Earth Odyssey: Around the World in Search of our Environmental Future

(Paperback)

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As the 20th century draws to a close, a significant group of observers - scientists, business leaders, government officials - see the handwriting on the global wall warning of impending ecological collapse and the subsequent effect on the human race. This work tests that view, looking at what humans are actually doing to the environment and where such behaviour will lead. The topics the book evaluates are pressing; how much of a danger do environmental hazards pose to the future well-being of the human species, and how is humanity faring in its struggle against these hazards Will human civilization still exist in 100 years from now Or will our species have been wiped out by disasters of its own making Mark Hertsgaard travels from Bangkok to the Brazilian rain forests and from Chernobyl to Chongging in China (probably the most polluted place on Earth) to report at first hand what is happening in these environmental disaster zones.

Reviews

'A brilliant integration of global environmental trends and local environmental truths - a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how population growth and environmental deterioration are affecting the human prospect' Lester R. Brown, President, Worldwatch Institute 'Gifted reporter Mark Hertsgaard has taken the planet for his beat and he has delivered the goods; if you want to understand the next century, this is the required background reading' Bill McKibben, author of THE END OF NATURE 'A brilliant, complex and ultimately hopeful analysis which shines a light into the darkness of forecast chaos ... (we) should make this marvellous book required reading for all politicians as well as for the rest of us' THE TIMES 'Hertsgaard presents an elegant portrait of the human species, full of character, dignity, perseverance and strength' GEOGRAPHICAL 'Mark Hertsgaard once of America's finest reporters, asks one of the few questions really worth asking... EARTH ODYSSEY provides not only a sober, compassionate assessment of our chances; it is one more place of evidence, in case you need it, that our species is well worth saving.' Barbara Ehrenreich, author of BLOOD RITES 'Yet another well-considered, thoughtful work reminding us- not that we need reminding- that we are doing things to out environment and to the earth in general, which are indefensible and in some cases irreversible.' IRISH TIMES 'If you want to understand the environmental plight of the human race as we enter the new millenium, look no further.' GLOBAL ADVENTURE 'A fine vision.' EARTH MATTERS 'If you are at all interested in the subject, I guarantee that Hertsgaard will keep you going to the end.' SUNDAY TIMES 'Paying his own way, Mark Hertsgaard set out on a world tour in 1991 wondering what people thought of environmental problems. Earth Odyssey is the result, a sweeping and provocative work of travel and serious reporting that covers 19 countries and reveals, with often stark reality and vision, the legacy and prospects for our global environment. Hertsgaard focuses on and reveals much of his story through the people who guide him and whom he meets along the way. After touring a state-owned paper factory in Chongqing, China, and seeing billowing clouds of chlorine and foaming rivers, Hertsgaard hears his guide and interpreter Zhenbing mourning for his country. In Sudan, Hertsgaard visits areas of extreme famine and poverty, where "the environment is no abstraction" to the people who live there. Through interviews with Vaclav Havel, Jacques Cousteau and Al Gore, as well as research and philosophy about the roles of industry and technology, the global environmental picture is etched skilfully chapter by chapter. When at Africa's Lake Turkana, Hertsgaard delineates in clarity and detail the evolution of our species and the history of technology to build perspective on our current lifestyles, values and environmental problems. Earth Odyssey is not only a good book but an important one--even essential--grasping the true human predicament as the planet faces a worldwide environmental breakdown.' - Byron Ricks, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW

Author Bio

Mark Hertsgaard is a distinguished journalist and author of three books. His journalism has appeared in all the leading US newspapers and magazines, and he is an occasional contributor to the INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY.