Product Description

In 2006, NASA's top climate scientist warned that we have at most a decade to turn the tide on global warming. After that, James Hansen said, all bets are off. Temperature rises of 3 to 7 degrees Farenheit will "produce a different planet." If Hansen is right--and most scientists think he is--then every year lost is a year closer to the precipice. In more positive terms, we have one last chance--but one chance only--to save the planet.

This guide is about that last chance. It's a result of hundreds of how-do-we-do-this-right discussions over many years. Author and entrepreneur Peter Barnes want to share what he's learned in these discussions because the climate crisis must be solved now, and popular understanding is a pre-requisite to getting a solution that actually solves the problem.

As a result of these numerous discussions, Barnes come to appreciate that climate policy isn't as simple as one would want it to be. But it's not rocket science, either. When details get complicated, the key is to remember what we, as a nation and a species, must very quickly do: install a workable and lasting system for limiting our use of the atmosphere.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #807338 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

From Booklist
In this concisely written guide to common terms used in the global-warming conversation, Barnes uses short paragraphs and a question/answer format to discuss current U.S. climate policy, technology issues, and a vast number of solutions to the growing crisis. In general terms he lists who’s in favor of each option, who’s opposed, and the likely consequences of each side. Barnes also considers regulatory examples from several states that have gone beyond federal requirements, and looks to European successes and failures. He explains why a carbon tax has failed primarily due to industry lobbying, and devotes an entire chapter to carbon capping. This explores the option of “carbon border fees,” a solution to issues with countries such as China and India. Barnes’ guide will not provide nearly enough answers to anyone seriously investigating this issue, but it is a good starting point. And for those professing little or no knowledge on the subject, it is a very direct resource that will likely be much appreciated. Illustrated throughout with maps, pictures, and graphs. --Colleen Mondor

Review
"Peter Barnes is right. The best and most efficient way to reduce global warming isn't a cap-and-trade system that gives historic polluters free rights to pollute in the future, and it's not a carbon tax that hits poor and middle-income Americans especially hard. It's a cap-and-auction with rebates to all Americans. Read this useful guide and see why."
--Robert B. Reich, Professor of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley, and former U.S. Secretary of Labor

“Climate Solutions is a simple guide to the big environmental policy decisions that are soon going to be made.... By reading these few pages, the average voter will be able to figure out what programs to support and what to fight against, instead of simply shrugging one’s shoulders and hoping for the best.”
—LA Times “Emerald City” blog

About the Author
Peter Barnes is an entrepreneur and writer who has founded and led several successful companies. At present he is a senior fellow at the Tomales Bay Institute in Point Reyes Station, CA. In 1976 he co-founded a worker-owned solar energy company in San Francisco, and in 1983 he co-founded Working Assets Money Fund. He subsequently served as president of Working Assets Long Distance. In 1995 he was named Socially Responsible Entrepreneur of the Year for Northern California. His previous books include Who Owns the Sky? Our Common Assets and the Future of Capitalism and Capitalism 3.0. His articles have appeared in The Economist, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Christian Science Monitor, The American Prospect, the Utne Reader, Yes!, Resurgence, and elsewhere.

Customer Reviews

The fastest way to become a climate solutions expert...
Some people think that they are climate change experts after watching "An Inconvenient Truth." But really you're just watching the tip of the iceberg melt. The interesting part is debating solutions. But it gets complicated really fast. That's where this book comes in. What's an upstream cap? Where does the auction revenue come from? Why shouldn't we just do what Europe's doing? This is a short and accessible book, and it should be read by everyone, from housewives to U.S. Senators.

Know more about legislation that will fight global climate change
I have purchased four copies of this text in the hopes that the public will lobby for a 2009 carbon-cap system. We need solutions now, and Barnes outlines some possible market solutions for capping carbon and trading it. His single-line arguments serve well in quotidian conversation, while parts of the text are available free online to share with others. However, this particular edition is concise, accurate and offers further education tools. I hope that those who have recieved this quick guide to carbon mitigation from me will pass it on, and that you will too, because we are the people Barnes dedicates the book to: "fellow owners of our one sky."

Outlines current bad climate policies and explains why they are in fact, labeled as bad
The threat of global warming looms over us everyday and millions wonder why the government does nothing. "Climate Solutions: A Citizen's Guide" seeks to tackle these subjects thoroughly and effectively and outlines current bad climate policies and explains why they are in fact, labeled as bad. "Climate Solutions: A Citizen's Guide" strips the spin away and states in plain and simple English the meaning of all of this environmental jargon and lays out an effective plan to battle global warming alongside an efficient and fair economy. "Climate Solutions: A Citizen's Guide" is highly recommended to general interest readers with a care for the environment everywhere and for social issues community library collections.