Eaarth

Making a Life on a Tough New Planet

De: Bill McKibben

Narrado por: Oliver Wyman

"Read it, please. Straight through to the end. Whatever else you were planning to do next, nothing could be more important." (Barbara Kingsolver)

Twenty years ago, with The End of Nature, Bill McKibben offered one of the earliest warnings about global warming. Those warnings went mostly unheeded; now, he insists, we need to acknowledge that we've waited too long and that massive change is not only unavoidable but already under way. Our old familiar globe is suddenly melting, drying, acidifying, flooding, and burning in ways that no human has ever seen. We've created, in very short order, a new planet, still recognizable but fundamentally different. We may as well call it Eaarth.

That new planet is filled with new binds and traps. A changing world costs large sums to defend - think of the money that went to repair New Orleans, or the trillions it will take to transform our energy systems. But the endless economic growth that could underwrite such largesse depends on the stable planet we've managed to damage and degrade. We can't rely on old habits any longer.

Our hope depends, McKibben argues, on scaling back - on building the kind of societies and economies that can hunker down, concentrate on essentials, and create the type of community (in the neighborhood, but also on the Internet) that will allow us to weather trouble on an unprecedented scale. Change - fundamental change - is our best hope on a planet suddenly and violently out of balance.

©2010 Bill McKibben (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Read it, please. Straight through to the end. Whatever else you were planning to do next, nothing could be more important." (Barbara Kingsolver)

"What distinguishes McKibben as an environmental writer beyond his literary finesse and firm grasp of the complexities of science and society is his generous pragmatism, informed vision of small-scale solutions to our food and energy needs, and belief that Eaarth will remain a nurturing planet if we face facts, jettison destructive habits, and pursue new ways of living with creativity and conscience." ( Booklist)

Interesting and different nuanced approach

Great narrator. loved the way Bill talks about climate change! I recommend this book.

A very important and interesting read

This is a must read for anyone and everyone that lives on this little rock that we call Earth. It is well researched, and for me has opened up my thinking to a few practical yet very important facts concerning our carbon problems. One idea that I was not aware of is the importants of localisation when it came to food production and energy. The author makes it clear that much harm has been already done to our Earth. This is why he refers to this small rock in space as Eaarth. What he does is not ring his hands, but show what can be done on Eaarth as it is today. Much can be done! All should read this book.

You'll get by with a lot of help from your friends

Bill McKibben seems to be convinced that catastrophic global warming is coming, there's nothing you can do about it, so you better start getting self-sufficient. After getting the number of 350 ppm of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as the upper safe limit from climate science expert James Hansen, he tells us we are past that now and have no realistic chance of getting back to it.

The first part of the book is a collection of the ways Earth has changed because of the global warming that has already occurred. He chose the title Eaarth to make a statement that we aren't living on the Earth we think we know, but a different planet "Eaarth." These changes are quite stunning all laid out one after another.

The second half of the book is very muddled -- as though he couldn't decide what to say about how to fix it. Maybe he knows we can't. He quickly waves off nuclear power and I don't recall a mention of geoengineering at all. Instead, he talks about how great his Vermont farmers market co-op is. The second half is odd -- as though he has decided we're all screwed and need to find small communities to survive with, but doesn't have the heart to come right out and say it.

an approach worth considering

McKibben cuts through it all, explains the climate change issue and offers some interesting strategies for ameliorating the problem.

Perfecto

Loved it and would read again. Was excited through out the whole book.I know I will recommend to many!

First Half Great, Second Half Not so Much

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The first half of this book is a crisp, yet thorough synopsis of the state of the new reality of the world in the age of climate change. It's upsetting, necessary and exciting to listen to. It makes you feel fully awake to what's really going on. It feels like a solid look at the future. Very useful.

Then the second half wanders aimlessly. There is a lot of time spent on minute details of early American history. Not sure why. I couldn't figure out how it was connected to the book. I think it's about the concept that small communities are good. But, wow, it took a lot of time and effort to figure that out.

Get the book for the first half. It's worth the full cost. The second half is still worth skimming through. But keep your expectations low or else you will be disappointed.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The second half needs a lot of editing to be focused, and it could be far shorter.

What about Oliver Wyman’s performance did you like?

It's ok.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The first half is very moving.

Any additional comments?

Needs to be released as an abridged version with second half carefully edited.

Pretty good

This Changes Everything is better though. I feel like someone with a less chipper, more ominous voice should have read this, lol.

Everyone need to read this!

It'll depress you to hear how we've messed up our old planet but we need to do what we can not to make it worse. I feel energized and ready to make some changes. Everyone else should too! My only complaint about the reading is the attempts to affect accents when quoting others. I'd say better to get someone who can do that or just don't try. It detracted from the performance.

Important but Uneven

This book contains a lot of very good, very important information. We as a society need to be building the systems right now that will support us in the near future, and the author makes that point well. Unfortunately, I found the book somewhat uneven, wandering from panic-inducing to blithely optimistic in tone and failing to really discuss at much length what the "new Earth" is going to look like and how we need to be prepared to operate in it.

More of a downer than it needs to be

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I am very concerned with climate change, and gave this a listen in hopes of learning something new. The idea that methane and CO2 can be released from warming bogs was new to me, so I learned something.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I wish there was more data to backup general gloom of the book.