Joe Romm, author of Hell and High Water, wrote me about the review I posted earlier. I referred to the book as “depressing,” but the tone is frank, not truly gloomy. Romm has none of Lovelock’s penchant for drama.
Nonetheless, depression really was my reaction, because I’m familiar with Romm’s work. He is known as a level-headed, optimistic analyst. His book is no exception — he documents the problem and the (quite mainstream) solutions he endorses throughly and meticulously. So what is the problem?
Imagine for a moment you have been seriously injured in a car crash. A world-famous surgeon walks into your room. Without drama, after thoroughly and clearly giving you all the background, he concludes: “I think we may still save one leg.”
