Apocalypse Never

Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All

By: Michael Shellenberger

Narrated by: Stephen Graybill

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Climate change is real, but it’s not the end of the world. It is not even our most serious environmental problem.

Michael Shellenberger has been fighting for a greener planet for decades. He helped save the world’s last unprotected redwoods. He co-created the predecessor to today’s Green New Deal. And he led a successful effort by climate scientists and activists to keep nuclear plants operating, preventing a spike of emissions.

But in 2019, as some claimed "billions of people are going to die", contributing to rising anxiety, including among adolescents, Shellenberger decided that, as a lifelong environmental activist, leading energy expert, and father of a teenage daughter, he needed to speak out to separate science from fiction.

Despite decades of news media attention, many remain ignorant of basic facts. Carbon emissions peaked and have been declining in most developed nations for over a decade. Deaths from extreme weather, even in poor nations, declined 80 percent over the last four decades. And the risk of Earth warming to very high temperatures is increasingly unlikely thanks to slowing population growth and abundant natural gas.

Curiously, the people who are the most alarmist about the problems also tend to oppose the obvious solutions.

What’s really behind the rise of apocalyptic environmentalism? There are powerful financial interests. There are desires for status and power. But most of all, there is a desire among supposedly secular people for transcendence. This spiritual impulse can be natural and healthy. But in preaching fear without love, and guilt without redemption, the new religion is failing to satisfy our deepest psychological and existential needs.

©2020 Michael Shellenberger (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

The best book addressing climate change

This book addresses some of the most surprising facts and solutions to climate change and tangentially addresses other world problems along the way. Great listen.

Awesome book

Extremely interesting book, I could hardly stop listening. He debunked so many myths. In my opinion very informative listen for anyone. I cannot recommend this book enough. I know what everyone on my Christmas list is getting.

An excellent experience

I leaned a lot from this authors perspective, it was interesting well paced and very well narrated. Thanks to this book I discovered new authors whose books I am looking forward to reading they are Richard Rhodes and Ernest Becker.
I also appreciated that the book never felt political; I was never patronized or moralized which is great considering the subject matter.

a breath of fresh air

Finally, a sensible, balanced approach to environmentalism, taking into account both human needs and continued improvements to the environment. The author clearly cares deeply for both. Well read.

Well thought out

This book should be required reading for all humans, but definitely for all high school and college students. It provides a perspective on most of the critical issues facing our world that isn’t available in mainstream media.

A welcome moderating voice in a world of extremism

A well thought out fact based humanistic look at the often extreme environmental movement. worth the read whatever you approach.

Great and informative read

Shellenberger covers allot of ground, showing where ‘deniers’ and ‘exaggerators’ misrepresent real threats and dangers to humanity. He also makes the telling humane and personal by telling stories from individuals in many different parts of the world. I highly recommend this as an antidote to the darkness and negativism which has become too prevalent in much of the reporting on climate. I wish that Shellenberger had narrated the book himself, though the narrator did a good job.

Well researched!

I didn’t know what to expect going into this, but the climate change proselytizers don’t ring true for me instinctually. This book puts into scientific and factually based words what I felt about the whole thing. If the people wanted to help the environment, why not push for nuclear power? Why not push for economic freedom to lif people out of poverty? I

Did not know much about the Environmentalism

I appreciate the narrative and it has caused me to read more on subject.

I am surprised that we have gone backward on nuclear and hydro electric. With move toward Electric cars our power needs will be greater. Pretty Stupid if we have to generate electricity with fossil fuels. Solar and wind are certainly not stand alone solutions. Maybe not even economical without significant subsidies.

It seems like everyone should read this

Extremely useful summary of where the climate and environment really stands from someone who has done their research.