James Lovelock and The Revenge of Gaia

In Tuesday's edition of the Washington Post, Australian environmentalist Tim Flannery reviewed James Lovelock's new book about global warming, The Revenge of Gaia:

Lovelock's principal motivation in penning his latest work is not to better define Gaia (although he does that) but to warn us that, if nothing is done, Earth is on the brink of moving into a "hot state" -- and if it does, "most of us, and our descendants, will die" prematurely and needlessly. The cause of the heating, he writes, is the greenhouse gases released by our fossil-fuel-driven economy.

So yes, "The Revenge of Gaia" is another book about global warming. Yet this is a wondrous and novel essay, both for what it has to say and for the insight it affords into one of the most ingenious, if eccentric, minds of our age.

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In this crisis, however, Lovelock believes he does know what must be done. And his prescription -- develop nuclear power as swiftly and effectively as possible -- will be shocking to some, as will his fearlessness about radiation.

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Minor technical blemishes fail to tarnish this luminous, challenging and timely work. Because it is so full of vital and interesting facts, "The Revenge of Gaia" is essential reading for anyone interested in climate change. And whatever your politics, it's sure to offend.

Thanks to Norris McDonald for the link. We first alerted our readers about Lovelock's book back in January. Earlier this month, we told our readers about Flannery's public support of expanded use of nuclear energy in Australia.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Electricity, Nuclear Power, James Lovelock, Tim Flannery, Climate Change, Global Warming, GHG