Field Notes from a Catastrophe

Man, Nature, and Climate Change

By: Elizabeth Kolbert

Narrated by: Hope Davis

Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Americans have been warned since the late 1970s that the buildup of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere threatens to melt the polar ice sheets and irreversibly change our climate. With little done since then to alter this dangerous path, the world has reached a critical threshold. By the end of the century, it will likely be hotter than at any point in the last two million years, and the sweeping consequences of this change will determine the future of life on earth for generations to come.

Taking listeners from the melting Alaskan permafrost to storm-torn New Orleans, acclaimed journalist Elizabeth Kolbert approaches this monumental problem from every angle. She interviews researchers and environmentalists, explains the science, draws frightening parallels to lost civilizations, and presents the moving tales of people who are watching their worlds disappear. Growing out of an award-winning three-part series for The New Yorker, Field Notes from a Catastrophe brings the environment into the consciousness of the American people and asks what, if anything, can be done to save our planet.

Field Notes from a Catastrophe is our Editors' Pick for Nonfiction. Find out what else made Audible's Best of 2006 list.; Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2006 Elizabeth Kolbert. All rights reserved (P)2006 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Powerful, clear, and important." (Scientific American)
"Kolbert's calmly persuasive reporting stands out for its sobering clarity....Kolbert lets facts rather than polemics tell the story....This unbiased overview is a model for writing about an urgent environmental crisis." (Publishers Weekly)
"Illuminating and sobering....Includes fascinating accounts of how climate changes affected the planet in the past, and how such changes are occurring in different parts of the world right now." (The New York Review of Books)

more people should read this

really informative and easy to follow. good narration. opened my eyes even more to some of the politics of climate change.

informational but slow.

informational but slow and drawn out. had to read for my college environmental history class.

Excellent

Hard to believe we can know this much, and yet do so little to correct things for future generations.
A well told story. Easy to understand. Sometimes a little funny which is necessary to keep you from weeping for the future lives of our children.

As relevant now as in 2010

While it may seem a bit disheartening to realize how little we’ve done since 2010 to change the amount of CO2 we emit, at least we have started to ramp up the amount of solar and wind energy that we use.

In the time since this book was written, coal has become used less and less here in the United States, because wind and solar have become cheaper to bring online than coal.

Also, the electrification of cars, such as the Tesla, has become a widespread phenomenon.

Wow, we have had the hottest years recorded in just the last couple of years. It is a bit disheartening that certain political groups are still pushing. The climate change is not a man-made phenomena.

This book does an excellent job of balancing between being educational, without going into climate doomerism. The adventure stories of those who go to the ends of the Earth to obtain data about the climate and about the climate of days past captured in ancient ice, and rock keeps the listener engaged.

This book is is as essential now as it was in 2010, if not more so. An excellent read and well worth recommending.

Probably better as a physical book

Contains a lot of facts but little story. Therefore, it makes kind of a boring audiobook. I'm pretty sure I would like it better if I could see the words on a page rather than listening to it as I commute to work.

Fantastic naritive! Strong evadence based argument

Story line: Kolbert does a great job of pulling you into the story of her exploration of climate change.

Narration: Not the best. Not horrible either but Davis's tone does not make me feel like she totally understands what she is describing.

Facts and background: The writer does a phenomenal job of giving you the information without adding too much scientific jargon. I am in a deep scientific field and could still enjoy it. It wasn't too simple.

Sources: Kolbert Does a great job of telling you the names of the people that she meets and where they are located so that you can personally look into their credentials.

Important book on the science of climate change

The most alarming thing about this book is that it was written 16 years ago. We have so much knowledge and technological capability and have done so little about climate change. NOTE: I was disappointed to find that Audible has not updated the book to include the chapters that were added in 2015.

A must read for everyone!

The author knows how to write and to convey information without patronizing the audience - she is about information (draw your own conclusions). The book also does not fall into the statistics trap.

Without hesitation an excellent (albeit frightning) resource on climate change and it's consequences.

Reader is also perfectly suited.

Very well done!

I came to the subject of Global Warming with only a vague concern, and very little bias. Sure, my wife and I each drive a Prius and we recycle, but before reading this book I wasn't really <b><i>worried</i></b>. Now, I'm keeping watch for ways to be part of the solution.

The book is well written with an easy style. The author weaves scientific elements into the story of human life, making the listen both interesting and informative. While I found the middle of the book to drag a bit, the last chapters more than made up for any necessary foundation laid therein.

Thank you, Elizabeth Kolbert, for your clear and scientific explanation of the facts that fuel the fears of global warming. I wish everyone would read this book!

One Scary Book

This has to be the scariest book I have ever listened to. In her calm, state the facts way, she step by step teaches how the planet is changing at an unprecedented rate and how the US is lagging far behind in taking action. Riveting book well worth the time to listen to.