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Preface xi
1 Selling Our Future 3
Food: The 'Weak Link 4
The Emerging Politics of Food Scarcity 9
Our Global Ponzi Economy 14
Mounting Stresses, failing States 18
Plan B-A Plan to Save Civilization 23
I The Challenges
2 Population Pressure: Land and Water 31
Civilization's Foundation Eroding 32
Water Tables Palling 38
Farmers Losing Water to Cities 41
Land and Water Conflicts 44
Cars and People Compete for Grain 48
The Rising Tide of Environmental Refugees 51
3 Climate Change and the Energy Transition 55
Rising Temperature and Its Effects 56
Melting Ice, Rising Seas 61
Melting Glaciers, Shrinking Harvests 66
Rising Temperatures, Falling Yields 69
The Decline of Oil and Coal 71
A Challenge Without Precedent 75
II The Response
4 Stabilizing Climate: An Energy Efficiency Revolution 79
A Revolution in Lighting Technology 81
Energy-Efficient Appliances 84
Zero-Carbon Buildings 87
Electrifying the Trans-port System 91
A New Materials Economy 96
Smarter Grids, Appliances, and Consumers 103
The Energy Savings Potential 106
5 Stabilizing Climate: Shifting to Renewable Energy 109
Turning to the Wind 113
Solar Cells and Thermal Collectors 117
Energy from the Earth 125
Plant-Based Sources of Energy 128
Hydropower: Rivers, Tides, and Waves 132
The World Energy Economy of 2020 135
6 Designing Cities for People 143
The Ecology of Cities 145
Redesigning Urban Transport 147
The Return of Bicycles 151
Reducing Urban Water Use 154
Farming in the City 158
Upgrading Squatter Settlements 160
Cities for People 162
7 Eradicating Poverty and Stabilizing Population 168
Educating Everyone 171
Toward aHealthy Future 174
Stabilizing Population 181
Rescuing Failing States 185
A Poverty Eradication Agenda and Budget 188
8 Restoring the Earth 192
Protecting and Restoring Forests 193
Planting Trees to Sequester Carbon 198
Conserving and Rebuilding Soils 202
Regenerating Fisheries 206
Protecting Plant and Animal Diversity 209
The Earth Restoration Budget 211
9 Feeding Eight Billion People Well 216
Raising Land Productivity 217
Raising Water Productivity 222
Producing Protein More Efficiently 226
The Localization of Agriculture 230
Strategic Reductions in Demand 233
Action on Many Fronts 236
III The Great Mobilization
10 Can We Mobilize Fast Enough? 241
Shifting Taxes and Subsidies 244
Coal: The Beginning of the End 249
Stabilizing Climate 253
Three Models of Social Change 256
A Wartime Mobilization 259
Mobilizing to Save Civilization 261
What You and I Can Do 266
Notes 269
Index 341
Acknowledgments 363
About the Author 369
| Price | Condition | Delivery | Seller | Action |
| $99.99 | Digital |
| WonderClub |
Brett Parmeter
reviewed Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization on March 31, 2015 Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization
Re the future of humankind - we can either change our policies now, and change them fast...or we can wait until we experience a massive ecological disaster, and by then it may be too late to reverse our wrongdoings. That is the basic message of this book. It's a giant of a book - not in size but in stature - and it's largely recognised as the standard work in its field.
On the upside, it cites lots of marvellous initiatives that are being undertaken all round the world in an effort to improve the health of our planet - and in many instances these are inspiring. Various governments are making efforts to introduce schemes, policies and taxes that will promote better practices. But not enough is being done, and it is not being done fast enough. There are still many gross aberrations that undermine the well-being of this planet, and threaten disaster for mankind.
I can't begin to cover the scope of this book in a review. Suffice it to say it covers clearly and thoroughly all the different areas that need addressing. It is a real eye-opener, and it leaves one in no doubt about steps one can take - each and every one of us as individuals - to try and save the world. (That phrase is ridiculously dramatic and clichéd, but at this time in our history it is also very true.) What the author calls for more than anything else is political involvement. It is time for us to join and support those organisations which are fighting to promote our survival. Not sure where to start? Read this book and find out.
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The organisation behind this book is The Earth Policy Institute. You can go to their website and get put on their mailing list, to be kept up to date with ecological issues. I found their 'data centre' particularly helpful. It is easy to use and comprehensive.
The book can also be downloaded from here for free. On this page the chapters and their contents are also listed - giving a comprehensive guide to the issues covered in the book.
(I would however recommend buying your own paper copy, so you can cover it with notes and underlinings. My copy is now utterly vandalized, but in a good way.)
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Add Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, As fossil fuel prices rise, oil insecurity deepens, and concerns about climate change cast a shadow over the future of coal, anew energy economy is emerging. Wind, solar, and geothermal energy are replacing oil, coal, and natural gas, at a pace and on a s, Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization to the inventory that you are selling on WonderClubX
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Add Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, As fossil fuel prices rise, oil insecurity deepens, and concerns about climate change cast a shadow over the future of coal, anew energy economy is emerging. Wind, solar, and geothermal energy are replacing oil, coal, and natural gas, at a pace and on a s, Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization to your collection on WonderClub |