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Hell and High Water (book)
Encyclopedia
Hell and High Water: Global Warming — the Solution and the Politics — and What We Should Do is a book by author, scientist, and former U.S. Department of Energy
official Joseph J. Romm
, published December 26, 2006. The author is "one of the world's leading experts on clean energy, advanced vehicles, energy security
, and greenhouse gas
mitigation."
The book warns of dire consequences to the U.S. and the world if wide-scale environmental changes are not enacted by the U.S. government within the next decade. It reviews the evidence that the current initial global warming
changes will lead to accelerated warming. According to Romm, the oceans, soils, Arctic permafrost
, and rainforest
s may become sources of greenhouse gas
emissions. The book claims that, without serious government action within the next ten years, sea levels will rise high enough to submerge numerous coastal communities and inland areas on both U.S. coasts and around the world by the year 2100.
In April 2008, TIME magazine
wrote that "On [Romm's] blog and in his most recent book, Hell and High Water, you can find some of the most cogent, memorable, and deployable arguments for immediate and overwhelming action to confront global warming." Romm was interviewed on Fox News on January 31, 2007 about the book and the new IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
climate report.
, setting forth the evidence that humans are causing an unprecedented increase in carbon emissions that is, in turn causing global warming. The book describes the consequences of unchecked climate change, such as destruction of coastal cities due to rising sea levels and mega-hurricanes; increasing droughts and deadly water shortages; infestation of insects into new ranges; and increased famines, heat waves, forest fires and desertification
. The book sets forth the research on "feedback loops" that would contribute to accelerating climate change, including:
Romm proposes an eight-point program, based on existing technologies, to counter and then reverse the trend toward catastrophic global warming: performance-based efficiency programs; energy efficiency
gains from industry and power generation through cogeneration
of heat and power; building wind farms; capturing carbon dioxide from proposed coal plants; building nuclear plants; greatly improving the fuel economy of our vehicles using PHEVs; increasing production of high-yield energy crops; and stopping tropical deforestation while planting more trees.(pp. 22–23)
Part I then offers extrapolations, based on various models and analyses, of what will happen to the U.S. and the world by 2025, 2050 and 2100 if decisive action is not taken quickly. Treehugger.com called this "an explanation that is both comprehensive and comprehensible." The book claims that without serious government action within the next ten years, sea levels will rise high enough to submerge numerous coastal communities and inland areas on both U.S. coasts and around the world causing over 100 million "environmental refugees" to flee the coasts by the year 2100.
Part II, comprising the next six chapters, discusses the politics and media issues that the author says are delaying such decisive action (and how this has a negative influence on the behavior of other countries, particularly China) and also discusses the currently available technological solutions to global warming. The book asserts that there has been a disingenuous, concerted and effective campaign to convince Americans that the science is not proven, or that global warming is the result of natural cycles, and that there needs to be more research. The book claims that, to delay action, industry and government spokesmen suggest falsely that "technology breakthroughs" will eventually save us with hydrogen cars and other fixes. It asserts that the reason for this denial and delay is that "ideology trumps rationality.... Most conservatives cannot abide the solution to global warming – strong government regulations and a government-led effort to accelerate clean-energy technologies into the market."(p. 107) Romm says that the media have acted as enablers of this program of denial in the misguided belief that the pursuit of "balance" is superior to the pursuit of truth - even in science journalism. The book describes how this has led to skewed public opinion and to congress cutting funds for programmes aimed at accelerating the deployment into the American market of cost-effective technologies already available.
The book spends many pages refuting the "hydrogen myth" (see also Romm's previous book, The Hype about Hydrogen
) and "the geo-engineering fantasy." In Chapter 7, the book describes technology strategies that it claims would permit the U.S., over the next two decades, to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by two-thirds without increasing the energy costs of either consumers or businesses. These include launching "a massive performance-based efficiency program for homes, commercial buildings and new construction... [and] a massive effort to boost the efficiency of heavy industry and expand the use of cogeneration... [c]apture the from 800 new large coal plants and store it underground, [b]uild 1 million large wind turbines... [and] [b]uild 700 new large nuclear power plants".
The book's conclusion calls on voters to demand immediate action. The conclusion is followed by over 50 pages of extensive endnotes and an index.
