Description

An Independent Climate Book of the Year 2023

In this sweeping work of science and history, the renowned climate scientist and author of The New Climate War shows us the conditions on Earth that allowed humans not only to exist but thrive, and how they are imperiled if we veer off course.

For the vast majority of its 4.54 billion years, Earth has proven it can manage just fine without human beings. Then came the first proto-humans, who emerged just a little more than 2 million years ago – a fleeting moment in geological time. What is it that made this benevolent moment of ours possible? Ironically, it’s the very same thing that now threatens us – climate change.

Climate variability has at times created new niches that humans or their ancestors could potentially exploit, and challenges that at times have spurred innovation. But the conditions that allowed humans to live on this earth are fragile, incredibly so. There’s a relatively narrow envelope of climate variability within which human civilisation remains viable. And our survival depends on conditions remaining within that range.

In this book, renowned climate scientist Michael Mann arms readers with the knowledge necessary to appreciate the gravity of the unfolding climate crisis, while emboldening them – and others – to act before it truly does become too late.

Publisher Review

'This detailed and yet marvellously readable look at our climatic past offers us the information we need to understand our climatic future - and more importantly, to act to shape that future in the here and now.' -- Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature 'Reading Our Fragile Moment is like taking a spectacular hike through billions of years of Earth's climate history with one of the great scientists of our time. Oh look - there's the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs! There's the great ocean conveyor! There's the Rossby waves! When you reach the summit of Mann's wonderful book, you will understand just how rare and beautiful our moment is - and why we need to fight harder to protect it.' -- Jeff Goodell, author of The Heat Will Kill You First 'Mann has masterfully woven the climate story from our past to the future. Drawing upon a wealth of data, research, and expertise, he slays the persistent zombie theories that climate scientists ignore historical context.' -- Dr Marshall Shepherd, international expert in weather and climate, and Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia 'A gripping tale of Earth's climate history, this book is a must-read for every global citizen. It dispels common climate myths with surgical clarity and provides an essential roadmap to understanding our past and choosing our future.' -- Katharine Hayhoe, climate scientist, Distinguished Professor at Texas Tech University, UN Champion of the Earth, and author of Saving Us 'Mann shows that over the last few hundreds of millions of years, Earth has been snowball cold, tropic hot, rainforest wet, and desert dry. Its atmosphere has been oxygen poor, oxygen rich, or choked with deadly gas. But Earth has never been through anything quite like humankind. Our current comfortable climate is disappearing - because of us. It's cause for thundering alarm, but is not cause for despair or doomist gloom. It's time for action. Don't believe me? Read this book.' -- Bill Nye, science educator and CEO of The Planetary Society 'Written with clarity, brevity, and wit, Mann presents a riveting and instructive narrative of Earth's climate changes to help us navigate this new epoch of human-altered climate. This honest, informed look at planetary history serves as both a defence against doomism and a call to action to forge a livable world that is still well within our grasp.' -- David Grinspoon, astrobiologist and author of Earth in Human Hands 'Deeply-researched, sprawling in scope, and with insights and surprises on every page. This is the sort of historical understanding that leads to wisdom.' -- Seth Godin, Founding Editor of The Carbon Almanac 'Mann has a tremendous depth of knowledge about the history of our planet's climate, which is why his words of warning and optimism are so important. This book provides important lessons from humanity's past to empower readers to help protect our future.' -- Former US Vice President Al Gore 'In this sober warning, Mann ... examines epochal climate events of the past to underscore the current threat posed by global warming ... this enlightens even as it unsettles.' * Publishers Weekly * 'A renowned climatologist and science journalist casts a hard eye on the probability that climate change is irreversible ... An evenhanded take on a crucial topic. While our goose may not be cooked, it's still time to reduce the heat.' * Kirkus Reviews * Praise for The New Climate War: 'Mann's voice is especially powerful on the subject.' -- David Montgomery * The Washington Post * Praise for The New Climate War: 'Mann has combined the roles of groundbreaking scientific researcher, compelling popular communicator, and courageous activist in a way few have since Carl Sagan. His latest book, The New Climate War, provides a thoughtful perspective on the forces impeding meaningful climate action.' -- David Carlin * Forbes *