Well that was a little terrifying.

I just read the first two chapters from Bill McKibben's Eaarth. And to be completely honest, it scared the bejeezus out of me. These two chapters discuss current climate change facts, the incredible damage that can be done by this change, especially coupled with other human environmental damage and massive resource consumption, and how human civilization has to adjust to changes brought by warming or crumble away. Furthermore, there is discussion of how so far we collectively have failed to do so. The change in some of the planet's dynamics because of climate change leads to McKibben to the conclusion that we are no longer living on the Earth of our ancestors. He states this is a completely changed place.

Satellite imagery of Arctic ice melt.

The facts that McKibben deals to the reader are astounding. The northern polar ice cap is melting, and quickly. In 2008, for the first time ever, enough ice melted to allow for a "Northwest Passage" for shipping through the Arctic Ocean. Hurricane season now lasts for longer periods of time (from July to November in 2008) because of increased air and water temperatures. And the storms are stronger and hitting places they haven't in the past, like Brazil. As tropical climates spread with increased temperatures, so do tropical diseases like dengue fever. The list of problems goes on and on.

And what makes these problems worse is that often our modern economic system handicaps our ability to deal with the problems because of our insatiable need for "growth" in the economy. This growth is a problem because we are attempting to grow on a world with a finite amount of resources. For example, the major source of power industrial society relies on - oil - is going to run out eventually. Some studies have suggested peak oil was reached in 2008.

As this commodity and others, such as water, become more and more scarce, people will cling more and more to the current economic system and the potential for conflicts may rise. We have seen this already as part of the reason for the Darfur conflict. Furthermore, as our attempt to grow falters because of lack of resources with which to expand, there are decreasing amounts resources available to fight environmental degradation. A developed nation, such as the U.S., does not have the resources to help a developing nation such as China embrace green technology. A vicious cycle thus continues with an economic system allowing environmental problems but which is then unable to fight them. McKibben, therefore, suggests we need to embrace an economy that sustains itself, instead of attempting to grow exponentially.

This text had a large impact on me. In fact, I normally drive to my Monday 8:00am biology lecture, but after reading the first chapter Sunday night, I couldn't in good conscience do it. I have always been aware that global warming is an important issue with dangerous consequences, just as I know that consumption levels combined with the number of people on the planet can lead to incredible environmental problems. I suppose I have just never seen all the major issues associated with these two problems stacked on top of one another. Furthermore, I have never been shown examples of how these problems compound with one another from an economic perspective. It has made me look deeper into what I am doing to ensure civilization's continued existence. Perhaps my vegetarian experiment should be permanent.

It is abundantly clear that Eaarth is a much more serious text than McKibben's Hope, Human and Wild. The latter is full of positive examples of sustainability throughout the world that exist despite long odds and can be used as reference points for change in the world. Eaarth on the other hand, points out the underlying problems, which are intimidating if not largely depressing. But, in the last chapters of the book, McKibben does talk about taking action to change society to adapt to the "new planet" we have created through our ignorance.

Action is also what McKibben's organization, 350.org, is concerned about. Through 350.org, McKibben is attempting to raise awareness and mobolize action to curb carbon dioxide emissions (although, as stated in Eaarth, even stopping all emissions now would not come close to alleviating all our problems) and to promote environmental protection and conservation in general. 350.org wants to form grassroots action that will force those in power to act in favor of emission reduction. For example, there is currently a protest campaign against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is believed to be controlled by business interests who benefit from continued hydrocarbon use.

Absolutely, I was frightened by the stew of facts that McKibben serves up in Eaarth. Decreasing carbon dioxide emissions when our economy currently runs on them is no small task. And attempting to solve the problems already occurring from climate change is more than daunting. But it is important that we continue to find solutions. As McKibben states, the fight to change things is where our hope truly lies.