Down to the wire [electronic resource] : confronting climate collapse / David W. Orr.

ISBN:

9780199736836

Title:

Author:

Orr, David W., 1944-

Personal Author:

Orr, David W., 1944-

Publication Information:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2009.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xx, 261 pages)

Contents:

Governance -- Late-night thoughts about democracy in the long emergency -- Leadership in the long emergency -- The carbon connection -- The spirit of connection -- Millennial hope -- Hope at the end of our tether -- The upshot : what is to be done?

Local Note:

eBooks on EBSCOhost

Subject Term:

Climatic changes.

Format:

Electronic Resources

Electronic Access:

Click here to view

Publication Date:

2009

Publication Information:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2009.

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
363.34 22	1:E-BOOK	1	1:ONLINE	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

"The real fault line in American politics is not between liberals and conservatives.... It is, rather, in how we orient ourselves to the generations to come who will bear the consequences, for better and for worse, of our actions."So writes David Orr in Down to the Wire, a sober and eloquent assessment of climate destabilization and an urgent call to action. Orr describes how political negligence, an economy based on the insatiable consumption of trivial goods, and a disdain for the well-being of future generations have brought us to the tipping point that biologist Edward O. Wilson calls "the bottleneck." Due to our refusal to live within natural limits, we now face a long emergency of rising temperatures, rising sea-levels, and a host of other related problems that will increasingly undermine human civilization. Climate destabilization to which we are already committed will change everything, and to those betting on quick technological fixes or minor adjustments to the way we live now, Down to the Wire is a major wake-up call. But this is not a doomsday book. Orr offers a wide range of pragmatic, far-reaching proposals--some of which have already been adopted by the Obama administration--for how we might reconnect public policy with rigorous science, bring our economy into alignment with ecological realities, and begin to regard ourselves as planetary trustees for future generations. He offers inspiring real-life examples of people already responding to the major threat to our future. An exacting analysis of where we are in terms of climate change, how we got here, and what we must now do, Down to the Wire is essential reading for those wanting to join in the Great Work of our generation.

Author Notes

David W. Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics and Special Advisor to the President of Oberlin College. He is the author of numerous books, including The Nature of Design and Ecological Literacy.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Author and environmental studies professor Orr (The Nature of Design) presents an alarming look at climate change, predicting a best-case scenario (a sharp reduction in our carbon footprint) that belies the hopes of the green movement at large: "Climate change. is not so much a problem to be fixed, but rather a steadily worsening condition with which we must contend for a long time." Even this, however, depends on a political realignment sufficient to meet the severe challenges of the coming decades and centuries, including famine, drought and population displacement. Rather than a matter of reprioritizing, Orr contends that we must reshape our deepest held values; citing the case against abortion, he suggests that "the same kind of arguments apply to the right to life of future generations... [as] our present use of coal, oil, and natural gas will kill into the far future." Finding hope in "the connections that bind us to each other, to all life and to all life to come," Orr maintains a guarded optimism that never forgoes the possibility that "we are irreversibly en route to extinction"; for his expertise and crystal clear vision, Orr's disturbing message is hard to ignore. (Sept.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Choice Review

Orr (environmental studies and politics, Oberlin College) describes likely consequences of climate destabilization and how good leadership and wise government policies may enable humans to avoid or mitigate the worst horrors. Orr begins with the realities, complete with uncertainties, as depicted by mainstream natural scientists. Integrating research and insights from atmospheric, ecological, economic, and social scientists, he identifies how humans have created this frightening problem and how society may still emerge in satisfactory condition from "the long emergency." He is particularly skilled at succinctly summarizing complex findings and explaining issues of intergenerational equity. Although his research findings are well referenced, Orr's integration and interpretation take the book beyond the typical academic treatise. Readers who are looking for a careful, point-by-point critique of the naysayers' views will be disappointed. Readers who want to feel comfortable about the prospects for humanity also will be disappointed as Orr points out truths that are troubling, well beyond merely inconvenient. The book seems alarmist in places, yet with only a few exceptions it is well grounded in the literature. Refreshingly candid regarding heroes, villains, and difficult decisions, Orr writes with exceptional elegance and passion. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. R. E. O'Connor National Science Foundation