Six men suggest books that the group might enjoy. Somebody suggested "Apocalyptic Planet" by Craig Childs. I did what I always do: check to see if the book is available in Kindle. It was and it is, but the cost is a little too high for my tastes at this time. The group has made arrangements with the local public library (that blessed institution) to borrow several copies. I dragged my reluctant self down there with ID intact to get one.
Uf-da! Oy vey! Big book to read about the environment, not a hot subject with me. I know, I know, I should read fewer bodice rippers and concentrate on greenhouse gases. Listen, Bob Artigiani and I read "Limits to Growth" back in 1972 and launched the course "Futures". Even before that, we noticed that the seconds tick by, we can't use gasoline forever and we are all going to die. I am a chicken, I am lazy and I prefer reading jokes or bodices. But then, I noticed the cover of the borrowed copy. Subtitle: "Field Guide to the Everending Earth". That is not what I expected.
I had boasted to the librarians that I would zip through the book and have it read by 3 PM. Nope, too good. Too unexpected. One of those books that alternates between real-life scenes and scientific explanation. The subtitle is correct: author's premise is that Earth has "ended" many times, with heating and cooling too much, with volcanoes and earthquakes, with seas rising and shrinking back and forth. Whole civilizations withered away and we have the solid evidence, not just a notion.
(I compose my blog posts in Google Docs and store on Google Drive. I don't have a set limit for a post but at this point, I just turned on the option to have the computer continuously display the number of words in my document. That last sentence was 315, in case you are wondering. I am not being entirely frivolous. Some people are looking for an integrated, low-cost way to write, publish, communicate and manage their time. Gmail and its related services can help easily, quickly and on any connected device.)
Ok, back to Apocalyptic Planet. The table of contents is helpful, listing various threats
Desertification
Ice collapses
Seas rising
Civilizations failing
Cold returning
Species vanishing
Mountains moving
Cataclysm strikes
Seas boil
If you are looking for a healthy, witty rundown on the whole sets of problems, take a look at the book.
