A Hole in the Wind: A Climate Scientist's Bicycle Journey Across the United States by David Goodrich -4 stars

[Booknblues]

I am a sucker for travel books and especially those involving slow travel of walking, bike riding, kayaking, rowing or walking with a donkey. I've recently discovered a sub-genre of these, of people traveling long distance for a cause as Walk to Beautiful: The Power of Love and a Homeless Kid Who Found the Way , Jimmy Wayne walks across the US to highlight the needs of foster children, andTrespassing Across America: One Man's Epic, Never-Done-Before (and Sort of Illegal) Hike Across the Heartland, Ken Ilgunas walks the length of the Keystone Pipeline to bring attention to it and the environmental dangers. A Hole in the Wind: A Climate Scientist's Bicycle Journey Across the United States by David Goodrich is one such book. Upon retirement Goodrich decided to bike across America to see for himself how climate change was effecting the country and get grassroots impression of people's reaction to it:

Climate’s not really that complicated, and I thought that I could explain it if given the chance. As I approached retirement, the idea came that maybe I could just ride my bike across the country and talk with people. My inspiration came from the movie Animal House: “This situation requires a really futile and stupid gesture on somebody’s part, and we’re just the guys to do it.”

To be clear Goodrich is no light weight he has had a long and distinguished career in climate science. As his publisher states, "David Goodrich worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and served as the Director of the UN Global Climate Observing System in Geneva, Switzerland. He retired as head of NOAA's Climate Observations and Monitoring Program. In addition to his cross-country bicycle trip, he has ridden down the Appalachians and across Montana, South Dakota, France and Spain. He lives in Maryland.." It is great reading a book written by an expert, but perhaps as important is the ability to spin a good yarn and describe scientific details in such a way that it is easily understandable to the lay person and Goodrich pulls that off with ease.

By riding along with Goodrich we can see the effects of climate change from the erosion and disappearance of the barrier islands on the Atlantic coast, the increasing frequency of storms in the midwest, the heightened summer temperatures in the great plains, the dying off of lodgepole pines in the Rockies and the increasing number of fires in the west. Along with that we get an interesting look at America on bicycle.

The one element which I marked the book down for a bit was that he included a few other bicycle trips which he took in the book and it was not immediately clear that he either moved forward or back in time from his Trans-am trip in 2011.

For anyone who is interested in climate science, I would encourage you to read this book. It made the Forbes list of important ecological books to read this year.

[Jason]

On my TBR! Sounds amazing on so many levels, Thank-you

[LibraryCin]

For anyone who is interested in climate science,

This is me. Probably something I should add...

[Booknblues]

Jason wrote: "On my TBR! Sounds amazing on so many levels, Thank-you"

Thank you, Jason! I was so hoping that someone would notice my review, because I think this is a really good book that needs a reading audience.

[Booknblues]

LibraryCin wrote: "For anyone who is interested in climate science,

This is me. Probably something I should add..."

I think you will like it. The only thing that could make it better for you would be to have it set in Canada. His riding through Kansas, reminds me of my experience driving through Saskatchewan in a truck with a camper in 1974. I was oversteering so much my arms hurt. It really can't compare with being on a bike.

[LibraryCin]

His riding through Kansas, reminds me of my experience driving through Saskatchewan in a truck with a camper in 1974. I was oversteering so much my arms hurt. It really can't compare with being on a bike. ..."

LOL!