigation， and squarely in the realm of "addictive" and inescapable countermeasures。 Kolbert is concerned with our role in Nature and how unnatural we have driven Nature to be and what that means for our fight against climate change going forward。 This is a valuable A thought-provoking examination of the state of our fight struggle agains climate change。 Grim at times， but with a bent towards creativity （as the situation requires）， Kolbert questions whether we are beyond not just reversal， but mitigation， and squarely in the realm of "addictive" and inescapable countermeasures。 Kolbert is concerned with our role in Nature and how unnatural we have driven Nature to be and what that means for our fight against climate change going forward。 This is a valuable contribution to current climate thought and literature， though I dearly hope Kolbert's fears are not fully realized。 。。。more
Jim
，
This is a story about manmade “natural” disasters。 Kolbert shows us the connection between leaping carp in Chicagoland， land loss in the Louisiana delta， the disappearance of coral reefs， and species extinctions around the world。 That connection is us。 Some of “us” are working on solutions that could make a difference; this is their story， too。
Colin
，
essential reading 。 shows difficulties when humans try to alter nature。
Jeroen Verbraak
，
After reading a book， I always try to answer the question: what have I learned？ I'm still a bit in the dark; let me try to explain。。Comparing to her previous book （The Sixth Extinction） - which I really enjoyed - this book felt quite unfinished。 Yes - it was nice to read about some of the scientific （and less scientific） ideas to tackle Climate Change; the bath-tube analogy helps to understand why going to zero emissions will not help， and negative emission technologies are required to safe us f After reading a book， I always try to answer the question: what have I learned？ I'm still a bit in the dark; let me try to explain。。Comparing to her previous book （The Sixth Extinction） - which I really enjoyed - this book felt quite unfinished。 Yes - it was nice to read about some of the scientific （and less scientific） ideas to tackle Climate Change; the bath-tube analogy helps to understand why going to zero emissions will not help， and negative emission technologies are required to safe us from peril （e。g。 removing carbon dioxide from the air， solar radiation management。。）。 however， since Climate Change is so interwoven with politics， it would have been a great addition to sense check the proposed technologies with actual policy-makers （e。g。 what is feasible？ What is blocking us to move ahead？ etc。）， and how to scale-up the initiatives so they can start making an impact （e。g。 Carbon tax？）。 。。。more
Lib DM
，
Elizabeth's Kolbert puts forth a viewpoint I never really thought of。 I am not a climate expert and not confidently versed in the problem nor solution （which is why I read the book）。 So it was a somber thought that the climate could not be "fixed" ， but rather the carbon emitted in the atmosphere can be both reduced and removed。 We're not going to solve this problem， we're just slowing the severe and catastrophic conclusion of it all （and hope to not see that end for a very long time）。 I found t Elizabeth's Kolbert puts forth a viewpoint I never really thought of。 I am not a climate expert and not confidently versed in the problem nor solution （which is why I read the book）。 So it was a somber thought that the climate could not be "fixed" ， but rather the carbon emitted in the atmosphere can be both reduced and removed。 We're not going to solve this problem， we're just slowing the severe and catastrophic conclusion of it all （and hope to not see that end for a very long time）。 I found the first chapter on the carp quite unamusing but it picked up well in the next few chapters。 It was fascinating to read "mad scientists" come up with ways to hack， alter， trick， or recode the way our planet and it's beings function and survive。 It was also interesting for them to think aloud and ask "is it better to try this insane idea that may do harm or do nothing and face another type of harm？"。 From electrifying waters， recoding genomes， converting carbon into rock stored underground， or using volcanoes as a major influence。 The positive （and sliver of hope） I take away from this book is that there are some passionate， driven， and smart people who devote their lives to solving the problems we created （caused by people who tried to solve problems！）。 。。。more
Mary Mccullough
，
Pretty interesting and depressing at the same time。 How do we not create more problems trying to undo the problems we've already created with respect to the environment and climate change。 Pretty interesting and depressing at the same time。 How do we not create more problems trying to undo the problems we've already created with respect to the environment and climate change。 。。。more
Donald L。 Brandis
，
