Hope in Hell: How We Can Confront the Climate Crisis & Save the Earth

by Jonathon Porritt

Overview

A book for facing head-on—and averting—the oncoming global climate change disaster, by inspiring people to move from general concern and passive support to active protagonists for change.

Climate change is our era's defining issue. We know, beyond reasonable doubt, that climate change is accelerating. To face a challenge greater than humanity has ever seen before, we must also accelerate ourselves, by summoning a sense of urgency, courage, and shared effort to match it. Jonathan Porritt's Hope In Hell is meant to do just that, by confronting the issue directly and strongly, but also with inspiration and hope; it's not too late to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. Ultimately optimistic despite the dire challenge presented to the world, Porritt explores current science and new technologies, mobilization of younger people and political action, and encouraging intergenerational solidarity as older generations learn their own responsibilities in creating a better world for their successors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647223618
Publisher:	Palace Publishing Group, LP
Publication date:	04/06/2021
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, is an eminent writer, broadcaster and campaigner on sustainable development. Established in 1996, Forum for the Future is now the UK’s leading sustainable development charity, with 70 staff and over 100 partner organisations, including some of the world’s leading companies.

In addition, Jonathon is President of Population Matters, President of The Conservation Volunteers and a Director of Collectively (an online platform celebrating sustainable innovation). He was formerly Director of Friends of the Earth (1984-90), co-chair of the Green Party (1980-83), of which he is still a member, a Trustee of World Wildlife Fund UK (1991-2005) and between 2000-2009 he was Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission, providing high-level advice to Government Ministers.

Jonathon was installed as the Chancellor of Keele University in February 2012 and he received a CBE in January 2000 for services to environmental protection.

Read an Excerpt

"Hope in Hell provides a brilliant analysis of humanity’s impact on the Earth. Jonathon Porritt still allows us a little hope, but absolutely no excuses for further delay, urging radical political action. Don’t read this unless you are prepared to strive for the rest of your days in service of future generations; you will be emotionally enlisted, and unable to claim ignorance in your defense." — Helen Browning, Soil Association

"Is there time? Just. Is there hope? Plenty. Hope in Hell is brave, urgent and wise - in fact, one of the most important books any of us may read." — John Vidal

"Jonathon Porritt has produced a book which is a roadmap, a bible and a manual all in one - to fill the very heart of all those supporting progressive politics and today's Green New Deal. Our job has just begun, and in Hope in Hell, we've been given the best piece of ammunition to help us do our duty to the planet. It should be read aloud in every classroom, university and home in the land." — Gordon Roddick

"Despite daunting obstacles, and a rapidly shrinking window of opportunity, Jonathon Porritt argues that the balance of factors at play can still lead to a positive outcome as we grapple to find our balance within the natural world. Will we make it? Not without confronting the status quo and the elites that defend it, with civil disobedience and the solidarity of the engaged young and old offered as crucial ingredients. The decade of the 2020s will be decisive, and Hope in Hell offers a blueprint for determining which fork in the road we will take." — Chris Rapley CBE, Professor of Climate Science, University College London

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Part 1 Reasons To Be Cheerful

1 This Is Personal 3

2 The Power of Hope 11

3 Making Sense of the Science 25

4 The Power of Technology 39

5 The Great Awakening 58

Part 2 The Climate Emergency

6 Tell the Truth 77

7 Melting Ice and Rising Seas 88

8 Feedback Loops and Tipping Points 100

9 Out of Time? 111

Part 3 Confronting the Emergency

10 Narratives of Hope 127

11 The Hard Stuff 143

12 We Have to Talk About Geoengineering 161

13 Peak Meat 174

14 The China Conundrum 188

Part 4 What's Stopping Us?

15 Lethal Incumbencies 203

16 Democracy at Risk 219

17 Planetary Pressures and Opportunities 233

Part 5 All in It Together

18 Take Heart from History 251

19 A Just Transition 264

20 Moments of Truth 280

21 Hope in Disobedience 297

Resources 313

References 317

Index 349