- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Picnic Publishing Ltd (26 Feb 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0956037003
- ISBN-13: 978-0956037008
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 958,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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'Labour MP Colin Challen, who retires at the next general election to spend more time saving the planet from climate change, has written a very pessimistic new book on his experiences as a politician in trying to bring some urgency, rationality and sustainability to energy policy. Despite its pessimism, Too Little, Too Late is well worth reading. Early on Challen writes wryly: 'climate change means that politicians have to submit their long cherished beliefs to a challenging examination.' The author himself, however, is personally blameless, as he has long lived a life bounded by beliefs that many others will have to take on if we are not to meet ecological disaster. Launching his book at a parliamentary event, he re-iterated that 'there is insufficient political understanding of the problem, and the solution.' Recalling a curtailed meeting he had with an anonymous Labour minister, he said the ministerial message was 'don't frighten the horses.' Challen himself argues that elected politicians need to level with the electorate, and 'prick the hubris' of political parties whose policies make things worse. The key for Challen is human behavioural change, not treaties or financial instruments - such as carbon credits - so beloved of policy makers and shakers. And why, he asks plaintively, can't the same money made available to recapitalise the banks be made available for sustainable technologies? Challen former US vice president Al Gore's question, to a climate change rally in July 2008: 'Am I the only one,' he asked, 'who finds it strange that our government so often adopts a so-called solution that has absolutely nothing to do with the problem it is supposed to address?' The elected President Obama luckily is asking the right questions (see story page 8). Challen bravely asks many awkward questions in his book, which is an antidote to the deniers of climate crisis. Read it.' --20SustainableBuilding, February 2009
Product Description
Too Little, Too Late by Parliament's leading climate change campaigner is the first account by a political insider to bring home the devastating truth about the blundering and delays that have brought the world to the tipping point of disaster. Colin Challen MP - praised by Prime Ministers Blair and Brown for his work on climate change - writes a coruscating damnation of the indecision and lack of political courage which has characterised attempts to deal with the issue. Always plain speaking, his book exposes the wholesale inadequacy of current policy and demands an urgent change of course.
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Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Mr Challen has set out to convey some useful information but the book does not live up to expectations (mine, anyway). It is more of a brain dump about the experience of climate change negotiations. Of course it is interesting (if unsurprising) to have confirmation about how difficult and complex it is to get any kind of consensus in politics - whether that is national politics or international, economics or defence, trade or environment. But those hoping for any evidence that Mr Challen understands the science will look in vain. The book rides on assumptions which are never questioned. It would also benefit from a thorough edit, since there is little sign of a larger plan or of any kind of pruning or selection of the material before inclusion.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Colin Challen clearly has had a hard time persuading MPs and other politicians to make useful policy decisions about climate change. The sheer stubbornness of politicians to fork out money and their reluctance to do anything that may lose votes is well represented in the book.
It is very well written and ordered. It is quite a slow read as it is pretty heavy going at points, but definitely worth reading, especially if you want to go (or all ready are) in politics!
It is very well written and ordered. It is quite a slow read as it is pretty heavy going at points, but definitely worth reading, especially if you want to go (or all ready are) in politics!
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