A short goodbye。 We have maybe 30 years， before climate change overwhelms us。 In her final chapter Kolbert reports of the findings from Greenland ice core samples showing climates from the last hundred thousand years or so。 Most of that time the 'climate' was so unstable， with temperatures shooting up or plunging 10-15 degrees or so in a few decades， that they hardly deserve to be called a climate。 We will try to save ourselves， cutting back on greenhouse gases， salting the atmosphere with refle A short goodbye。 We have maybe 30 years， before climate change overwhelms us。 In her final chapter Kolbert reports of the findings from Greenland ice core samples showing climates from the last hundred thousand years or so。 Most of that time the 'climate' was so unstable， with temperatures shooting up or plunging 10-15 degrees or so in a few decades， that they hardly deserve to be called a climate。 We will try to save ourselves， cutting back on greenhouse gases， salting the atmosphere with reflective particles， sucking CO2 out of the the air and sequestering it in rock， but these efforts aren't likely to make much difference except to accelerate the processes already underway。 。。。more
Lindsey Bailey
，
I can't decide if it was more heartbreaking or hopeful。 In any case， I learned a LOT about the relationship between humans and the environment。 Nothing is without consequences - even our solutions。 I can't decide if it was more heartbreaking or hopeful。 In any case， I learned a LOT about the relationship between humans and the environment。 Nothing is without consequences - even our solutions。 。。。more
Bryan Alexander
，
Under a White Sky explores ways humans are presently trying to protect or improve nature， which sounds much less interesting than the book actually is。 Kolbert writes admirably， clearly explaining complex topics （scientific， engineering， local politics） with a sense of humor and keen eye for human personality。 She also describes the nonhuman world brilliantly。The book consists of short essays about different human interventions in the natural world。 It offers stories about attempts to control As Under a White Sky explores ways humans are presently trying to protect or improve nature， which sounds much less interesting than the book actually is。 Kolbert writes admirably， clearly explaining complex topics （scientific， engineering， local politics） with a sense of humor and keen eye for human personality。 She also describes the nonhuman world brilliantly。The book consists of short essays about different human interventions in the natural world。 It offers stories about attempts to control Asian carp in Chicago， to preserve tiny pupfish in Death Valley， to resurrect corals around the Great Barrier Reef， and ultimately to adjust global warming。 Until the last it reminds me of John McPhee's Control of Nature （1989）， which Kolbert namechecks as she explores attempts to protect Louisiana's southern edge from the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi。 Throughout Kolbert maintains a tricky attitude， mixing empathy for human daring with sympathy for parts of nature suffering catastrophic change。 Under a White Sky is neither optimistic nor pessimistic， but documentary and wondering。Recommended。 。。。more
Jeankil
，
She does a terrific job of explaining things。 Not as "eye-opening" as her SIXTH EXTINCTION but just as scary。 She does a terrific job of explaining things。 Not as "eye-opening" as her SIXTH EXTINCTION but just as scary。 。。。more
Adam Cohen
，
Great read - quick and interesting with a focus on stories that cover the scope of climate change and our misadventures with trying to control nature on a grand scale。 For anybody who ever lived in Chicago， the story explaining the mechanics behind reversing the flow of the Chicago river is fascinating。 Please let’s not try geoengineering and expect a positive or benign result。 Remember， nature finds a way - always！
Michele
，
This book is a series of essays on things that will effect the future。 From pupfish conservation， to engineering rivers to assisted evolution （for coral reefs and cane toads） to geoengineering glaciers and the stratosphere， its all here in this book。 A look at how we humans can fix what we started， capturing Co2。
Gordon Cameron
，
4。5
Tom
，
I enjoyed reading this book。 Each chapter could almost be stand alone and they covered very current issues and had a ray of hope in them if we follow the right path。 The net resutl is that there are many people very smart people working on today's problems。 I enjoyed reading this book。 Each chapter could almost be stand alone and they covered very current issues and had a ray of hope in them if we follow the right path。 The net resutl is that there are many people very smart people working on today's problems。 。。。more
David
，
