Recommended for a Heads Up—Reviewing Hot, Flat and Crowded
Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America by Thomas L. Friedman, New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008.
Unlike many valuable books reminding us why we Americans must pull back on our overuse of the planet, Hot, Flat and Crowded focuses on the observation that the world’s economies are so interconnected (i.e. The Earth is flat.), the more we depend on high energy usage the more we support those who hate us. His message is a simple challenge—we know how. As Shawne teaches in our novel soon to be released (The Alien Effect) “You in America were the first to build too rich a life. Now you must do better. You know how to become the example to the world you used to be—an example of a much simpler, time-rich life that will preserve and enhance Earth’s beauty and diversity for all its natural time.”
Friedman’s anecdotes are precise, his
challenges direct, and the consequences of failure frightening. We know what we have to do to pick up the lead being taken by Japan and Europe, to devise what he calls a “Code Green” now. This book was published in 2008.
Unlike many valuable books reminding us why we Americans must pull back on our overuse of the planet, Hot, Flat and Crowded focuses on the observation that the world’s economies are so interconnected (i.e. The Earth is flat.), the more we depend on high energy usage the more we support those who hate us. His message is a simple challenge—we know how. As Shawne teaches in our novel soon to be released (The Alien Effect) “You in America were the first to build too rich a life. Now you must do better. You know how to become the example to the world you used to be—an example of a much simpler, time-rich life that will preserve and enhance Earth’s beauty and diversity for all its natural time.”
Friedman’s anecdotes are precise, his
challenges direct, and the consequences of failure frightening. We know what we have to do to pick up the lead being taken by Japan and Europe, to devise what he calls a “Code Green” now. This book was published in 2008.
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Cary
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Jun 02, 2014 01:47PM
Getting deeper into Hot, Flat and Crowded--How could the author dismiss the steady state options with a comment about environmentalists insisting on no-growth--which would lock down those in poverty. Of course it would not, given the details presented by the experts. We can do democratic sharing, including work hours. We can find ways to limit extremes in income differences. See the concise text Enough Is Enough: Building a Sustainable Society In a World of Finite Resources. Friedman has neglected the Crowded word in his title--does he discuss the "lemming effect" we are seeing in human society? Has he forgotten that there are real limits to the resources available on planet Earth? I'll be looking for his 2008 take on the water crises facing some.
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