Tyler Hamilton
, in his review of the book for The Toronto Star, summarizes the book's contents as follows: "Whereas the first third of Romm's book presents overwhelming and disturbing evidence that human-caused greenhouse gases are the primary ingredients behind global warming, the pages that follow offer alarming detail on how the U.S. public is being misled by a federal government (backed by conservative political forces) that is intent on inaction, and that's also on a mission to derail international efforts to curb emissions."
Romm writes that strategies to combat climate change with current technologies can significantly slow global warming and buy more time for the world to develop new technologies and take even stronger action. The book lays out a number of proposed solutions to avoiding a climate catastrophe, including:
The book states, "The IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report
this year (2007) will present a much stronger consensus and a much clearer and darker picture of our likely future than the Third Assessment—but it will almost certainly still underestimate the likely impacts. The Fifth Assessment, due around 2013, should include many of the omitted feedbacks, like that of the [carbon emissions caused by] defrosting tundra, and validate the scenarios described on these pages...." (p. 94)
's January 1, 2007 review of the book says that Romm "convincingly shoots down the arguments of those who claim global warming is a hoax or some kind of natural cycle not associated with human activities." The review laments that the "'Denyers and Delayers' are winning the political battle in the United States, the world's highest emitter of greenhouse gas
es and a saboteur of Kyoto talks" and that the media's policy of "giving 'equal time' to Denyers gives the public the wrong impression about our understanding and level of certainty around global warming science." The review concludes, "The book itself is a short and easy read, not as intimidating as some other works, and it hits all the main points on the science and politics behind global warming, and the policy and technological solutions to minimize damage to the planet, economy and humanity."
On January 28, 2007, The Detroit Free Press
's Freep.com wrote, "Joseph Romm's Hell and High Water is a great book for people who want to understand the complexities of global warming and, perhaps more important, what we could be doing about it other than wringing our hands or sticking our collective head in the sand."
On March 12, 2007, Technology Review
wrote, "His book provides an accurate summary of what is known about global warming and climate change, a sensible agenda for technology and policy, and a primer on how political disinformation has undermined climate science."
On February 28, 2007, BooksPath Reviews wrote, Hell and High Water is nothing less than a wake-up call to the country. It is a searing critique of American environmental and energy policy and a passionate call to action by a writer with a unique command of the science and politics of climate change. Hell and High Water goes beyond ideological rhetoric to offer pragmatic solutions to avert the threat of global warming — solutions that must be taken seriously by every American.
On February 21, 2007, Bill Moore at EV World.com wrote: "...it seemed every paragraph, every page revealed some new outrage that just got my dander up. If it doesn't do the same to you, I'll really be surprised."
Green blog "Gristmill" noted on January 14, 2007, "Joseph Romm's Hell and High Water may be the most depressing book on global warming I've ever read.... My hope is that a lifetime spent in insider elite politics causes him to underestimate what a bottom-up grassroots movement can accomplish.... A coalition that supported real action on global warming, as part of movement that supported real solutions on these other issues too, would have a much better chance of winning than a single-issue group. It would have a broader base and could offer more immediate relief from problems; because global warming wouldn't be its only or even main issue, it would produce quicker results in the lives of ordinary people.... Technically, Romm is sound...." On January 15, the writer amended his statement as follows: "I referred to the book as 'depressing', but the tone is frank, not truly gloomy.... Romm... is known as a level-headed, optimistic analyst. His book is no exception – he documents the problem and the (quite mainstream) solutions he endorses thoroughly and meticulously."
Similarly, "The Oil Drum" wrote on January 29, 2007, "Anyone who thinks 'liberal propaganda' when they hear that assertion needs to read Joseph Romm's just-out book, Hell and High Water. It's well-documented, hard to refute and scary." The Foreign Policy in Focus article of February 21, 2007, "An Inconvenient Truth II" cites the book with approval and references its analysis twice.
On July 18, 2007, "Political Cortex" wrote: "Hell and High Water might be the Global Warming work of most interest to the politically engaged (Democratic and/or Republican). Romm lays a strong case as to how Global Warming could be the death sentence for the Republican Party as reality becomes ever blatantly at odds with Republican Party rhetoric.... Romm also highlights how, in an ever more difficult world in the years to come, either the United States figures out how to lead in dealing with mitigating/muting Global Warming and its impacts or risks becoming a pariah nation, with dire implications for the Republic and its citizens."