Kolbert says this book is about people trying solve problems created by people trying to solve problems。 A species is placed in an area it has never been before to combat a disease in the trees of that area。 The new species takes over。 To combat that unintended consequence， some other species is introduced。 And so on。 Reading this book after Kolbert’s Sixth Extinction does not inspire much hope。 Humans have a done on number on the world’s environment。 Can our technology rectify things or， in our Kolbert says this book is about people trying solve problems created by people trying to solve problems。 A species is placed in an area it has never been before to combat a disease in the trees of that area。 The new species takes over。 To combat that unintended consequence， some other species is introduced。 And so on。 Reading this book after Kolbert’s Sixth Extinction does not inspire much hope。 Humans have a done on number on the world’s environment。 Can our technology rectify things or， in our attempt to fix things， make it worse？ Do we have a choice but to try？ 。。。more
Ron
，
Elizabeth Kolbert has definitely grown as an author。 Though I learned a lot and appreciated her book The Sixth Extinction I felt like I was constantly being pummeled with disappointing facts。 Granted the subject matter didn't leave much room for levity。 But in this book she was able inject some humor and humanity into the story while not sugar coating the facts。 Her short asides and interesting tidbits about the people she was interviewing lightened the reading enough to not make it a slog。 Not Elizabeth Kolbert has definitely grown as an author。 Though I learned a lot and appreciated her book The Sixth Extinction I felt like I was constantly being pummeled with disappointing facts。 Granted the subject matter didn't leave much room for levity。 But in this book she was able inject some humor and humanity into the story while not sugar coating the facts。 Her short asides and interesting tidbits about the people she was interviewing lightened the reading enough to not make it a slog。 Not quite Mary Roach level but just enough。Highly recommended to anyone concerned about climate change and it's effects。 。。。more
Mark
，
A journalist looks at historical attempts at controlling nature （e。g。 the Mississippi's floods in New orleans） and their unintended consequences which then need further engineering to control for in a never ending cycle。 The real world examples and in depth journalism shine。 Great read very informative。 A journalist looks at historical attempts at controlling nature （e。g。 the Mississippi's floods in New orleans） and their unintended consequences which then need further engineering to control for in a never ending cycle。 The real world examples and in depth journalism shine。 Great read very informative。 。。。more
Natalie
，
INCREDIBLE。 I mean， Barack Obama called it "a wonderful book，" so I can't say much more， but I learned so much， felt so much， enjoyed it so much。 Kolbert turns science into poetry in this brief history of the Anthropocene， balancing on the knife's edge of fatalism between hopeful action and passive despair as she looks to our collective future。 INCREDIBLE。 I mean， Barack Obama called it "a wonderful book，" so I can't say much more， but I learned so much， felt so much， enjoyed it so much。 Kolbert turns science into poetry in this brief history of the Anthropocene， balancing on the knife's edge of fatalism between hopeful action and passive despair as she looks to our collective future。 。。。more
Dan Castrigano
，
Really great。 It's like a list of all the techno-fixes available to humans to save us from climate and ecological catastrophe。 I was always adamantly against all of these things， but I think I might have been swayed a little bit。 I can't find the quote at the moment， but I think this stuck with me the most: it was something like - "No healthy person would ever undergo chemotherapy。 But if you have cancer， you get chemotherapy to keep you alive。 Same thing as the climate。 We've changed it。 And th Really great。 It's like a list of all the techno-fixes available to humans to save us from climate and ecological catastrophe。 I was always adamantly against all of these things， but I think I might have been swayed a little bit。 I can't find the quote at the moment， but I think this stuck with me the most: it was something like - "No healthy person would ever undergo chemotherapy。 But if you have cancer， you get chemotherapy to keep you alive。 Same thing as the climate。 We've changed it。 And there's no going back。 So maybe we do something drastic and damaging to give us a better shot at surviving。" Completely butchered it， but you get the idea。 。。。more
JH
，
This felt more like several Atlantic articles than a truly cohesive book， but it was still fascinating。 And terrifying！ The one theme that tied the stories together was humanity’s role in making a mess of the earth， and how trying to fix it tended to make things worse。
Lynne
，
