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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Plenty of information, not enough hope, 14 Feb 2009
This review is from: Seven Years To Save The Planet: The Questions And The Answers: The Questions and Answers (Paperback)
Everyone's got a lot of questions about climate change, so an FAQ on the subject is a great idea. McGuire's structure is also great, with a one-paragraph summary answer on each question and then a longer answer below, so it's all very accessible.
There's loads of useful information here, on how climate change is affecting the earth and what's happening now. The book is less clear on the future, and tends to focus on the worst case scenario. Bill McGuire's previous books include 'A guide to end of the world' and 'surviving armaggedon', so perhaps that's not a surprise, but it makes for some gloomy reading.
The book picks up again towards the end as it addresses solutions and practical actions, but there's still a nagging lack of optimism. At a time when people really need to be motivated and inspired, this is more likely to induce despair! Approach with caution, in other words.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Some Interesting Stuff, 15 Dec 2008
This review is from: Seven Years To Save The Planet: The Questions And The Answers: The Questions and Answers (Paperback)
There is some interesting stuff in this book, some good looking history, some interesting assertions. But not a single reference. This, to my mind, makes it virtually unuseable as a serious reference work; when I come across one assertion that feels dubious I then doubt some of the others. For some sections of this book you need quite a lot of faith in the accuracy of climate change computer models.
So - a good book for those who have no need of references/sources in a book of this kind, and who have the author's faith in computer modelling.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Saving the World, Cheerleaders and All, 6 Oct 2008
This review is from: Seven Years To Save The Planet: The Questions And The Answers: The Questions and Answers (Paperback)
Quite frankly, I am astonished that I am the first person to review this brilliant and important book. "Seven Years to Save the Planet" is a superbly organised and eminently readable run through all the important questions about climate change. It is suitable for beginners but it also "joins the dots" for those of us who think we know a thing or two about green issues. It can be read from cover to cover or used as a reference book.
It's organised into 5 parts: Where are we now? What will climate change mean for me and my children? What can I do? What should others be doing? Is it already too late? Each part is subdivided into short question and answers, e.g. Can we be certain that the earth is heating up? What is my carbon footprint? Just how bad can things get?
The first two parts are inevitably somewhat depressing but Bill McGuire allows himself a degree (or two?) of optimism in his conclusion. He is confident that we already have the means to slow and perhaps avoid the worst effects of disastrous climate change. He is far less optimistic that we have the political will to make the changes to bring this about.
This is a book that all our leaders should read before the crucial climate conference in Copenhagen in late 2009. In fact everyone should read it. And if you're worried about keeping your carbon footprint as low as possible, buy it and re-gift it.
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