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The Vanishing Face of Gaia
- A Final Warning
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
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The Vanishing Face of Gaia
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Summary
In The Vanishing Face of Gaia, British scientist James Lovelock predicts global warming will lead to a Hot Epoch. Lovelock is best known for formulating the controversial Gaia theory in the 1970s, with Ruth Margulis of the University of Massachusetts, which states that organisms interact with and regulate Earth's surface and atmosphere. We ignore this interaction at our peril.
An “unwilling Cassandra,” he is nevertheless an "an optimistic pessimist" and thinks we will survive the coming Hot Epoch, but predicts climate change will reduce our population from 9 billion to around one billion or less."I don't think nine billion is better than one billion," Lovelock writes. He compares humans to the “first photosynthesisers, which, when they first appeared on the planet, caused enormous damage by releasing oxygen a nasty, poisonous gas.” Oxygen turned out to be beneficial to the life forms that evolved to utilize it, including us, but a global anaerobic ecosystem gave way in the face of this atmospheric change. If simple microbial life forms could effect such a change, why is it hard to believe that humans could do so, too? And we are, unwittingly at first, but many have recognized the danger for some time now, and time is running out.
There are factions at work today trying to convince the public that global warming is a leftwing conspiracy, a liberal hoax. They claim that scientists perpetuate this “myth” to obtain government grants, and point to “independent” scientists (usually funded by the oil industry) who refute climate change science. Dr. Lovelock may be the antidote to these claims, as he is a truly independent scientist. Lovelock, a chemist and inventor by profession and a climate activist, is not beholden to any government, university, or granting agency. Let those determined to bury their heads in the sands of right wing silliness do so. The rest of us, young and old, have work to do. Lovelock's book sets out an important agenda to follow.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Jeremy
- 22-01-12
The end of the World?
Lovelock is a genius, and a maverick. However, I found this a strange mixture of Science, apocalyptic revelation, and quaisi-religious anthropomorphism. At times Prof. Lovelock berates us for anthropomorphising Giaia, yet falls into his own trap by constantly speaking as though Giaia was a person (or even a Goddess) with intentions, feelings and awareness.
However, I was left feeling convinced by his arguments that the computer models of global warming seriously underestimate the rate of heating, and we should start planning for our future on a hotter planet, with many cities flooded and many areas made uninhabitable. For the UK, this means having to be self sufficient in food and energy, and should be building nuclear power stations now, rather than our current short term, "business as usual" delusion that a few renewable energy wind farms will supply all our needs, and life will continue as usual.
This is well read, and thought provoking audiobook, slightly fanciful in places, and almost indulgently apocalyptic, but with a stern message for us to act now to plan seriously for the dramatic climate changes we will undoubtedly witness within the next 50 years.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Marcher Lord
- 20-05-19
everyone should listen to this assessment .
Brilliantly read from a stark assessment by the esteemed author . The warning is clear for us all and we should take heed . It has certainly changed my outlook and my habits are definitely changing .
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- Mister Peridot
- 20-01-16
Important and moving
This is a seminal book. Lucid, compelling and informed. Lovelock's dreamlike surmise at the end of the book is very moving. Its all a terrible tragedy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Gilliooo
- 21-10-15
Gaia lives and I love her💞
I very very much enjoyed this book and the Audible production, in fact writing this is postponing my intention to listen to it again from the start.
I encountered only a few surprises because by and large this book, though the science is obviously simplified for us, is mostly a pleasing confirmation of many of my own thoughts, about which I was astonished. As no one that I know could ever understand my thinking, I mostly supposed that I was just a bit strange.
I also listened to Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens and Charles Leiberman, all of whom gave me the same elated feeling of belonging. I also recognise and agree with James Lovelock's suggestion that Gaia science is almost a religion, because it is a belief in ourselves and our Mother planet and our science and our art, a total acceptance of our being, and our place in our universe, the only and ultimate truly unifying belief system 💞
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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- Mary Mercy
- 21-11-19
Interesting theory smugly delivered
Interesting theory but the authors personal chips and pomposity intruded too much for my taste . I appreciate that he was bucking against the field for so long but I’d have preferred him to stick to his theory which was very interesting and insightful
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