Stephanie Jane recenzis Hope in Hell de Jonathon Porritt
Not exactly a hopeful read
4 steloj
Hope In Hell is, as Michael Morpurgo says, 'Extraordinarily powerful' and 'deeply troubling'. Porritt surveys the state of our planet as it is now and relates projections of the potential disasters that will unfold with temperature increases of 1.5 degrees, 2 degrees, 3 degrees or more. He establishes early on that of course life on Earth itself will survive. The geological records show that it's been hotter before. However, humans weren't part of the picture back then and, if extreme action isn't taken now, there's a pretty good chance we will be out of the picture again within a few generations.
However there is apparently still Hope and I started out reading with quite a positive outlook. Mention of the widespread use of new solar cookers in rural Asian and African communities got me googling and I've now built my own little solar oven from left-over insulation foil, reinforced with …
Hope In Hell is, as Michael Morpurgo says, 'Extraordinarily powerful' and 'deeply troubling'. Porritt surveys the state of our planet as it is now and relates projections of the potential disasters that will unfold with temperature increases of 1.5 degrees, 2 degrees, 3 degrees or more. He establishes early on that of course life on Earth itself will survive. The geological records show that it's been hotter before. However, humans weren't part of the picture back then and, if extreme action isn't taken now, there's a pretty good chance we will be out of the picture again within a few generations.
However there is apparently still Hope and I started out reading with quite a positive outlook. Mention of the widespread use of new solar cookers in rural Asian and African communities got me googling and I've now built my own little solar oven from left-over insulation foil, reinforced with a cut-up old box (and it really works!). The majority of the actions that need to be taken though seem to rely on big business, stock market investors and wealthy politicians suddenly spotting the financial benefits of renewable technologies, and thereby being led by potential profits to do the right thing in the nick of time. Just like in a movie? For all his talk of imminent tipping points - both climactic and financial - I can't see that anywhere near enough will change in time to make a significant difference. Personally, I am left far less optimistic having read Hope In Hell than I was before.