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A Contract with the Earth

Newt Gingrich (Goodreads Author),

Terry L. Maple

3.48 · Rating details · 114 ratings · 11 reviews

Focusing on the environmental debate on the principle of common commitment, Gingrich and Maple declare a need for bipartisan environmentalism as they call for a new era of environmental stewardship, one with principles that they believe most Americans will share.

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Hardcover, 222 pages

Published November 1st 2007 by Johns Hopkins University Press (first published December 26th 1994)

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May 11, 2010 Todd Martin rated it it was ok

Shelves: environment-science, culture-politics

Newt Gingrich, hyper-partisan hack and author of the book “Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less” (which, in light of the BP oil spill disaster, reflects just how very, very shortsighted and wrong an individual can be) wrote a book promoting the environment?!? Given the anti-environmental rhetoric coming from the right wing coupled with their abysmal track record over the past 30 years regarding environmental protection who woulda thunk it? Yet Gingrich has tried to do just that in “A Contract with th Newt Gingrich, hyper-partisan hack and author of the book “Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less” (which, in light of the BP oil spill disaster, reflects just how very, very shortsighted and wrong an individual can be) wrote a book promoting the environment?!? Given the anti-environmental rhetoric coming from the right wing coupled with their abysmal track record over the past 30 years regarding environmental protection who woulda thunk it? Yet Gingrich has tried to do just that in “A Contract with the Earth” a bullet-point filled book which outlines his vision to restore the environment.

Though the book didn’t get much attention when it came out in 2007 and the republican party has yet to stand up for environmental protection, it is at least a start. Given that economic security, family values and the other things the wingers value cannot occur if the environment collapses it’s about time one of them has begun to talk about it, even if only briefly and even if he was largely ignored.

Gingrich does seem to understand that the environment is important. He’s got the green rhetoric down and when speaking in generalizations is largely indistinguishable from a dirty tree-hugging hippy. The main difference comes in terms of solutions and he seems to believe that private industry and technology, spurred by government incentives will ride in like the cavalry to remake the planet into a green Eden. His rationale goes like this …. as individuals become more prosperous they demand a cleaner environment, therefore as countries become richer they will naturally become greener. There’s a grain of truth here. Americans don’t participate in slash and burn agriculture since we don’t rely on it for subsistence. The failure of the logic, however, is easily demonstrated by the fact that the US is richer now than it’s ever been. By applying Newt’s premise that richer is greener you’d expect the environment to be significantly improving on every front. Instead we see continued loss of biodiversity, ever higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions, collapse of fisheries and an oil spill that threatens the southeast coastline. Richer doesn’t necessarily mean greener, if fact it probably enables ever increasing levels of consumption which only creates further stresses.

On the positive side, technology certainly does have a role to play in minimizing the human-caused damage to the planet, particularly since technology has also been the cause of so much environmental degradation. The problem is that technology alone, in the absence of behavioral and regulatory changes, is unlikely to go far enough to address the large scale environmental problems we face.

With that said, Newt’s half measures are worth pursuing (in conjunction with other measures) and maybe they could be used to provide the basis for a bipartisan discussion to begin to address environmental issues. ...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Ray rated it liked it · review of another edition

I had a hard time believing I was reading a book written by Newt Gingrich. It sounded like it might have been co-authored by Al Gore. Written late in President Bush's second term, but read as we're nearing the 2012 Presidential primary period, I sense that Newt has now seemed to have backed away from much of what was written in this book. As the GOP 2012 Presidential Primaries are beginning, it appears that Gingrich recognizes that the positions taken when he wrote this book probably won't fly w I had a hard time believing I was reading a book written by Newt Gingrich. It sounded like it might have been co-authored by Al Gore. Written late in President Bush's second term, but read as we're nearing the 2012 Presidential primary period, I sense that Newt has now seemed to have backed away from much of what was written in this book. As the GOP 2012 Presidential Primaries are beginning, it appears that Gingrich recognizes that the positions taken when he wrote this book probably won't fly with the more conservative wing of the Republican Party. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, for one, in December, 2011, released an ad questioning Gingrich's "serial hypocrisy" and quoting newspaper articles, pundits and conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh to illustrate Gingrich's numerous policy changes. The Paul ad began with a commercial Gingrich shot with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in 2008 promoting bipartisan solutions to climate change. In December, 2011, Gingrich now says that making that ad "was probably the single dumbest thing" he's ever done. Yet in this book, Gingrich wrote that climate change is supported by a wealth of scientific data derived from a diversity of measurement techniques. Political posturing aside, Gingrich seemed sincere in his writing, so it's probable that during the Primaries, Newt is following the advice of political advisors and reaching out to the most conservative wing of the Party to try to win the nomination, and may back off positions contrary to those listed in his book should he win the nomination and then try adopt a more center to right of center position to appeal to more of the Independents. Aside from now wondering about Newt's change in feelings and original reason for writing the book, the other part of the book I didn't like was the endless platitudes vs. practical working solutions offered. Most of the ideas were things like "we all need to do better", " we need to respected the environment", "we need to foster better cooperation between government and the private sector", etc. But if you get through the somewhat superficial elements in the book, there are some decent ideas offered. I just no longer know whose ideas these are, and what direction Newt will take if he does get back into a position of political leadership.

