Nature is fragile, environmentalists often tell us. But the lesson of this book is that it is not so. The truth is far more worrying. Nature is strong and packs a serious counterpunch . . . Global warming will very probably unleash unstoppable planetary forces. And they will not be gradual. The history of our planet's climate shows that it does not do gradual change. Under pressure, whether from sunspots or orbital wobbles or the depredations of humans, it lurches-virtually overnight. --from the Introduction

Fred Pearce has been writing about climate change for eighteen years, and...

The solution to our water problems may not lie in new technologies - though they will play a role - but in recovering ancient traditions, using water more efficiently, and better understanding local hydrology. Searches for alternatives to mega-engineering projects.

A 2008 Indie Next Pick
In "Confessions of an Eco-Sinner," Fred Pearce surveys his home and then sets out to track down the people behind the production and distribution of everything in his daily life, from his socks to his computer to the food in his fridge. It s a fascinating portrait, by turns sobering and hopeful, of the effects the world s more than six billion inhabitants have on our planet and of the working and living conditions of the people who produce most of these goods."

A leading environmental writer looks at the unexpected effects--and possible benefits--of a shrinking, graying population
Over the last century, the world's population quadrupled and fears of overpopulation flared, with baby booms blamed for genocide and terrorism, and overpopulation singled out as the primary factor driving global warming. Yet, surprisingly, it appears that the population explosion is past its peak--by mid-century, the world's population will be declining for the first time in over seven hundred years. In "The Coming Population Crash, " veteran environmental writer Fred...