Global Climate Change: Human and natural influences, ed. F.S. Singer, 424pp., sftbd., $17.95, Paragon House (481 8th Ave, New York, NY 10001) 1989. Here at last is the real story on global warming and the ozone layer by real scientists like Singer, Elsaes-ser, Landberg and others whom you will not find in the Sunday Supplements. Also articles on worldwide ocean pollution, deser-tification, volcanism, etc. Plus some genuine scientific discussion and opposing views. The only thing missing is the doomsday syndrome. Very highly recommended.
Julian Simon, author of The Ultimate Resource [AtE Dec 81] and editor of The Resourceful Earth [AtE Sep 84] has authored another blockbuster: The Economic Consequences of Immigration, which concerns this newsletter as a refutation of the hoax that the US is in danger of being overpopulated and that more people mean shrinking resources. As usual for Simon, this is not a string of philosophical essays, but deep economic analysis, a wealth of data to support it, impeccable logic to carry the arguments, hard facts to demolish ingrown myths, and a style that reads like a novel. Highly recommended.
V.I. Postrel, "The Green Road to Serfdom," and A. Ferguson, "Apocalypse Whenever," both in the April Reason (2716 Ocean Blvd./#1062, Santa Monica, CA 90405; $3) are not only excellent in contents, but shining examples of good writing.
R.W. Poole Jr., "Privatizing airports," Reason Fndtn. Policy Study No. 119 (address above); a rational answer to air traffic congestion and costs.
Science: good, bad and bogus by Martin Gardner, who for decades wrote the engrossing column on mathematics in the Sci. Amer., was excellent originally [AtE Jul 88], and its expanded edition in paperback is even better. $15.95, Prometheus, 700 E. Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14215.
An invocation for Earth Day: Hoping for the right virus Human happiness, and certainly human fecundity, are not as important as a wild and healthy planet. I know social scientists who remind me that people are part of nature, but it isn't true. Somewhere along the line
¾at about a billion years ago, maybe half that¾we quit the contract and became a cancer. We have become a plague on ourselves and upon the Earth. It is cosmically unlikely that the developed world will choose to end its orgy of fossil fuel consumption, and the Third Word its suicidal consumption of landscape. Until such time as homo sapiens should decide to rejoin nature, some of us can only hope for the right virus to come along.David M. Graber,
National Park Service biologist,
in the Los Angeles Times.
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Vol. 17, No. 8
Newsletter: Access to Energy Newsletter Archive Volume: Issues Issue/No.: Vol. 17, No. 8 Date: December 01, 2004 03:33 PM Title: The High Holy Heathen Holiday
Copyright © 2004 - Access to Energy Newsletter Archive
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