Oh, McKibben. You have successfully convinced me to move to Vermont after I finish my schooling. Only there (or in third world Africa and Asia, which is a bit too hot for my taste) will I be “safe” after global warming ravages the planet. See, McKibben gives a lot of arguments for why the world as we knew it has ended. In fact, for 101 pages, he sites statistic and statistic and statistic again from reputable scientists, all with the same general message – the world is failing us because we have failed the world. His presentation is effective; the mood following those first 101 pages is depressed and desolate. The sheer amount of information is a blow to the head, shattering previously held confidences about the viability of current global warming initiatives. Which is exactly what he wants, I would think. Bringing people into an area of their world that they cannot hope to control, bombarding them with information about their eventual downfall… McKibben uses his first two chapters to bring readers into this “fear zone”. Similar to that of a TV news station, or even a government looking to make people compliant, McKibben scares people into looking at his problem, and further into accepting it as their own problem. It makes the reader unnerved and uncomfortable, which in turn makes them look for assistance. This is far too large a problem for any one of them to fix. Who can offer a solution? Who can save the souls of man?
Why, McKibben can, with his 12 step plan for oil-holics. While the problem of climate change is too large for just a single man to solve, McKibben has some good solutions. The war on climate change must be fought, and every army needs a general. McKibben is looking for a day job, how about him? He would gladly take up the cross; heck, he already has. Fascinating one man can make his life out of advocating environmental policy. Anyway, that is enough ripping on McKibben, because he really does have some good solutions. His biggest idea is the recreation of community atmospheres within cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Through this, many of the potential problems presented by climate change can be solved. If communities are growing their own food and supplying their own energy, suddenly the world doesn’t need oil tycoons or factory farms. By becoming neighbors again, people need less stuff. One vacuum can meet the cleaning needs of a whole street if it is shared. He tries to inspire his reader to believe in his vision by providing examples of places where community has worked. Many are admittedly in Vermont, his home state, like Farmer’s Diner, the Highfields Institute, Intervale Farms, Front Porch Forums, and Middlebury College. But he diversifies, pulling from experiences in Bangladesh, Malawi, China, Indonesia, and Madagascar. Just as in the first half of the book, McKibben bombards the reader with information, but this time it is in the form of anecdotes. The massive amount of support for his idea is comforting, making it seem very possible to change the world. Slowly, yes. Painfully, yes. But it is doable. We, the readers, can have hope, should we begin to implement some of McKibben’s suggestions. eaarth is a good read, similar to Jonathon Safran Foer’s Eating Animals in that it brings to light an issue in society that tends to get hidden away from view. The book offers food for thought. Local food, of course.
Why, McKibben can, with his 12 step plan for oil-holics. While the problem of climate change is too large for just a single man to solve, McKibben has some good solutions. The war on climate change must be fought, and every army needs a general. McKibben is looking for a day job, how about him? He would gladly take up the cross; heck, he already has. Fascinating one man can make his life out of advocating environmental policy. Anyway, that is enough ripping on McKibben, because he really does have some good solutions. His biggest idea is the recreation of community atmospheres within cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Through this, many of the potential problems presented by climate change can be solved. If communities are growing their own food and supplying their own energy, suddenly the world doesn’t need oil tycoons or factory farms. By becoming neighbors again, people need less stuff. One vacuum can meet the cleaning needs of a whole street if it is shared. He tries to inspire his reader to believe in his vision by providing examples of places where community has worked. Many are admittedly in Vermont, his home state, like Farmer’s Diner, the Highfields Institute, Intervale Farms, Front Porch Forums, and Middlebury College. But he diversifies, pulling from experiences in Bangladesh, Malawi, China, Indonesia, and Madagascar. Just as in the first half of the book, McKibben bombards the reader with information, but this time it is in the form of anecdotes. The massive amount of support for his idea is comforting, making it seem very possible to change the world. Slowly, yes. Painfully, yes. But it is doable. We, the readers, can have hope, should we begin to implement some of McKibben’s suggestions. eaarth is a good read, similar to Jonathon Safran Foer’s Eating Animals in that it brings to light an issue in society that tends to get hidden away from view. The book offers food for thought. Local food, of course.
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