Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet
Author/Artist
Mark Lynas
Reviewer
kestrel
Publisher
HarperPerennial
Price (GBP)
£6.99
Subject
Environment
Type
Non-Fiction Book
Purchase
Review
Winner of the Royal Society Prize for Science Books 2008
Let me say from the start that this is probably the most frightening
book that I have ever read. If you enjoy horror stories or disaster
epics this book should be right up your street. The only snag is that it
is the author's contention that the scenarios in it will play out for
real if governments and individuals do not do something about it within
the next seven years.
The author endeavours to show what will happen in a world where the
average global temperature rises within each of six degrees above the
current norm. A one degree rise is apparently inevitable given current
emissions. A two degree rise may be difficult, if not impossible, to stop.
The author's researches indicate that between two and three degrees above
the current norm a series of carbon feedback loops are set to trigger and
the rest of the book explains what will happen if they do. The words 'mass
extinction' occur several times in the later pages. Only the time scale
appears to be arguable.
I would emphasize that this is not simply wild speculation. The author has
based his figures on a whole series of scientific papers fully annotated in
the back of the book. The author considers that the only way to prevent
the worst of these scenarios is a drastic change in personal lifestyles
in the developed world. This means you and me! The author regards
emissions of 400 ppm CO_2 as the maximum the world can take. It appears
that world politicians are still arguing about the possibility of
keeping the figure below 550ppm. This is one the author considers far
too high to ensure planetary survival.
If you still remain unconvinced about global warming, read this book. If it
doesn't scare you as much as it does me you must either be very insensitive
or in one of the categories of human kind that will ever remain in denial as
the waters rise and hurricanes batter our shores. We have, according to the
figures that the author has extracted from his sources, until 2014/5 to reverse
the present trends before disaster becomes inevitable. Not a great deal
of time. Thankfully I already live above the 65 metre contour line and
I've already cut down my use of fossil fuels to a workable minimum and I
intend to do more. What do you intend to do? If I were you I'd start by
reading this book.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Six-Degrees-Future-Hotter-Planet/dp/0007209053/r...Let me say from the start that this is probably the most frightening
book that I have ever read. If you enjoy horror stories or disaster
epics this book should be right up your street. The only snag is that it
is the author's contention that the scenarios in it will play out for
real if governments and individuals do not do something about it within
the next seven years.
The author endeavours to show what will happen in a world where the
average global temperature rises within each of six degrees above the
current norm. A one degree rise is apparently inevitable given current
emissions. A two degree rise may be difficult, if not impossible, to stop.
The author's researches indicate that between two and three degrees above
the current norm a series of carbon feedback loops are set to trigger and
the rest of the book explains what will happen if they do. The words 'mass
extinction' occur several times in the later pages. Only the time scale
appears to be arguable.
I would emphasize that this is not simply wild speculation. The author has
based his figures on a whole series of scientific papers fully annotated in
the back of the book. The author considers that the only way to prevent
the worst of these scenarios is a drastic change in personal lifestyles
in the developed world. This means you and me! The author regards
emissions of 400 ppm CO_2 as the maximum the world can take. It appears
that world politicians are still arguing about the possibility of
keeping the figure below 550ppm. This is one the author considers far
too high to ensure planetary survival.
If you still remain unconvinced about global warming, read this book. If it
doesn't scare you as much as it does me you must either be very insensitive
or in one of the categories of human kind that will ever remain in denial as
the waters rise and hurricanes batter our shores. We have, according to the
figures that the author has extracted from his sources, until 2014/5 to reverse
the present trends before disaster becomes inevitable. Not a great deal
of time. Thankfully I already live above the 65 metre contour line and
I've already cut down my use of fossil fuels to a workable minimum and I
intend to do more. What do you intend to do? If I were you I'd start by
reading this book.