The new climate war The fight to take back our planet

Michael E. Mann, 1965-

Book - 2021

"Recycle. Fly less. Eat less meat. These are some of the tactics that we've been told can slow climate change. But most of these recommendations are a result of a multi-pronged marketing campaign that has succeeded in placing the responsibility for fixing climate change squarely on the shoulders of individuals. Fossil fuel companies have followed the example of other industries deflecting blame (think "guns don't kill people, people kill people") or greenwashing (think of the beverage industry's "Crying Indian" commercials of the 1980s). Meanwhile, they've blocked efforts to regulate or price carbon emissions, run PR campaigns aimed at discrediting viable alternatives, and have abdicated their re...sponsibility in fixing the problem they've created. The result has been disastrous for our planet. In The New Climate War, Mann argues that all is not lost. He draws the battle lines between the people and the polluters--fossil fuel companies, right-wing plutocrats, and petrostates. And he outlines a plan for forcing our governments and corporations to wake up and make real change, including: a common-sense, attainable approach to carbon tax-- an overhaul of the flawed Green New Deal; allowing renewable energy to compete fairly against fossil fuels debunking the false narratives and arguments that have worked their way into the climate debate and driven a wedge between even those who support climate change solutions how to combat climate doomism With immensely powerful vested interests aligned in defense of the fossil fuel status quo, the societal tipping point won't happen without the active participation of citizens everywhere aiding in the collective push forward. This book will reach, inform, and enable citizens everywhere to join this battle for our planet"--

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Subjects
Published
New York, NY : PublicAffairs, Hatchette Book Group 2021.
Language
English
Main Author
Michael E. Mann, 1965- (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
xi, 351 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-336) and index.
ISBN
9781541758230
  • Introduction
  • Chapter 1. The Architects of Misinformation and Misdirection
  • Chapter 2. The Climate Wars
  • Chapter 3. The "Crying Indian" and the Birth of the Deflection Campaign
  • Chapter 4. It's YOUR Fault
  • Chapter 5. Put a Price on It. Or Not
  • Chapter 6. Sinking the Competition
  • Chapter 7. The Non-Solution Solution
  • Chapter 8. The Truth Is Bad Enough
  • Chapter 9. Meeting the Challenge
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Index
Review by Kirkus Book Review

One of the world's leading climate scientists embarks on a journey into the minds of climate change deniers to try to understand their motivations and strategies. Outright climate change denial is no longer acceptable, writes Mann in this blunt, lucid work of climate politics. Lobbyists and publicists for the fossil-fuel industry used to be focused on refuting the scientific evidence--models too unreliable, data too short, natural variability too unknown--but the new climate war is a softer form of denialism that seeks to shift the responsibility for climate change from the corporations who are producing the greenhouse gases to individuals (following the lead of the gun and tobacco industries) in a devious form of deflective accountability. Yes, Mann writes, individuals must act responsibly when it comes to the environment, but the necessary big-picture change will require massive action on the policy level--e.g., the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which combatted ozone depletion, and the 1990 Clean Air Act. Consistently displaying his comprehensive command of climate science and the attendant politics, he clearly walks readers through the disingenuous arguments about carbon pricing; the mechanics of receiving governmental incentives for renewable energy; how the energy market lacks sufficient incentives to build a new infrastructure; solar and wind energy scare tactics in right-wing media; the pitfalls of "clean" coal and geoengineering; "doomism," which "leads us down the same path of inaction as outright denial of the threat"; and carbon budgeting ("every bit of carbon we avoid burning prevents additional damage. There is both urgency and agency"). Mann is a cautious optimist--he even sees signs of accountability in some Republican lawmakers--and he hopes that the Covid-19 pandemic will teach us something about ideologically driven science denialism. The author recommends a "delicate middle ground": Individual action includes pressuring "politicians to support climate-friendly governmental policies," and collective action seeks to solve systemic problems. An expert effectively debunks the false narrative of denialism and advocates communal resistance to fossil fuels. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.