On July 29, 2007, Booklists reviewer wrote that the book "presents a clear and effective primer on climate science. But the most salient aspects of this provocative expose involve Romm's documentation of what he calls the Bush administration's irresponsible and backward energy policies, the censorship of legitimate and urgent information pertaining to global warming, and the threats rising temperatures pose to "the health and well-being of this nation and the world. Romm explains that we already possess the technologies and know-how we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
On April 1, 2008, the Greenpeace
staff blog noted, "If you’re concerned about global warming and want to do something about it, Joseph Romm’s Hell and High Water... is a fantastic primer..... Romm clearly and concisely details the technologies and policies we need to adopt to avoid the worst consequences of global warming".
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
official Joseph J. Romm
Joseph J. Romm
Joseph J. Romm is an American author, blogger, physicist and climate expert who concentrates on methods of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and global warming and increasing energy security through energy efficiency, green energy technologies and green transportation technologies...
, published December 26, 2006. The author is "one of the world's leading experts on clean energy, advanced vehicles, energy security
Energy security
Energy security is a term for an association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption. Access to cheap energy has become essential to the functioning of modern economies. However, the uneven distribution of energy supplies among countries has led...
, and greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
mitigation."
The book warns of dire consequences to the U.S. and the world if wide-scale environmental changes are not enacted by the U.S. government within the next decade. It reviews the evidence that the current initial global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
changes will lead to accelerated warming. According to Romm, the oceans, soils, Arctic permafrost
Permafrost
In geology, permafrost, cryotic soil or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water for two or more years. Ice is not always present, as may be in the case of nonporous bedrock, but it frequently occurs and it may be in amounts exceeding the potential hydraulic saturation of...
, and rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s may become sources of greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
emissions. The book claims that, without serious government action within the next ten years, sea levels will rise high enough to submerge numerous coastal communities and inland areas on both U.S. coasts and around the world by the year 2100.
In April 2008, TIME magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
wrote that "On [Romm's] blog and in his most recent book, Hell and High Water, you can find some of the most cogent, memorable, and deployable arguments for immediate and overwhelming action to confront global warming." Romm was interviewed on Fox News on January 31, 2007 about the book and the new IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
Climate Change 2007, the Fourth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , is the fourth in a series of reports intended to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information concerning climate change, its potential effects, and options for...
climate report.
Summary of the book
Part I, comprising the first four chapters of the book, reviews the science of climate changeClimate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, setting forth the evidence that humans are causing an unprecedented increase in carbon emissions that is, in turn causing global warming. The book describes the consequences of unchecked climate change, such as destruction of coastal cities due to rising sea levels and mega-hurricanes; increasing droughts and deadly water shortages; infestation of insects into new ranges; and increased famines, heat waves, forest fires and desertification
Desertification
Desertification is the degradation of land in drylands. Caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and human activities, desertification is one of the most significant global environmental problems.-Definitions:...
. The book sets forth the research on "feedback loops" that would contribute to accelerating climate change, including:
- melting ice at the poles that means less reflection of sunlight by white ice and more absorption of the sun’s heat by ocean water and dark land;
- an increasing amount of water vapor in the atmosphere (water vapor is a greenhouse gas);
- melting permafrost in the Arctic, where more carbon is locked in Arctic permafrost than in all of the Earth’s atmosphere and where methane, which is about 20 times more powerful than as a greenhouse gas, is being released by permafrost in the Arctic faster than scientists previously thought it would;
- the death of algae and phytoplankton from heat and acidity in the oceans, reducing the being absorbed by them; and
- the reduced ability of tropical forests to absorb as they are destroyed.
Romm proposes an eight-point program, based on existing technologies, to counter and then reverse the trend toward catastrophic global warming: performance-based efficiency programs; energy efficiency
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
gains from industry and power generation through cogeneration
Cogeneration
Cogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
of heat and power; building wind farms; capturing carbon dioxide from proposed coal plants; building nuclear plants; greatly improving the fuel economy of our vehicles using PHEVs; increasing production of high-yield energy crops; and stopping tropical deforestation while planting more trees.(pp. 22–23)
Part I then offers extrapolations, based on various models and analyses, of what will happen to the U.S. and the world by 2025, 2050 and 2100 if decisive action is not taken quickly. Treehugger.com called this "an explanation that is both comprehensive and comprehensible." The book claims that without serious government action within the next ten years, sea levels will rise high enough to submerge numerous coastal communities and inland areas on both U.S. coasts and around the world causing over 100 million "environmental refugees" to flee the coasts by the year 2100.
