Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #199404 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09-21
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Ingram
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ross Gelbspan exposes the machinations of oil and coal companies and conservative politicians to undermine the public confidence in science and thereby defer action against global warming. This riveting expose is a spirited call to action against the corporate disinformation campaign that threatens us all.

About the Author

Customer Reviews

Invasion of the weather-snatchers
Coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans are dying because of rising water temperatures. Butterflies are migrating northward. Antarctica is melting. Northern hemisphere forests are being decimated by climate-related fires and insect infestations. The Great Plains states are becoming deserts, as are areas of Southern Europe. Tropical diseases such as malaria and West Nile fever are spreading northwards as temperatures rise.

These are all facts that are incontestably documented by science today, and each of them is directly linked to the climate change brought about by global warming. The earth and its species are in for a tough time in the century ahead. Extreme weather patterns caused by the heating up of the planet is already creating climatic chaos: horrible downpours and snow in some areas, rising temperatures and drought in others, hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires, and so on. And for the most part it's been caused by the incredibly high rate of fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions--6 billion tons (and counting) a year.

Ross Gelspan argues that the science is clear; most of the world's leading scientists agree that fossil fuels are causing the problem. The rub is that the oil and coal industries--at $10 trillion, the largest in human history--have an obvious vested interest in convincing the public and lawmakers that global warming is all Chicken Little stuff. So they fund a handful of dissenting scientists who, like tobacco industry scientists a few years ago, are in the business of convincing the public that global warming is a myth. Conservative lawmakers have been particularly receptive to their line, and this in turn has affected public policy for the worse.

Gelbspan's book is horrifying in its diagnosis of global warming and the extent to which the fossil fuel industry has protected its own interests at the expense of the planet's. But the book also makes clear that the technology to replace the world's use of fossil fuels already exists, and concludes with a plan of action for weaning ourselves from our oil addictions.

Make no mistake about it, however: things will get worse, and perhaps much worse, before they get better. We're only beginning to feel the effects of carbon dioxide emissions from 50 years ago. We've yet to feel the whammy from our current frenzied use. When we do, God help us.

Amazing polarity
I found the book to be right on par with my own research into the effects of "global warming". His conclusions are actually pretty tame compared with mid to worst case scenarios I have heard from eminent environmental scientists.

That being said, the fact that there are so many 1 star ratings tells me that the PR campaign is in great force. It is absolutely true that people don't want to believe that there is any threat from global warming or pollution, so they are more susceptible to the falsehoods proposed by the oil, coal and gas companies.

You can meet all of his goals as stated, and even be MORE energy conscious, and not have to give up your car, stereo, twinkies, pizza or boat(s). You can be wealthy or poor (as you like). You can consume to your heart's content. All you have to do is DEMAND ENERGY EFFICIENCY. And of course, the Government has to get out of the oil companies back pocket(s) by ridding us of oil subsidies.

Cars can burn alcohol (like brazil does in 40% of its cars) and/or bio-diesel (like Germany and other european countries do in 30%+ of their vehicles) made from veg-oil. We can make limitless supplies of these two fuels.. why the hell do we need crude oil? Well, it's because oil companies want us to drink crude oil because it is cheaper for them to produce than vegetable based fuels. Also because switching to veg based fuels switches the power base.. now any joe can fuel his car with farm alcohol.. eek! Lost Revenue! Why do you think that the 'New Fuel Cell Technology' being developed is going to use compunds which are completely unfeasible for the backyard chemist to produce?

No, the situation is not as it is depictied by our friendly author here.. its worse. Try to make a change for the better. Make the world a better place for all of its children and burn some corn instead of dead dinosaurs.

Inaccurate and Politically Motivated
With a PhD in atmospheric optics and 25+ years developing atmospheric models, I know something about the subject. The author Gelbspan has zero credibility. The book is full of distortions, data and information taken out of context, and incorrect interpretation of the physics, measurements, and the processing algorithms. Gelbspan has become the laughing stock of credible organizations such as NASA-Langley (Aerosol Research Group) and NOAA-Boulder/Mauna Loa (Lidar Group).