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desh951's review
4.0
Refreshing views on climate change. It is encouraging and not all doom and gloom.
kagera's review
2.0
Relates risks and possible solutions to climate change to other problem areas, which does not necessarily happen in a reflected way in media coverage.
BUT oversimplifies and generalizes a complex issue. It also suggests that the scientific consensus on climate change and its risks does not take into account the arguments the author makes in the book - which is not true.
BUT oversimplifies and generalizes a complex issue. It also suggests that the scientific consensus on climate change and its risks does not take into account the arguments the author makes in the book - which is not true.
kelsiecb's review
informative
slow-paced
2.5
I found this book to be written in a pretty engaging way for the subject matter, and I do think the author made some good points regarding nuclear energy, the harms of conservation colonialism, and the idea that being in full panic mode about the impending climate apocalypse is not only unhelpful in a personal way, but causes some larger scale poor decisions to be made. I do think Shellenberger engages in a fair amount of information bombing, dropping so many facts that no casual reader can actually hope to check up on them, the last third of the book is his citations. My main critique of the book is that Shellenberger seems to be a proponent of the idea that more development and more innovation from our capitalist overlords (famous for their generosity and consideration of fellow inhabitants of the earth) will save us. There is literally a chapter of this book titled “Sweatshops Save the Planet.”
mslisadenise's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
cgriesemer's review
4.0
Really interesting book. It was somewhat refreshing to get a take on this topic that wasn’t just hyperbolic grandstanding. I wish it was more solution heavy than just dismantling the opposition, but I think it’s over all an important educational piece on an issue that is amongst the most pressing and polarizing of our time.
richardiporter's review
4.0
Who should read it? Worth reading if you find yourself concerned with the state of climate, like things are hopeless and we're on a train track path to crisis.
Shellenberger's point isn't that there is no problem, but that excess alarmism clouds understanding of the issues and pushes people to nihilism and inaction.
Shellenberger was long an ally of liberal and even leftist activists spending his youth advocating for collectivized farming and environmentalism in the era succeeding the hippies. Now he also takes issue with environmental extremists that take impractical stances on mitigation methods and skewers many simplistic application of ideas to complex problems.
He offers instead his own simple approach: centralized dense energy and harm reduction everywhere. Its better for impoverished areas to use coal in a powerplant than to burn wood. It's better to use natural gas than coal wherever its possible. Its better to use nuclear than natural gas wherever THAT is possible. We embrace energy density, reduce harm in emissions and thus deaths and climate impacts.
There are many finer points presented, takedowns of false panaceas abound and the simple and robust framework of: reduce harm, natural gas to nuclear and solve what we can first then move to the next problem.
4 Star reviews mean I really enjoyed this book, I will likely read it again someday. I would recommend it to many people and it changed my mind about something important.
Shellenberger's point isn't that there is no problem, but that excess alarmism clouds understanding of the issues and pushes people to nihilism and inaction.
Shellenberger was long an ally of liberal and even leftist activists spending his youth advocating for collectivized farming and environmentalism in the era succeeding the hippies. Now he also takes issue with environmental extremists that take impractical stances on mitigation methods and skewers many simplistic application of ideas to complex problems.
He offers instead his own simple approach: centralized dense energy and harm reduction everywhere. Its better for impoverished areas to use coal in a powerplant than to burn wood. It's better to use natural gas than coal wherever its possible. Its better to use nuclear than natural gas wherever THAT is possible. We embrace energy density, reduce harm in emissions and thus deaths and climate impacts.
There are many finer points presented, takedowns of false panaceas abound and the simple and robust framework of: reduce harm, natural gas to nuclear and solve what we can first then move to the next problem.
4 Star reviews mean I really enjoyed this book, I will likely read it again someday. I would recommend it to many people and it changed my mind about something important.
marysasala's review against another edition
4.0
The first part of this book was interesting. It was very slow and I almost quit it in the middle, but the ending was great.
This is a look into the debates going on within the environmentalist community. The author claims himself as an environmentalist and looks hard at the science of climate change which I appreciated. He also opened my eyes to what the science says and what media and politicians and activities say it says.
I feel much more knowledgeable about climate change now. I understand a lot more about the various energy structures. This book changed my mind and gave me more knowledge in my belief that nuclear power is the way to save the environment.
I would recommend, though as I said it drags a bit in the second half.
This is a look into the debates going on within the environmentalist community. The author claims himself as an environmentalist and looks hard at the science of climate change which I appreciated. He also opened my eyes to what the science says and what media and politicians and activities say it says.
I feel much more knowledgeable about climate change now. I understand a lot more about the various energy structures. This book changed my mind and gave me more knowledge in my belief that nuclear power is the way to save the environment.
I would recommend, though as I said it drags a bit in the second half.
gijs's review
4.0
3,5 stars; the science is solid, but the author falls into the same trap as the very issue he wishes to address; skewed reporting on climate change.