Part II, comprising the next six chapters, discusses the politics and media issues that the author says are delaying such decisive action (and how this has a negative influence on the behavior of other countries, particularly China) and also discusses the currently available technological solutions to global warming. The book asserts that there has been a disingenuous, concerted and effective campaign to convince Americans that the science is not proven, or that global warming is the result of natural cycles, and that there needs to be more research. The book claims that, to delay action, industry and government spokesmen suggest falsely that "technology breakthroughs" will eventually save us with hydrogen cars and other fixes. It asserts that the reason for this denial and delay is that "ideology trumps rationality.... Most conservatives cannot abide the solution to global warming – strong government regulations and a government-led effort to accelerate clean-energy technologies into the market."(p. 107) Romm says that the media have acted as enablers of this program of denial in the misguided belief that the pursuit of "balance" is superior to the pursuit of truth - even in science journalism. The book describes how this has led to skewed public opinion and to congress cutting funds for programmes aimed at accelerating the deployment into the American market of cost-effective technologies already available.
The book spends many pages refuting the "hydrogen myth" (see also Romm's previous book, The Hype about Hydrogen
The Hype about Hydrogen
The Hype about Hydrogen: Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate is a book by Joseph J. Romm, published in 2004 by Island Press and updated in 2005. The book has been translated into German as Der Wasserstoff-Boom...
) and "the geo-engineering fantasy." In Chapter 7, the book describes technology strategies that it claims would permit the U.S., over the next two decades, to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by two-thirds without increasing the energy costs of either consumers or businesses. These include launching "a massive performance-based efficiency program for homes, commercial buildings and new construction... [and] a massive effort to boost the efficiency of heavy industry and expand the use of cogeneration... [c]apture the from 800 new large coal plants and store it underground, [b]uild 1 million large wind turbines... [and] [b]uild 700 new large nuclear power plants".
The book's conclusion calls on voters to demand immediate action. The conclusion is followed by over 50 pages of extensive endnotes and an index.
Tyler Hamilton
Tyler Hamilton (reporter)
Tyler Jay Hamilton is a Canadian author, blogger and business columnist with the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily-circulation newspaper. He writes a weekly column for the paper called Clean Break that focuses on trends and developments in the clean technology and renewable energy markets...
, in his review of the book for The Toronto Star, summarizes the book's contents as follows: "Whereas the first third of Romm's book presents overwhelming and disturbing evidence that human-caused greenhouse gases are the primary ingredients behind global warming, the pages that follow offer alarming detail on how the U.S. public is being misled by a federal government (backed by conservative political forces) that is intent on inaction, and that's also on a mission to derail international efforts to curb emissions."
In his book "Hell and High Water," Romm discusses the urgency to act and the sad fact that America is refusing to do so.... Romm gives a name to those such as ExxonMobilExxonMobilExxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
who deny that global warming is occurring and are working to persuade others of this money-making myth: they are the Denyers and Delayers. They are better rhetoriticians than scientists are.... Global warming is happening now, and Romm... gives us 10 years to change the way we live before it’s too late to use existing technology to save the world. "...humanity already possesses the fundamental scientific, technical, and industrial know-how to solve the carbon and climate problem for the next half-century. The tragedy, then, as historians of the future will most certainly recount, is that we ruined their world not because we lacked the knowledge or the technology to save it but simply because we chose not to make the effort”(Romm, 25).
