george monbiot is highly readable. his accessible journalistic style presents one side of a controversial and important issue. if you enjoy his articles in 'the guardian,' this is a worthwhile read.

Well written, well argued, interesting and hard to put down.

A very accurate and interesting analysis of our current climate change situation and the possible solutions.

Climate change due largely to the emission of carbon dioxide by fossil-fuel burning plants, automobiles and aircraft is a serious threat to our future. The number of articles, statements by politicians, and even books on the subject is rapidly increasing. Yet there is still a good deal of confusion and misinformation about the possibility of reducing carbon emissions to a 'safe' level. George Monbiot's very readable book goes a very long way to clear up that confusion and misinformation. It is a unique contribution to the literature and every energy and environment minister and 'green' protester must read it.
Montbiot points out that climate change is a global phenomenon. Countries like Canada and the UK can do little alone. Even a crippling reduction of carbon emissions in Canada by the 90% he prescribes, would do little to slow down the build-up of carbon in the atmosphere - unless the USA, China India and Europe followed suit.
If most countries continue to cut carbon emissions only as much as their present way of life will allow, climate change will become steadily more extreme. Experts predict a 'tipping point' at which drastic changes will occur in a relatively short time causing disastrous events and panic in many places.
The body of this book is a detailed, fully referenced development of Monbiot's prescription for reaching a 90% cut in global carbon emissions by the year 2030. It is cast in an optimistic style , although at times the optimism is strained, for a very good reason.
It would take unprecedented cooperation between all carbon-emitting countries to make such draconian cuts to their carbon emissions. If they made the unlikely decision to do so, the effect on the world economy would be devastating in spite of the Author's meticulous reasoning to the contrary. There would be a downward spiral from which recovery might well become impossible
So we are in a Catch 22 situation - damned if we do and damned if we don't.
Assessing the probabilities, we might be wise to do whatever we can to prepare our families and ourselves for a turbulent and uncertain future.

But please read this remarkable book and draw your own conclusions.

Monbiot does not want people living in the stone age, quite the contrary actually.. he wants to strive for 90% cuts in MANMADE carbon emissions, while at the same time not having to live in third world conditions and give up and abandon our way of life. This is a well researched and reasoned book whose aim is to educate and hopefully make people act.. and the most important way we can act is to work to persuade the worlds governments to implement the changes that need to be made now before our planet begins to feel and react to the effects of the industrial revolution..

I recommend this book, and to those of you who may feel less serious about climate change, i'd advise you at least read the book and judge it based on your own thoughts..

George Monbiot's book is an important companion to Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth".

I doubt that many would agree with all of Monbiot's assessments. However, if you, like many of us, agree that Global Warming is a realistic threat, then it is very important that we openly and objectively review and develop solutions as best we can.

The author has done us a great service by being clear about his biases and the difficulties in making sense out of conflicting views and imprecise information. These issues are at the heart of the challenge.

The challenges before the globe are real, and this call to action cannot be anything but personal, in both our emotional response, as well as responsibility.

George Monbiot has made a constructive contribution to the debate. I am looking forward to more books like this.

Truly one of the worst pieces of writing on global warming every written. The idea that this man has any grasp of science is a baffling one. He'd have us all living in the stone age to save the world.