Welcome to Litsy!

Historical depiction of the political and environmental history of about the mid-1980s to present. This is the first nonfiction I‘ve read by Rich, although in the middle of his second (Second Nature). I was aware of much of this history, but really got into this. His writing reminds me of the populist style of Rachel Carson, and I feel he could bring some of these important issues more mainstream at a time when our world desperately needs to care.

The author lays into us and tells a difficult truth. We are all complicit, but some may just be sociopathic. If people in power do the opposite of what is necessary for humanity‘s survival, there must be a special place reserved for them.

Sadly we‘ve become a fragmented world.

This book recounts an infuriating history from the 1970s to 1990s when politicians failed humanity and scientists failed to express our existential crisis in a meaningful, change inducing way. This was published in 2019 when politics in the US were at an all-time low for the environment. Our current president has made some advances to implement a “Green New Deal” through the IRA and BIL legislation. I hope these efforts start to make a difference.