The challenges and solutions identified by the book
The book claims that U.S. politicians who deny the science and have failed to take genuine action on conservation and alternative energy initiatives are following a disastrous course by delaying serious changes that he says are imminently needed. Romm also criticizes the media for what he says is sloppy reporting and an unwillingness to probe behind political rhetoric, which he says are lulling Americans into accepting continuing delays on implementing emission-cutting technologies. The book posits that we have a window of opportunity of only about a decade to head off the most catastrophic effects of global warming and calls upon Americans to demand government action to require the use of emission-cutting technologies.Romm writes that strategies to combat climate change with current technologies can significantly slow global warming and buy more time for the world to develop new technologies and take even stronger action. The book lays out a number of proposed solutions to avoiding a climate catastrophe, including:
- capturing carbon dioxideCarbon dioxideCarbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
from coal power plants and storing it underground; - building 1 million large wind turbines and 700 nuclear power plantNuclear power plantA nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
s; - launching massive energy efficiencyEfficient energy useEfficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
programs for homes, office buildings, and heavy industry; - increasing the fuel efficiencyFuel efficiencyFuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier fuel into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, which in turn may vary per application, and this spectrum of variance is...
of cars and light trucks to 60 miles per gallon while also equipping them with advanced plug-in hybrid technology; and - ceasing tropical deforestationDeforestationDeforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
and reversing the trend by planting trees.
The book states, "The IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
Climate Change 2007, the Fourth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , is the fourth in a series of reports intended to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information concerning climate change, its potential effects, and options for...
this year (2007) will present a much stronger consensus and a much clearer and darker picture of our likely future than the Third Assessment—but it will almost certainly still underestimate the likely impacts. The Fifth Assessment, due around 2013, should include many of the omitted feedbacks, like that of the [carbon emissions caused by] defrosting tundra, and validate the scenarios described on these pages...." (p. 94)
Critical response
The Toronto StarToronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
's January 1, 2007 review of the book says that Romm "convincingly shoots down the arguments of those who claim global warming is a hoax or some kind of natural cycle not associated with human activities." The review laments that the "'Denyers and Delayers' are winning the political battle in the United States, the world's highest emitter of greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
es and a saboteur of Kyoto talks" and that the media's policy of "giving 'equal time' to Denyers gives the public the wrong impression about our understanding and level of certainty around global warming science." The review concludes, "The book itself is a short and easy read, not as intimidating as some other works, and it hits all the main points on the science and politics behind global warming, and the policy and technological solutions to minimize damage to the planet, economy and humanity."
On January 28, 2007, The Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
's Freep.com wrote, "Joseph Romm's Hell and High Water is a great book for people who want to understand the complexities of global warming and, perhaps more important, what we could be doing about it other than wringing our hands or sticking our collective head in the sand."
On March 12, 2007, Technology Review
Technology Review
Technology Review is a magazine published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was founded in 1899 as "The Technology Review", and was re-launched without the "The" in its name on April 23, 1998 under then publisher R. Bruce Journey...
wrote, "His book provides an accurate summary of what is known about global warming and climate change, a sensible agenda for technology and policy, and a primer on how political disinformation has undermined climate science."
On February 28, 2007, BooksPath Reviews wrote, Hell and High Water is nothing less than a wake-up call to the country. It is a searing critique of American environmental and energy policy and a passionate call to action by a writer with a unique command of the science and politics of climate change. Hell and High Water goes beyond ideological rhetoric to offer pragmatic solutions to avert the threat of global warming — solutions that must be taken seriously by every American.
On February 21, 2007, Bill Moore at EV World.com wrote: "...it seemed every paragraph, every page revealed some new outrage that just got my dander up. If it doesn't do the same to you, I'll really be surprised."
Green blog "Gristmill" noted on January 14, 2007, "Joseph Romm's Hell and High Water may be the most depressing book on global warming I've ever read.... My hope is that a lifetime spent in insider elite politics causes him to underestimate what a bottom-up grassroots movement can accomplish.... A coalition that supported real action on global warming, as part of movement that supported real solutions on these other issues too, would have a much better chance of winning than a single-issue group. It would have a broader base and could offer more immediate relief from problems; because global warming wouldn't be its only or even main issue, it would produce quicker results in the lives of ordinary people.... Technically, Romm is sound...." On January 15, the writer amended his statement as follows: "I referred to the book as 'depressing', but the tone is frank, not truly gloomy.... Romm... is known as a level-headed, optimistic analyst. His book is no exception – he documents the problem and the (quite mainstream) solutions he endorses thoroughly and meticulously."
Similarly, "The Oil Drum" wrote on January 29, 2007, "Anyone who thinks 'liberal propaganda' when they hear that assertion needs to read Joseph Romm's just-out book, Hell and High Water. It's well-documented, hard to refute and scary." The Foreign Policy in Focus article of February 21, 2007, "An Inconvenient Truth II" cites the book with approval and references its analysis twice.
On July 18, 2007, "Political Cortex" wrote: "Hell and High Water might be the Global Warming work of most interest to the politically engaged (Democratic and/or Republican). Romm lays a strong case as to how Global Warming could be the death sentence for the Republican Party as reality becomes ever blatantly at odds with Republican Party rhetoric.... Romm also highlights how, in an ever more difficult world in the years to come, either the United States figures out how to lead in dealing with mitigating/muting Global Warming and its impacts or risks becoming a pariah nation, with dire implications for the Republic and its citizens."
On July 29, 2007, Booklists reviewer wrote that the book "presents a clear and effective primer on climate science. But the most salient aspects of this provocative expose involve Romm's documentation of what he calls the Bush administration's irresponsible and backward energy policies, the censorship of legitimate and urgent information pertaining to global warming, and the threats rising temperatures pose to "the health and well-being of this nation and the world. Romm explains that we already possess the technologies and know-how we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
On April 1, 2008, the Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
staff blog noted, "If you’re concerned about global warming and want to do something about it, Joseph Romm’s Hell and High Water... is a fantastic primer..... Romm clearly and concisely details the technologies and policies we need to adopt to avoid the worst consequences of global warming".
See also
- Individual and political action on climate changeIndividual and political action on climate changeIndividual and political action on climate change can take many forms, most of which have the ultimate goal of limiting and/or reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, toward avoiding dangerous climate change.-Political action:...
- Climate change response
- Effects of global warmingEffects of global warmingThis article is about the effects of global warming and climate change. The effects, or impacts, of climate change may be physical, ecological, social or economic. Evidence of observed climate change includes the instrumental temperature record, rising sea levels, and decreased snow cover in the...
- Mitigation of global warmingMitigation of global warmingClimate change mitigation is action to decrease the intensity of radiative forcing in order to reduce the potential effects of global warming. Mitigation is distinguished from adaptation to global warming, which involves acting to tolerate the effects of global warming...
- Politics of global warmingPolitics of global warmingThe politics of global warming have involved corporate lobbying, funding of special interest groups and public relations campaigns by the oil and coal industries which have affected policy decisions and legislation worldwide...
- Economics of global warmingEconomics of global warming-Definitions:In this article, the phrase “climate change” is used to describe a change in the climate, measured in terms of its statistical properties, e.g., the global mean surface temperature. In this context, “climate” is taken to mean the average weather. Climate can change over period of time...
- Attribution of recent climate changeAttribution of recent climate changeAttribution of recent climate change is the effort to scientifically ascertain mechanisms responsible for recent changes observed in the Earth's climate...
- Kyoto ProtocolKyoto ProtocolThe Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
- Who Killed the Electric Car?Who Killed the Electric Car?Who Killed the Electric Car? is a 2006 documentary film that explores the creation, limited commercialization, and subsequent destruction of the battery electric vehicle in the United States, specifically the General Motors EV1 of the mid 1990s...
- Plug-in hybrid electric vehiclePlug-in hybrid electric vehicleA plug-in hybrid electric vehicle , plug-in hybrid vehicle , or plug-in hybrid is a hybrid vehicle which utilizes rechargeable batteries, or another energy storage device, that can be restored to full charge by connecting a plug to an external electric power source...
- The Hype about HydrogenThe Hype about HydrogenThe Hype about Hydrogen: Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate is a book by Joseph J. Romm, published in 2004 by Island Press and updated in 2005. The book has been translated into German as Der Wasserstoff-Boom...
- List of environmental books
- Merchants of DoubtMerchants of DoubtMerchants of Doubt is a 2010 book by the American science historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway. It identifies parallels between the climate change debate and earlier controversies over tobacco smoking, acid rain and the hole in the ozone layer...
- Straight UpStraight Up (book)Straight Up: America's Fiercest Climate Blogger Takes on the Status Quo Media, Politicians, and Clean Energy Solutions is a book by author, blogger, physicist and climate expert Joseph J. Romm. A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and former Acting Assistant...