This is absolutely the best book written about what is happening on our planet and how we should look at the future。 Kolbert looks at several issues that are developing and she visits with people who have ideas about what possible solutions there might be。 We might be able to intervene in the world we have created in ways that may give us a future。 It will not be again what it has been in the past; we have changed that since we began intervening in life on this planet。 Most of the books I have r This is absolutely the best book written about what is happening on our planet and how we should look at the future。 Kolbert looks at several issues that are developing and she visits with people who have ideas about what possible solutions there might be。 We might be able to intervene in the world we have created in ways that may give us a future。 It will not be again what it has been in the past; we have changed that since we began intervening in life on this planet。 Most of the books I have read have left me pretty much discouraged about where we are going in the future。 In this presentation， the author has spoken with people who are pursuing some very interesting interventions， so I was left with the feeling that we may not go down without a fight。 Life will be different for our grandchildren and those beyond， but there may be some things that we can do about it。 She travels to far-reaching places and talks with some very innovative people。 Anyone who has environmental concerns should read this book。 I almost never give 5 stars， but in this case， I did without reservation。 。。。more
Stephanie
，
I think I wanted to be Kolbert when I was younger - an environmental journalist。 Her first essay/chapter got me hooked - I had written college essays about Louisiana， and theses about “fixing” environmental issues thus collecting （um， causing！） unintended debt for future environmental issues。 She went wide and deep into these stories， and I appreciated her critical humor （at times）。 The resources spent on pupfish is fascinating。 The counter counter arguments to gene 🧬 altering fascinating。 The k I think I wanted to be Kolbert when I was younger - an environmental journalist。 Her first essay/chapter got me hooked - I had written college essays about Louisiana， and theses about “fixing” environmental issues thus collecting （um， causing！） unintended debt for future environmental issues。 She went wide and deep into these stories， and I appreciated her critical humor （at times）。 The resources spent on pupfish is fascinating。 The counter counter arguments to gene 🧬 altering fascinating。 The knowledge and science behind her stories existential-crisis-causing。 Human behavior and short sightedness。 Our role in our future。 My favorite kind of books。 What a read for the （COVID， political environment， fire tornado， drought， etc） times。 。。。more
Terry Earley
，
recommended ebook 3-31-2021
Marc Faoite
，
Anyone who read Kim Stanley Robinson's latest novel Ministry of the Future will be nodding along in recognition at many of the technologies described here。 In some ways both books make useful companion pieces， the novelist's fiction extrapolating on the possible impacts of some of the facts Kolbert lays out here。 This is a chilling read and an important antidote to Bill Gates' How to Avoid a Climate Disaster with its naive and quasi-religious faith in the power of the invisible hand of the marke Anyone who read Kim Stanley Robinson's latest novel Ministry of the Future will be nodding along in recognition at many of the technologies described here。 In some ways both books make useful companion pieces， the novelist's fiction extrapolating on the possible impacts of some of the facts Kolbert lays out here。 This is a chilling read and an important antidote to Bill Gates' How to Avoid a Climate Disaster with its naive and quasi-religious faith in the power of the invisible hand of the market to not only save us through tech but make shed-loads of money in the process。 。。。more
Randy Rasa
，
A selection of concepts for mitigating climate change。 This reminds me of lot of Bill Gates' recent How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need， though it's far less comprehensive， and less compelling。 Each of the concepts is like a long-form popular science article， and each is a fine piece of reporting in its own regard， but the book as a whole just doesn't come together for me， and it doesn't add up to a cohesive vision。 I was underwhelmed by Kolbert's A selection of concepts for mitigating climate change。 This reminds me of lot of Bill Gates' recent How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need， though it's far less comprehensive， and less compelling。 Each of the concepts is like a long-form popular science article， and each is a fine piece of reporting in its own regard， but the book as a whole just doesn't come together for me， and it doesn't add up to a cohesive vision。 I was underwhelmed by Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History as well， so perhaps I simply don't get along with this author's work。 。。。more
Lynsey Sharp
，