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The popular media is full of doomsday scenarios regarding the environment and especially climate change. Perhaps these scare-tactics are necessary to call the public to action, however, they also have the unintended effect of convincing people that there is no hope for our planet.
In Reclaiming Our Planet: How Environmental History Can Help Solve the Climate Crisis, Alexander Gates explores past environmental crises that humanity has faced and successfully addressed to encourage readers that slowing and preventing climate change is possible. From the elimination of toxins and pesticides, such as lead and DDT, to an increase in Bald Eagle populations, Gates demonstrates that concerted efforts from motivated activists and scientists can and do lead to victories.
Set against the backdrop of these human victories over pollution, Reclaiming Our Planet also evaluates if our current approaches are appropriate and highlights what more could be done. From solar panels and wind turbines to electric vehicles, Gates analyzes the advantages and drawbacks of such technologies along with possible new innovations in geothermal, algal fuels, and nuclear energy. Readers will be left optimistic that by learning from our history, the planet may still have a bright and healthy future ahead.
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. The Reality of Climate Change
Chapter 2. Rachel Carson, DDT and Other Banned Pesticides
Chapter 3. Get the Lead Out
Chapter 4. Fixing a Hole in the Ozone
Chapter 5. The Air that We Breathe
Chapter 6. Supertanker Super-accidents
Chapter 7. Burning Rivers and Urban Surface Water Pollution
Chapter 8. Pollution Time Bombs
Chapter 9. Current Climate Change Efforts
Chapter 10. What Else Can Be Done?
Chapter 11. It Isn’t Just Climate Change
Chapter 12. If We Ignore It, Will It Go Away?
Bibliography
Notes
Index
About the Author
Alexander Gates is a distinguished service professor of earth & environmental sciences at Rutgers University in Newark, NJ. He has published 9 books, 81 professional papers, and edited 11 professional volumes. His work in geology, education, and diversity improvement in STEM has been recognized with 26 professional awards.
"Before even taking a deep dive into Reclaiming Our Planet, I knew I was going to like it. Finally, a positive approach to trying to rectify a potentially devastating problem. Climate change threatens our world as we know it. In my business, the daily newscasts are filled with stories of adverse changes to the planet's wellbeing, as our society has become more destructive to the Earth's health. Misinformation and denial only add to the problem. Gates takes an approach that is not only helpful, but constructive in getting us to understand that it is a solvable problem. Instead of placing blame, which inevitably results in push back against solutions due to fear of life altering changes and profits, Gates shows that there are practical ways to deal with this, while still being productive and profitable. Cooperation and discussion can lead to constructive steps forward before the Earth is too badly injured."
– Craig Allen, chief meteorologist, WCBS-AM/880, CBS2 New York, WPIX, News 12, My 9, and Fox 5
"Building off the scientific Law of Uniformitarianism that the Earth's geologic record is an accurate and reliable proxy for current and future Earth processes, including climate change, Alexander Gates presents Reclaiming Our Planet: How Environmental History Can Help Solve the Climate Crisis. Through the review, analysis, and descriptive evaluation of well-understood scientific methods, Gates leads the reader on an enlightening yet objective quest that deciphers key human-induced and naturally occurring processes spanning a range of time that includes geologic periods and man's impacts across the industrial revolution up to present day. While such a treatise would typically overwhelm most readers, Gates cleverly lays out the entire subject matter within a clear and concise sequence of easy-to-understand chapters. Most importantly, this work should provide a legitimate dose of hope for coping with and adapting to a climate change future. A future that promises solutions to a wide range of environmental crises, and that can serve as a powerful proxy for establishing new and improved policies and management plans that provide for an Earth system in equilibrium."
– Tom Armstrong, PhD, former executive director, US Global Change Research Program, Office of President Obama
"Dr. Gates is an extraordinary communicator, able to explain challenging science concepts in clear and succinct language suitable for all. He has written one of the best books about climate change that I've read. He explains what climate change is, what causes it, and the role that humanity plays in it. He is clear-eyed about the challenges the world faces in addressing climate change, uses recent examples of how mankind has repaired the environmental damage it has caused as encouragement for all of us, and uses examples from the geologic past to show what can happen if we don't face the challenge head on. I highly recommend this book for all."
– Peter Regan, former president and CEO, Environmental Resources Management LLC
