The Future Is Now

Solving the Climate Crisis with Today's Technologies

By: Bob McDonald

Narrated by: Bob McDonald

Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

One of:

CBC’s “27 Canadian books we can't wait to read in September”
CBC’s “60 works of Canadian nonfiction to watch for in fall 2022”
Toronto Star's “40-plus books we’re most looking forward to this season”


Is a global pandemic what it took to show us that saving our planet is possible?

In the absence of motorized boats and gondolas, Venice’s waters have returned to a sparkling blue color. Deer have been spotted roaming cities in Italy, and mountain goats recently took over a small seaside town in Wales. Taking advantage of the decreased boat traffic, whales have returned to roaming Vancouver’s harbours. The absence of “regular” human activities has dramatically affected our environment. In this book, Bob McDonald turns his focus to global energy sources, and shows how the global shutdowns may have been exactly what we needed to show us that a greener future is achievable.

This is not another “wake-up call,” and not another plea to heed the climate science. This is an exploration of the incredible technologies that our species can use to get out of the mess we’ve made for ourselves. It is a work of immense optimism, to counteract the sense of doom that hangs over most discussions of the environment.

Many alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal have been available for decades—but they alone will not be enough. Additional power will come from small nuclear reactors the size of an office desk, and space-based solar power satellites with enormous mirrors that can capture sunlight, convert it to microwaves, and beam it to the ground to light up entire cities. Energy will be captured from waves, tides, and hydrogen. Vehicles will no longer have tailpipes that emit smog particles. Food will be sourced locally.

Green technology is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, and will only continue to skyrocket as current products improve their performance and new products emerge. A new green age is upon us—let this book be your guide to the future.

©2022 Bob McDonald (P)2022 Viking

Critic reviews

“Bob McDonald uses the global industrial shutdowns brought on by COVID-19 to show that a green future is possible – and upon us. McDonald explores the usual alternative energy sources, but also introduces readers to new ones, including desk-sized nuclear reactors, space-based solar power satellites, and energy from waves, tides, and hydrogen.” —Quill & Quire

“The Future is Now is not another wake-up call, but rather an optimistic book that looks at existing technologies and how they can be used now to address the environmental emergency.” —Vancouver Sun

“Regenesis unflinchingly outlines the damage farming does to the planet.” —Big Issue

Good exploration, but imprecise/false science

A reasonably good, high-level exploration of many climate-related technologies, but with important significant caveats detailed below.

For the most part, this book is full of many detailed examples, delivered by the author in a coherent and engaging way.

Unfortunately, there are many times when the author gives imprecise explanations for the science behind the technologies. For example, when he's wrapping up his discussion on nuclear energy, he attributes the forces that stop material objects from intermixing, e.g. the worn out example of why we don't fall through chairs when we sit down, to nuclear forces rather than electrostatic forces. The only time his analogy is remotely close to being relevant is in a neutron star when nucleons repel each other due to the Pauli exclusion principle; but this is still not due to nuclear forces in the context that he had just finished discussing them.

There are other such examples that I am not remembering at the moment, but they are even more glaring and undermining of the public trust implicitly given to someone who writes this sort of book. In this regard, the author is exhibiting and spreading the most dangerous type of ignorance.

Other than the caveats, which aren't trivial, the rest of the book is worth exploring.