True and terrifying

This non-fiction account of the myriad causes, symptoms and impacts of global warming is the scariest thing I have read in years.

Kolbert takes us from Alaska to Antarctica to illustrate the changes that humanity has wrought, and gives us glimpses into the staggering government inaction (George W. Bush) to small-scale hopes (Germany’s power grid).  In each chapter, Kolbert develops an increasingly claustrophobic picture of just how screwed we are, and how we need to alter course immediately.  As scary as the information that Kolbert imparts is, what is equally terrifying as I was reading was realizing that this book is almost 15 years old and we have done little to nothing in the way of making any real changes.  Excuse me while I hyperventilate.

I’m not sure what to do with the information from this book now that I can’t unsee it.  I was already on the climate change and sustainability bandwagon, so I’m not sure how helpful it will be in changing minds- at this point I feel like opinions on climate change are like opinions on Donald Trump- people’s minds are made up and more facts won’t change things.  That being said, it has nice succinct and concrete examples of how climate change has already had such a big impact, so maybe I can throw those out there in my next family gathering ‘discussion’.