Living Well in the Age of Global Warming : 10 Strategies for Boomers, Bobos, and Cultural Creatives

This is a book that will be welcomed by millions of environmentally conscious readers concerned with the range of potential social, economic and political issues stemming from the profound effects of global warming. Many of us are already concerned with the ways in which we may potentially be affected both individually and as members of a society that will literally be forced to deal with the truly massive related dislocations and changes posed by the so-called "Greenhouse Effect" in the coming decades. The authors of this book have addressed themselves to a myriad of potential issues and a range of appropriate strategies for such factors as changes in weather patterns, economics, retirement possibilities, and other such phenomena related to the massive changes in climate that are associated with the Greenhouse Effect. Thus, Paul and Hazel Delcourt, both paleo-ecologists teaching at the University of Tennessee, present the results of a massive three-year national study, The National Climate Assessment, by thousands of scientists to project the potential environmental changes in this country over the next hundred years. The authors then match the results of this massive work with a range of demographic studies that lead them to conclude that wide-ranging economic, political, and social change will result. Therefore, "Living Well In The Age Of Global Warming" provides the reader with a fascinating look at the range of possibilities that exist for one to "live well and prosper' in the radically changed ecological, social, and personal circumstances of a world undergoing radical and unavoidable change. Indeed, while the serious reader may find fault with the authors' particulars in dealing with the range of alternatives available, one can hardly fault their central point, which is that the world will be radically changed both in terms of its climate and our potential cultural responses to those changes. Thus, whether discussing changing weather patterns (and the associated changes in storm tracks now predicted by many meteorologists) or exploring changes in temperature zones to the degree that millions may be forced to vacate areas like Georgia as they turn positively tropical, this is fascinating reading. They also discuss potential changes in forest cover, livable habitats, and many other related subjects. According to the authors, each of these factors will become increasingly important in determining the overall quality of life possibilities as global warming proceeds. In essence, the authors have created an entertaining and informative book that openly discusses what the consequences of global warming may portend for each of us in practical and understandable terms, and in so doing they have rendered an important service to us all. While I admit that I did not like the "self-help to financial success" tone the prose sometimes degenerates into, I found myself so fascinated by other aspects of their careful thought that helped me to overcome any