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Apocalypse Never  By  cover art

Apocalypse Never

By: Michael Shellenberger
Narrated by: Stephen Graybill
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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

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Environmentalist with integrity!

Apocalypse Never:Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All makes dozens of valid points about the false information coming from environmental alarmists/extremists. They get almost nothing right.

Author Michael Shellenberger apologies for his past role in spreading the incorrect information. Simplistically his major points fall into two categories: 1. Environmental alarmism is not justified. It is both false and counter productive. It has a major negative impact on the mental health of children. 2. The best solution to reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide is nuclear energy. Nuclear is the ultimate green energy.

As a past alarmist the author's honesty is refreshing.

Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All is an important book that deserves lots of positive attention.

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37 people found this helpful

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Science

Very informative and fact based. Climate change is real and we should plan and have good responses, but we can't even have those conversations because we are so ill informed by politicians and alarmists. This causes people to say science and scientists can't be trusted when really it's the reporting and people trying to use the science for other purposes that can't be trusted; and that's dangerous. I'm going to get a copy for each of my kids! Thank you for this book!

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35 people found this helpful

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The best book on the topic

This book is stunning in its breadth and implications. In short the book's argument is that climate change is happening but it isn't the fiery apocalypse the news media has portrayed it as. That view is largely manufactured by politicians and media. In addition a lot of things that the developed world is doing to "help" are exacerbating the problem. He gives examples ranging from the destruction of habitat for wind farms and pasture raised cattle. To the net increase in carbon emissions from the shutdown of nuclear plants.

When reading this book you are left with the impression that you are hearing the "adult" in the room. For every point I agreed with there was one that challenged me. The thoughts and ideas are fully formed. There are no halfpinions in the book. There are real discussions about use of coal and wood in the developing world. Habitat vs climate, Vegetarianism, GMOs, Wind farming and everything else.

The best thing about Apocalypse Never is that it leaves you with hope for the future but also primes you for action. Just fantastic!

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22 people found this helpful

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Pro Nuclear Environmentalism. Who da Thunk it?

This is the logical path between climate skeptics and the alarmists. Schellenberger points out that every country that cares about its environment is wealthy and prosperous. He also points out that it's not that poor countries don't care about their environment, quite the opposite. they just cannot afford to give it the attention that a wealthy country can.
The energy progression is, first you burn wood, then you burn coal, then you burn petroleum and natural gas, then you have nuclear power. This is the energy path to prosperity. prosperous countries take care of their environment. The best thing that we can do to help the world's climate is to help poor nations develop their economies.
This is one of the best books I have ever read on the subject.

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18 people found this helpful

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Not anti environmental

Well researched and from an insider. Rational call for rational and effective environmental protection and policy. Not a right wing reaction to leftist extremism. Based on data and lots of it.

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14 people found this helpful

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Thoroughly Enlightening

A very thorough debunking of the climate catastrophe version of events we are told is happening everyday. The author approaches this as an environmentalist and climate scientist who believe climate change is real and largely worsened by humans and then proceeds to explain how and why the climate alarmists use fear mongering tactics by blatantly misrepresenting the data and conclusions in the major reports they love to cite so much.

The author then proceeds to tell us why not only is the scale of danger no where near what the alarmists would have us believe, but that most of not all of the adverse effects of climate change are avoidable with simply adaptations and using technology the alarmists hate, like nuclear energy, that is far greener than the technologies that are far inferior and less green, like solar and wind power. He explains why large efficiently run corporate farms are much greener than many small organic farms. There are countless times he effortlessly explains away the popular conceptions of climate science with simple facts and stats that very often come from the same studies and organizations themselves cite to purvey their agenda, while conveniently leaving out the information that would instantly debunk their argument.

Great book for climate skeptics to solidify your arguments against climate alarmists as well as a great book for climate alarmists to gain some perspective from the little heard side as well as a great book for everyone in between that just isn’t sure what is going on.

I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.

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Good but too one sided.

Shellenberger makes good points about organizations that are too alarmist and guilty of over exaggeration. The problem with this book is its passing acknowledgement of the great work environmental alarmists have done to save species and reduce green house gasses. He glosses over the environmental damage of excessive fertilizer use and believes all the world has to do is keep building and acquiring stuff to make life better. I wouldn't be surprised if he recieves funding from the Heritage Foundation and the U S. Chamber of Commerce. I stopped listening after 7 chapters because his presentation and subject put me to sleep.

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9 people found this helpful

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Read with an open mind and it will open your mind

Fascinating. Especially the part about young people with anxiety and fear for the future. This one’s dead on. So much fantastic information in this book.

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The Green in the Green Label

“Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.”
― Eric Hoffer, The Temper of Our Time

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7 people found this helpful

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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.

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7 people found this helpful