This was not an easy book to read. And you might be asking, why read a book about climate change that was published in 2009? Isn't that old data? Well, kinda, but this is precisely the reason why I read a book about climate change published in 2009.…
This was not an easy book to read. And you might be asking, why read a book about climate change that was published in 2009? Isn't that old data? Well, kinda, but this is precisely the reason why I read a book about climate change published in 2009. I want to see what predictions came true and which did not. James Hansen lacks tact, slickness and public speaking ability, by his own admission, which makes delivery of his message all that more difficult. I will also add that he isn't the easiest guy to read because, well, he likes the weeds. He thrives there in fact. Now, I was sitting on my ass in Jamaica when I decided to dive in, so I had nothing else to do other than join Hansen in the weeds, and I'm glad I did.
The single most important takeaway from Storms of my Grandchildren, at least for me, is that everyone in our government is lying to us.
Both parties, all levels. Why? Because out there right now, prowling the streets and cubicles of Washington DC, are thousands of lobbyists working for oil and gas. These predators take no prisoners and they own the entire town. Hansen names names. This person got "X" amount from Exxon in 2007. This person claims to be a climate fighter but made "X" amount from this oil company behind the scenes. Three payments totaling "X" amount over the fiscal year. Bought and paid for by the fossil fuel industry.
I've said this many, many times, the United States is as corrupt a nation as any on the planet. Corruption here looks different and dresses different, and our basic services, for the most part still work, so it's easy to assume "they" are corrupt but "we" are not. The fossil fuel industry owns our policy makers. Hansen was in the room and in the meetings and on the task forces and came away saying "something stinks." Clinton didn't get it, Bush didn't get it, Obama didn't, Trump is short sighted enough to scream "drill baby drill" at his rallies and the "Climate President" Joe Biden is anything but.
Based on what I know, it's too late.
You and I are most likely going to be fine, unless you live near a shoreline, but your grandchildren are totally hosed. Several of the predictions in this book have not only come true, they are far worse than what we imagined "back in the day of 2009." Just take the Greenland ice sheet and the Antarctic ice. Yep, it's not good. What do I think will happen? Nothing of substance. Half of America now lives in a post-truth fairytale based on the rantings of a madman, and the other half can do little more than point the finger as they put their faith in technology. My feeling since childhood is that humans were destined to destroy themselves and nothing I see, or read, make me think otherwise. Whatever it is you need to do in life, do it now.
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