Synopses & Reviews
Global warming is the story of the twenty-first century. It is the most serious issue facing the future of humankind, and American energy and environmental policy is driving the whole world down the path of global catastrophe.
Hell and High Water is nothing less than a wake-up call to the country. It is a searing critique of American environmental and energy policy and a passionate call to action by a writer with a unique command of the science and politics of climate change.
We have ten years, at most, to start making sharp cuts to our greenhouse gas emissions or we will face catastrophic consequences. The good news is that there is something we can do but only if the leadership of the U.S. government acts immediately and asserts its influence on the rest of the world in particular such emerging powers as China and India to join an international effort to stop global warming.
Joseph Romm, an expert in the science, business, and politics of climate change, lays out a plan of action that involves:
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by midcentury
- adopting a California-style energy-efficiency effort nationwide
- embracing high-mileage, advanced hybrid cars that can run on both electricity and biofuels
Unfortunately, the required government policies and spending are strongly opposed by conservatives, who have blocked serious action on climate change and continue to publicly deny the dire warnings of scientists. Never before has there been such a sharp divergence between what top scientists know and what policymakers, the general public, and the media believe. And, sadly, never has so much been at stake.
Romm, who ran the largest programin the world that was concentrated on climate solutions, offers an authoritative dissection of this disastrous policy. Hell and High Water goes beyond ideological rhetoric to offer pragmatic solutions to avert the threat of global warming solutions that must be taken seriously by every American.
Review
"Romm explains that we already possess the technologies and know-how we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; what we lack is the will to act." Booklist
Review
"Urgent, reasoned, and informative...America had better listen up this may be our last chance to stop global warming." James Hansen, Director, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
Synopsis
A provocative critique of America's current environmental and energy policy makes sobering predictions about global warming, charges the Bush administration with failing to protect the environment, and makes an impassioned call to utilize the nation's resources and influence to reverse the growth of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the world.
About the Author
Romm is executive director of the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions, a nonprofit consulting firm. He served as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, where he directed the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.