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Field Notes From a Catastrophe - Man, Nature, and Climate Change
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Additional Field Notes From a Catastrophe - Man, Nature, and Climate Change Information
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An argument for the urgent danger of global warming in a book that is sure to be as influential as Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.
Known for her insightful and thought-provoking journalism, New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert now tackles the controversial subject of global warming. Americans have been warned since the late nineteen-seventies that the buildup of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere threatens to melt the polar ice sheets and irreversibly change our climate. With little done since then to alter this dangerous course, now is the moment to salvage our future. By the end of the century, the world will likely be hotter than it’s been in the last two million years, and the sweeping consequences of this change will determine the future of life on earth for generations to come.
In writing that is both clear and unbiased, Kolbert approaches this monumental problem from every angle. She travels to the Arctic, interviews researchers and environmentalists, explains the science and the studies, draws frightening parallels to lost ancient civilizations, unpacks the politics, and presents the personal tales of those who are being affected mostthe people who make their homes near the poles and, in an eerie foreshadowing, are watching their worlds disappear. Growing out of a groundbreaking three-part series for the New Yorker, Field Notes from a Catastrophe brings the environment into the consciousness of the American people and asks what, if anything, can be done, and how we can save our planet.
Elizabeth Kolbert was a reporter for the New York Times for fourteen years before becoming a staff writer covering politics for the New Yorker. She and her husband, John Kleiner, have three sons. They live in Williamstown, MA. Americans have been warned since the late 1970s that the buildup of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere threatens to melt the polar ice sheets and irreversibly change our climate. With little done since then to alter this dangerous path, the world has reached a critical threshold. By the end of the twenty-first century, it will likely be hotter than at any point in the last two million years, and the sweeping consequences of this change will determine the course of life on earth for generations to come. In writing that is both clear and unbiased, journalist Elizabeth Kolbert approaches this problem from every angle. She travels to the Arctic, interviews researchers and environmentalists, explains the science and the studies, draws frightening parallels to lost ancient civilizations, unpacks the politics, and presents the personal tales of those who are being affected mostthe people who make their homes near the poles and, in the eerie foreshadowing, are watching their worlds disappear. Growing out of a three-part series for the New Yorker, Field Notes from a Catastrophe brings the environment into the consciousness of the American people and asks what, if anything, can be done to save our planet. "[Elizabeth Kolbert's] research is thorough. She gleaned much of her information from personal interviews and visits to localities around the world. Although she is clearly distressed by the lack of concern of the Bush administration about global warming and climate change, Kolbert tends not to use alarmist language to argue for a particular viewpoint, choosing instead to let her stories and interviews do the talking. That is an effective approach to a topic that could, in less-skilled hands, make for dull reading. And by the end of the book, the reader will have no doubt that the problem is a serious one."Doug Macdougall, The Chronicle of Higher Education "[Elizabeth Kolbert's] research is thorough. She gleaned much of her information from personal interviews and visits to localities around the world. Although she is clearly distressed by the lack of concern of the Bush administration about global warming and climate change, Kolbert tends not to use alarmist language to argue for a particular viewpoint, choosing instead to let her stories and interviews do the talking. That is an effective approach to a topic that could, in less-skilled hands, make for dull reading. And by the end of the book, the reader will have no doubt that the problem is a serious one."Doug Macdougall, The Chronicle of Higher Education "The hard, cold, sobering facts about global warming and its effects on the environment that sustains us. Kolbert's Field Notes from a Catastrophe is nothing less than a Silent Spring for our time."T. C. Boyle, author of Drop City "Reporters talk about the trial of the decade or the storm of the century. But for the planet we live on, the changes now unfolding are of a kind and scale that have not been seen in thousands of yearsnot since the retreat of the last ice age. In Field Notes from a Catastrophe, Elizabeth Kolbert gives us a clear, succinct, and invaluable report from the front. Even if you have followed the story for years, you will want to read it. And if you know anyone who still does not understand the reality and the scale of global warming, you will want to give them this book."Jonathan Weiner, author of The Beak of the Finch "In this riveting view of the apocalypse already upon us, Kolbert mesmerizes with her poetic cadence."Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., author of Crimes Against Nature "Reading Field Notes from a Catastrophe during the 2005 hurricane season is what it must have been like to read Silent Spring forty years ago. When you put down this book, you'll see the world through different eyes."Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind "This country needs more writers like Elizabeth Kolbert."Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections "On the burgeoning shelf of cautionary but occasionally alarmist books warning about the consequences of dramatic climate change, Kolbert's calmly persuasive reporting stands out for its sobering clarity. Expanding on a three-part series for the New Yorker, Kolbert lets facts rather than polemics tell the story: in essence, it's that Earth is now nearly as warm as it has been at any time in the last 420,000 years and is on the precipice of an unprecedented 'climate regime, one with which modern humans have had no prior experience.' An inexorable increase in the world's average temperature means that butterflies, which typically restrict themselves to well-defined climate zones, are now flitting where they've never been found before; that nearly every major glacier in the world is melting rapidly; and that the prescient Dutch are already preparing to let rising oceans reclaim some of their land. In her most pointed chapter, Kolbert chides the U.S. for refusing to sign on to the Kyoto Accord. In her most upbeat chapter, Kolbert singles out Burlington, Vt., for its impressive energy-saving campaign, which ought to be a model for the rest of the nationjust as this unbiased overview is a model for writing about an urgent environmental crisis."Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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What Customers Say About Field Notes From a Catastrophe - Man, Nature, and Climate Change:
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This fresh water released from these glaciers is altering ocean currents and thus causing climates to be colder or warmer. This is a huge concern since ozone absorbs harmful rays emitted from the sun that are detrimental to human life. What makes the evidence so strong and credible is a handful of factors. First, Kolbert herself visited places all around the globe from Alaska to the Netherlands, to Greenland and Washington D.C., just to name a few. Kolbert argues that because the U.S.
Author Elizabeth Kolbert addresses the issues of global climate change in her book entitled, Field Notes From a Catastrophe. Once our society became more developed, our carbon dioxide emissions doubled. A similar occurrence is taking place in Greenland where glaciers are rapidly melting as well. In the Netherlands for example, the issue of global climate change is being embraced. She makes an excellent point that the goal of every country is to modernize like the United State yet if they were to follow the same patterns as the United States, humankind and the Earth would be in tremendous trouble.
Ultimately, The U.S. The book consists of two sections: the first segment`s focal point is evidence of the phenomenon occurring in nature. In addition to melting of glaciers, Kolbert emphasizes the migration of animal's species northward and the extinction of others due to increased temperatures. The second loop is a product of the melting permafrost which is releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect. Despite the issues' complexity, the book is simplistic enough for first time exposure to the issue, yet still provides great insight for those well informed on the topic.As previously mentioned, the first half of the book focuses the causes and effects from global climate change. As far as organization goes, Kolbert first focuses on global warming and its effects, then proceeds in the second half to talk about actions being taken to reduce the problem.
In 2006, it was estimated that nearly 29 million pounds of carbon dioxide were emitted into Earth's atmosphere. Carbon emissions from humans were historically stable until we reached our industrialized era. It has been recognized that humans need to give more room to rivers rather than trying to push them back. Specifically, the language and organization throughout the book make it an easy read. Recently, the country has experienced reoccurring patterns of widespread flooding in which new innovations are being made to construct roads and homes that have the ability to float.
As the glaciers are continuing to melt, sea levels are rising and thus flooding the coastal regions. Between her personal experience, science, and other's observations Kolbert provides many different viewpoints on the issue that all have the same conclusions: global climate change is a real thing. The second half of the book explores the human activity that has contributed to global warming and whether or not the proper action is being taken to reduce what has already occurred. This half begins by exploring the theory that ancient civilizations, such as the Mayans and Shekhna, experienced the tragic effects of global warming as well. This is detrimental to life on Earth since this carbon is trapped inside our atmosphere and not only increasing global temperatures but also burning a hole in our ozone layer. If the two sections were to have been reversed, solutions then problems, a reader would have been less connected with the problem and the book would have been much more difficult to get through.One additional factor that made the book appealing was the United State's reaction to the phenomenon. Kolbert's main argument about the reality of global warming is backed by strong, credible evidence.