...more

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Jan 31, 2009 Kevin Kirkhoff rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is where I found out what I was made of politically. This outlines the issues and proposals that the 104th Congress pledged to address come January of '95. Through so much of this book I found myself thinking, "It's about time someone thought of that!", or "Finally, someone (or some people) who have the same ideas that I have." I've read it 3 times. I've even highlighted parts I consider important. ...more

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Jul 27, 2009 David Rosage rated it it was amazing

I deeply enjoyed this book. Newt has such an intellengent way of organizing ideas. In the book he clearly shows that liberals don't have the only solutions to the environmental problem. He give good ideas on how Democrats and Republicans can work together to inspire new green innovations and improve our planet. Great read for any conservative who cares about the planet. ...more

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Jul 14, 2019 M.A. Stern rated it really liked it

This book takes a unique, optimistic view of fighting climate change and embraces doing so from a conservative point of view. Gingrich may not always practice what he preaches in this book but it is insightful nonetheless.

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Sep 16, 2010 Shaun rated it liked it

I thought this book was okay. There are plenty of things we can do to improve the environment, but it won't be solved by government. Only businesses and motivated individuals can do their part to make a difference. ...more

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Dec 08, 2008 Emily rated it it was ok

Eh.

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Aug 16, 2010 Craig Broccoli rated it it was ok

Some parts made me laugh because of its simplistic point of view, it is a very quick read.

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Nov 21, 2014 Mike Walters rated it liked it

I'm just not sure where Newt was coming from with this. It just doesn't sound like his voice. I do appreciate that he tries to not politicize the issues he discusses. ...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Amanda Linehan rated it it was ok

This book was OK, nothing remarkable and not bad either. It was surprising to see him come out in full force of what I see as liberal policies, but nothing that he wrote about was groundbreaking.

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Oct 01, 2009 Drew Johnson rated it did not like it

I expect more from Newt. A mere recollection of the importance of conservation and some success in doing so.

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About Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich

447 followers

Newt Gingrich is well-known as the architect of the “Contract with America” that led the Republican Party to victory in 1994 by capturing the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in forty years. After he was elected Speaker, he disrupted the status quo by moving power out of Washington and back to the American people. Under his leadership, Congress passed welfare reform Newt Gingrich is well-known as the architect of the “Contract with America” that led the Republican Party to victory in 1994 by capturing the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in forty years. After he was elected Speaker, he disrupted the status quo by moving power out of Washington and back to the American people. Under his leadership, Congress passed welfare reform, the first balanced budget in a generation, and the first tax cut in sixteen years. In addition, the Congress restored funding to strengthen defense and intelligence capabilities, an action later lauded by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission.

Today Newt Gingrich is a Fox News contributor. He is a Senior Advisor at Dentons, the world’s largest law firm with more than 6,500 lawyers in 50 countries and offices in more than 125 cities. He advises the firm’s world-class Public Policy and Regulation practice. He is also a Senior Scientist at Gallup.

From May 2011 to May 2012, Newt Gingrich was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, winning the South Carolina and the Georgia primaries. The campaign was especially notable for its innovative policy agenda, its effort to bring new coalitions into the Republican fold, and for Newt’s debate performances. His $2.50 a gallon energy plan set off a nationwide discussion about the use of America’s energy resources.
But there is a lot more to Newt Gingrich than these remarkable achievements. As an author, Newt has published twenty-nine books including 14 fiction and nonfiction New York Times best-sellers.
Non-fiction books include his latest, Breakout, in addition to A Nation Like No Other, Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny, To Save America, Rediscovering God in America, 5 Principles for a Successful Life, Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less, Real Change, A Contract with the Earth, Winning the Future: A 21st Century Contract with America, To Renew America, Lessons Learned the Hard Way, Saving Lives & Saving Money, Window of Opportunity, and The Art of Transformation. He is also the author of a series of historical fiction books including, Gettysburg, Grant Comes East, Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant the Final Victory, 1945, Pearl Harbor, Days of Infamy, To Make Men Free, To Try Men’s Souls, Valley Forge, and Victory at Yorktown. These novels are active history studies in the lessons of warfare based on fictional accounts of historical wartime battles and their aftermaths. His latest novel, Treason, is the sequel to Duplicity and is a thriller of Washington intrigue and international terrorism.

Newt and his wife, Callista, host and produce historical and public policy documentaries. Recent films include The First American, Divine Mercy: The Canonization of John Paul II, A City Upon A Hill, America at Risk, Nine Days That Changed The World, Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny, Rediscovering God in America, Rediscovering God in America II: Our Heritage, and We Have the Power.

In his post-Speaker role, Newt has become one of the most highly sought-after public speakers, accepting invitations to speak before prestigious organizations throughout the world. Because of his own unquenchable thirst for knowledge, Newt is able to share unique and unparalleled insights on a wide range of topics. His audiences find him to be not only educational but also inspirational. For more information about Newt’s speaking engagements, please visit the Worldwide Speakers Group.

Widely recognized for his commitment to a better system of health for all Americans, his leadership in the U.S. Congress helped save Medicare from bankruptcy, prompted FDA reform to help the seriously ill and initiated a new focus on research, prevention, and wellness. His contributions have been so great that the American Diabetes Association awarded him their highest non-medical award and the March of Dimes named him their 1995 Citizen of the Year.
To foster a modern health system that provide ...more