Product Description

Re-released on the heels of Al Gores #1 New York Times bestseller, An Inconvenient Truth, comes the paperback edition of his classic bestseller, Earth in the Balance. First published in 1992, it helped place the environment on the national agenda; now, as environmental issues move front-and-center in the public consciousness, the time is right to reflect deeply on the fate of our planet and commit ourselves to its future. While An Inconvenient Truth closely examines one menace to our environmentglobal warmingEarth in the Balance takes a broader approach, focusing on the threats that everyday choices pose to our climate, water, soil, and diversity of plant and animal life. A passionate, lifelong defender of the environment, Gore describesin brave and unforgettable termshow human actions and decisions can endanger or safeguard the vulnerable ecosystem that sustains us.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #113237 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-31
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

From Amazon.com
What's most inspiring about Earth in the Balance is who wrote it. It's a big deal, after all, that a sitting senator was willing to write, "We must make the rescue of the environment the central organizing principle for civilization." And that's not all. In his 1992 book, Al Gore also wrote:

I have become very impatient with my own tendency to put a finger to the political winds and proceed cautiously.... [E]very time I pause to consider whether I have gone too far out on a limb, I look at the new facts [on the environment crisis] that continue to pour in from around the world and conclude that I have not gone far enough.... [T]he time has long since come to take more political risks--and endure more political criticism--by proposing tougher, more effective solutions and fighting hard for their enactments.

And the buzz on the street is that Gore actually wrote those words himself.

When Earth in the Balance first came out, it caused quite a stir--and for good reason. It convincingly makes the case that a crisis of epidemic proportions is nearly upon us and that if the world doesn't get its act together soon and agree to some kind of "Global Marshall Plan" to protect the environment, we're all up a polluted creek without a paddle. Myriad plagues are upon us, but the worst include the loss of biodiversity, the depletion of the ozone layer, the slash-and-burn destruction of rainforests, and the onset of global warming. None of this is new, of course, nor was it new in 1992. But most environmentalists will still get a giddy feeling reading such a call to action as written by a prominent politician.

The book is arranged into three sections: the first describes the plagues; the second looks at how we got ourselves into this mess; and the final chapters present ways out. Gore gets his points across in a serviceable way, though he could have benefited from a firmer editor's hand; at times the analogies are arcane and the pacing is odd--kind of like a Gore speech that climaxes at weird points and then sinks just as the audience is about to clap. Still, at the end you understand what's been said. Gore believes that if we apply some American ingenuity, the twin engines of democracy and capitalism can be rigged to help us stabilize world population growth, spread social justice, boost education levels, create environmentally appropriate technologies, and negotiate international agreements to bring us back from the brink. For example, a worldwide shift to clean, renewable energy sources would create huge economic opportunities for companies large and small to design, build, and maintain solar panels, wind turbines, fuel cells, and other ecofriendly innovations.

Gore doesn't mince words when describing just how hard it will be to get out of this jam. Real hope is contingent on a swelling up of concern among the public--and fast. A year into the vice presidency, in an interview with writer Bill McKibben, Gore paraphrased a key passage in his book, "The minimum that is scientifically necessary far exceeds the maximum that is politically feasible." Ah, a political out. Some readers will ask of Gore: what has he done since publishing his book to advance the political feasibility of decisive environmental action? --Chip Giller

From Publishers Weekly
Vice President-elect Gore explains the necessity of enviromentalism and offers bold initiatives for change in this thoughtful, compelling primer, a QPB selection and PW bestseller. Illustrations.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA-- Too often, environmental challenges are presented in such a way that the more one learns, the more hopeless it all seems. Earth in the Balance does not shrink from the magnitude and painfulness of the conflicts YAs will soon inherit, but it also gives encouragement, offering the possibility of resolution. A passionate yet clearheaded exposition of a worldwide crisis is the starting point of this courageous book. Retracing his own journey, Gore leads readers toward a greater understanding of humanity and toward thinking beyond currently perceived limitations. With often stunning insight, he looks at how "dysfunctional civilization," political realities, and religious traditions have helped to shape the current global ecological situation. This breadth of perspective should speak to a diversity of readers, while the final section, outlining a plausible plan of action, can capture the imaginations of practical as well as idealistic readers. The book may seem daunting to some, but its 3-part, 15-chapter structure, which allows readers to browse at will, should make it accessible enough to most YAs.
- Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

SEEMS SHAKY
As a lay person, like most, I have no real idea whether global warming is real, or at least a real threat. The problem I have is that those who say it is a real threat are not believable to me. They may be right, but I reserve all possibility that they are totally off the mark. It seems that this issue has been coopted by a certain segment of the political class, and is used not in an effort to further real science, but to further their political agenda. This is somewhat, if not totally, socialist in nature.

Al Gore spoke about global warming on the coldest day in New York City in 150 years, then endorsed "The Day After Tomorrow" as a big movie about global warming that has to be seen. It was so bad, got such terrible reviews, and was so universally panned as lies that it cannot be described herein. Gore has now taken to podiums, changing his voice to sound like Huey Long or George Wallace or some such Southern populist, rolling his r's, leavin' the "n's" off his words, and every time he makes these speeches those he opposes rise in the polls. Al said he "had" to be President, and now he just seems unable to accept his fate. Unfortunately, his association with global warming seems to discredit it. "The Day After Tomorrow" certainly did the issue no good.

There are so-called "right wing" scientists who oppose the global warming threat, calling it "junk science." They may have a political agenda. They may be wrong. Personally, I think they are less likely to be wrong than the Leftists. I could be wrong, but that is just my opinion.

The problem is that this issue has become so political that, until something really verifiable comes along, it is just a tug-of-war with no real truth attached to it.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM

Great Book--College Students Should Read This!!
This book needs to be read twice so you get the total impact of what it is trying to say. Conservatives who don't believe in the existence of global warming will not like this because it is unpleasant to think about, that human beings could be messing up the earth so horribly.

We have to face the facts before it is too late, and the United States must take the lead. Under George Bush, we are not getting this kind of leadership...perhaps under President Kerry, we will.

I hope Al makes another run for president.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

::snore:: from Gore
Al Gore's Earth in the Balance was a systematic breakdown of the environmental problems our planet faces today. Part I of his book (chapters 1-8) presented the problems, writing on everything from global warming to problems with garbage and waste disposal. Part II focused on the changes that the government and humanity are working together to accomplish, and Part III (chapters 14 and 15) presented what Gore believes is the best plan of action to combat our human-induced environmental problems in what Gore outlines as "A Global Marshall Plan."

Part I of Earth in the Balance not only constantly bashed past political powers, it dangerously overgenarlizied the current environmental efforts and presented his examples of environmental problems in hand with extreme hyperbole. Part II was much shorter, however in ventured greater in depth and supplied many more relevant examples for his allegations, like when he wrote on ways the US has not lead in the fight for a better environment. Part III presented the plan Gore wants us to execute in order to better the environment, yet Chapter 15's Marshall Plan spoke more on the US' political past. In all, it was a book muddled with environmental plans infused with name-dropping scenarios Gore seemed to include only to better his political career.