This book is an impassioned call for halting climate change. It is well written and it gets the facts straight. The case Ms. Beinecke is making is well researched, well argued, and it hopefully will convince individuals in a shrinking constituency of doubters and deniers that climate change is real, is highly destructive, and must be dealt with soon. Time is of the essence.

The second half of the book introduces her recommendations for a solution to the expertly defined problem. And this second half is where the book falls short and disappoints.

Ms. Beinecke fervently supports the House Bill passed in June of 2009, which is commonly called the Waxman-Markey Clean Energy Bill. Ms. Beinecke believes that this legislation will “reduce the impact of climate change by doing three things; by reducing global warming pollution, by promoting alternatives to fossil fuels, and by helping our country making the smooth transition to the clean energy future we need”.

Implementation of these three ambitious tasks she leaves to the power of free markets. This is somewhat ironic because the electric energy market is controlled by a Byzantine web of utility regulations. Energy consumers do not have any influence in setting energy prices at their meters. Consumers of gasoline and diesel fuel have absolutely no influence in setting prices at the pump. To assume that energy markets are going to respond to consumer expectations is to deny reality.

Ms. Beinecke comments on President Kennedy’s challenge to send a man to the moon. She does not take the next step and does not draw the obvious conclusion that a similar but much more substantial effort is needed to rescue the world from quickly escalating climate threats that are unparalleled in human history.

Two countermeasures for halting climate change offer themselves. All carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion must be halted and excessive, accumulated carbon dioxide must be retrieved from the atmosphere. These two policies are the only viable countermeasures for halting climate changes. Ms. Beinecke does not make that call.

Implementing these policies will critically depend on new, transformational energy technologies. The world needs leaders, who are willing to respond to this historic challenge.

Rating: 3 / 5

In this day and age we all need to take the blinders off and acknowledge our part in the world and create a positive change. I have always felt if you can’t see and feel it and let that be enough, then get the facts, and here they are….read on, believe, and start making a difference individually and collectively.Excellent and well timed for our world.
Rating: 5 / 5