James Lovelock described his previous book, The Revenge of Gaia, as 'a wake-up call for humanity'. Stark though it was in many respects, in The Vanishing Face of Gaia Lovelock says that even though the weather seems cooler and pollution lessens as the recession bites, the environmental problems we w
The Vanishing Face of Gaia: A Final Warning
โ Scribed by James Lovelock
- Publisher
- Basic Books
- Year
- 2009
- Tongue
- English
- Leaves
- 289
- Edition
- Book Club
- Category
- Library
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
โฆ Synopsis
I read Lovelock's first book on the Gaia hypothesis thirty years ago, and it changed my view of the planet. I did not know his newest book took the position that it is now too late to avoid global climate catastrophe. This book explains that the Gaia Hypothesis is now correctly termed Gaia Theory and summarizes the reaction to it and reluctant acceptance of it over the past forty years. Lovelock's analysis has proven correct over the long haul. While I do not agree with his proposals to develop nuclear, and I do not think his evaluation of solar and wind power is necessarily correct as we cannot know what innovations in those areas might emerge, I believe his scientific analysis of our climate is rock solid.
Because humans have refused to accept the consequences of our actions and modify our relation to the planet, we have already passed a tipping point. Lovelock gives us a heads up about which parts of the planet will remain habitable.
Given that we have now ripped open The Gulf at the DeepWater Horizon site and are injecting oil into The Gulf Stream, a major engine for global climate, I wonder what Lovelock is thinking about the prospects for this one catastrophe adding to the climate trends already in high gear.
โฆ Table of Contents
Contents......Page 8
Acknowledgments......Page 10
1. The Journey in Space and Time......Page 12
2. The Climate Forecast......Page 46
3. Consequences and Survival......Page 82
4. Energy and Food Sources......Page 110
5. Geoengineering......Page 150
6. The History of Gaia Theory......Page 170
7. Perceptions of Gaia......Page 198
8. To Be or Not To Be Green......Page 216
9. To the Next World......Page 240
A......Page 262
C......Page 263
G......Page 265
L......Page 267
R......Page 268
S......Page 269
Further Reading......Page 270
B......Page 274
C......Page 276
D......Page 277
E......Page 278
G......Page 280
I......Page 283
M......Page 284
O......Page 285
P......Page 286
S......Page 287
W......Page 288
Z......Page 289
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