The way in which Kolbert wrote the book breaks the problem down enough for the common reader to understand yet is still well written enough for even the informed reader. Although Kolbert doesn't directly state causes to global climate change, she includes a chapter about human influence on the environment. In addition politicians such as George W. has the ability to set examples for the rest of the world, especially for other industrialized countries like China.
Her journey begins in Shishmaref, Alaska where she encounters two main positive feedback loops that have become detrimental to the environment. This number is extremely alarming in terms of the issues of global climate change. Humans who once inhabited these areas have now been forced to find homes farther inland. Another factor that contributes to the book's excellence is the way in which the book was written.
In this, Kolbert offers an array of perspectives on the matter rather than just one to prove her point. The answer to this is complicated with remainder of the book highlighting various actions taken by different counties. In visiting all these places, Kolbert proves that climate change is indeed a global issue that is in desperate need of more attention. In theory, the United States is addressing the issue, however actions prove otherwise. The second half of Kolbert's book discusses how human influences have contributed to global climate and actions that are being taken to reduce its effects. Kolbert takes a trip around the world to experience the direct effects of climate change firsthand. In addition to traveling to such places Kolbert conducts many interviews with not only a number of experts but locals as well. Rising temperatures, severe drought, extinction of certain species, and melting to ice sheets and glaciers are only a handful of negative consequences provoked by global climate change.
Overall, the book is well worth reading. Evidence posed by scientists show patterns of droughts in these areas whose severity ultimately lead to wiping out the entire population of humans and species. is the biggest contributor that they are the ones who should be leading the fight against global climate change. Hopefully this pattern will soon change. It is now widely believed that greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are trapped within the Earth's atmosphere therefore resulting in dangerous effects to life on the planet. Kolbert discusses how historically and currently the U.S.
Structuring the book in the manner sucks a reader in. Bush have proposed plans that would help greenhouse emissions steadily decline, yet the United State's emissions have only shown patterns of continuous increase. When the Kyoto Protocol, a plan presented by the UN for industrialized countries to reduce emission of greenhouse gases, was introduced, the U.S.
rejected the plan within 24 hours of its proposal. The first feedback loops can be found in rapid melting of the glaciers. She points out that the U.S.
Now that both current and historical evidence have been factored into proving the phenomenon, Kolbert asks what is exactly being done to combat this. Not all countries are making great efforts however. has been the largest emitter of greenhouse gages, yet we are lagging in taking responsibility for it.
needs to start taking advantage of its leading role and put it to good use and needs to do it sooner rather than later.
I don't usually read environmental books but I couldn't put this down. Kolbert explores the issues facing the environment today, forcing the reader to consider what needs to be done to save the planet.
If you were to read one and only one book regarding climate change, this should be that one.
I had a nazi austrailian English 1102 teacher who based the whole class on global warming and this was required for the class. It is a quick read and explains global warming pretty well, I got it here because it was cheaper than the bookstore.
The truth is, is that climate is a vastly complex phenomenon that we understand very poorly as do our feeble attempts of modeling it. Some of these chapters are interesting.
The book does give evidence for global warming but the evidence that it is manmade is lacking. Surprisingly, the author does not resort to political hysterics til the end.
As the climate change hysteria begins to unravel this book continues to lose its legitimacy and credibility. It is divided into chapters that possess different 'evidences' for the 'inevitable' climate catastrophe.
The book is well written. The author writes in a captivating way that kept my attention and sympathies throughout.
The author does write with an air that the 'science is settled' which I always find disturbing and disingenuous. My recommendation is to read it, but also read a book critical of reality of manmade climate change.
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