Great Disruption

It's time to stop just worrying about climate change, says Paul Gilding. Instead, we need to brace for impact, because global crisis is no longer avoidable; we have come to the end of a world economy based on consumption and waste, where we live beyond the means of our planet's resources. The Great Disruption offers a stark and unflinching look at the challenge humanity faces-yet also a deeply optimistic message. The coming decades will see loss, suffering, and conflict as our planetary overdraft is paid; however, they will also bring out the best humanity can offer: compassion, innovation, resilience, and adaptability. Gilding tells us how to fight-and win-what he calls the "one-degree war" to prevent catastrophic warming of the earth, and how to start today.

Praise for The Great Disruption:

"Gilding offers a clear-eyed and moving assessment of our predicament, but more important, he offers a plausible way forward and good reasons to think we will rise to the occasion." -David W. Orr, author of Hope Is an Imperative

"Paul Gilding offers some excellent insights into how we might weather that which we can no longer completely prevent-and how we can still prevent that which we won't be able to weather. If you're planning to stick around for the twenty-first century, this might be a useful book to consult." -Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth, and founder of 350.org

Paul Gilding is an international thought leader and advocate for sustainability. He has served as head of Greenpeace International, built and led two companies, and advised both Fortune 500 corporations and community-based NGOs. A member of the core faculty for the University of Cambridge's Programme for Sustainability Leadership, he lives in Tasmania with his family.