Review of “Losing Earth”…
“Losing Earth.” Nathaniel Rich, author, with photographs by George Steinmetz (NY Times Magazine, 8/5/2018). All of the above are fiction. There’s nothing fictional about global warming and its resulting extreme weather events we’re currently experiencing. This is the first time I review a magazine article, but it’s important. I’d have called it “Murdering Gaia.”
The article covers ten years of world history, 1979—1989, describing how science defined the “greenhouse effect” from atmospheric CO2 and how it leads to extreme climatological events. This disaster can’t be simply described as “global warming,” and it’s NOT a hoax.
The article also describes how politicians (mostly Reagan and Papa Bush and their minions), energy companies and their lobbyists, and, yes, even corrupt scientists failed to do a damn thing about it. Motivated by pressures from many sectors who preferred immediate gains to saving the future of generations to come—indeed, creating the distinct possibility that life on our planet will end as Earth becomes a planet like Venus where 800 degree surface temperatures are caused by a CO2 atmosphere—they went about murdering Gaia.
And no one has done anything sense. More carbon has been released into the atmosphere since 1989 than in the entire preceding history of civilization.
Everyone should read this article. There’s a small possibility we can still save the planet enough that future generations can live by adapting to the extremes. It’s time for everyone to rise up and take action. The future for life on Earth is at stake.
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Gaia and the Goliaths. #7 in the “Detectives Chen and Castilblanco Series,” this novel has murdering Gaia as a theme, both figuratively and literally. Gaia Papadakis, an environmental activist, is assassinated on a street in Manhattan. In following the clues for the case, the two detectives uncover a national and international conspiracy. Arch-villain Vladimir Kalinin is back too, but in a new way, as the twists and turns lead to the climax. (Every ebook in this series can be read independently.) Available on Amazon and Smashwords and all the latter’s retail affiliates (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc). Mystery, thrills, and suspense for your late summer and fall reading.