Fast Forward: Ethics and Politics in the Age of Global Warming

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Description

Just as war is too important to leave in the hands of generals, global climate is too important to leave solely in the hands of politicians who are being pulled in a million directions. This pithy yet compelling book makes abundantly clear what we know and dont know about global warming; why those uncertainties merit prudent but urgent action; how those actions, both at home and abroad, may amount to the most difficult political transaction in the history of mankind; and why politics as usual simply will not get the job done.

Reviews

"Strobe Talbott and Bill Antholis have made an admirable and important effort to move beyond the recent political rancor in Washington. They have a plan for leaders who want to be serious about energy and climate. Instead of starting from entrenched ideological base camps, they concentrate on identifying common goals. Reducing our foreign oil dependence, saving Americans money on their energy bills, improving our industrial competitiveness, investing in a cleaner and more diverse energy portfolio, and using domestic fossil fuel resources wisely, while cutting our greenhouse gas emissions are goals on which Republicans and Democrats alike can agree." Senator Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.)

" Fast Forward makes the case in clear, concise, and compelling terms for urgent action and American leadership in addressing the threat that global warming poses to our nation and our planet." Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.)

"In Fast Forward William Antholis and Strobe Talbott brilliantly explode the economic and scientific myths about climate change while elevating the political debate to a transgenerational moral crisis. Their synthesis of science, economics, religion and philosophy is a clarion call to action for anyone interested in the future of the planet which means all of us." Andrea Mitchell, NBC News

"William Antholis and Strobe Talbott combine a concise, fast-paced narrative on the evolution of climate change as a national and international issue with a framework for policy that is rooted in deep understanding and practical experience of international affairs. The result is a timely perspective on something whose outcome whatever the ultimate choices will be of truly global significance in both environmental and economic terms." Daniel Yergin, author of The Prize: the Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power

Author Bio

William Antholis is managing director of the Brookings Institution, where he is also a senior fellow in Governance Studies. During Bill Clinton's presidency, he was director of international economic affairs at the National Security Council and the National Economic Council. He served as deputy director of the White House climate change policy team and was a negotiator on the U.S. team at Kyoto. Strobe Talbott, president of Brookings, served seven years as U.S. deputy secretary of state. Prior to his government service, he spent twenty-one years as a reporter, columnist, and editor of Time magazine. His previous books include The Great Experiment (Simon & Schuster, 2008), Engaging India (Brookings, 2004), and The Russia Hand (Random House, 2002).