Whole Earth Discipline
Encyclopedia
Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto is the sixth book by Stewart Brand
, published by Viking Penguin
in 2009. He sees Earth and people propelled by three transformations: climate change
(global warming
), urbanization
and biotechnology
. Brand tackles "touchy issues" like nuclear power
, genetic engineering
and geoengineering
, "fully aware that many of the environmentalist readers he hopes to reach will start out disagreeing with him".
magazine, "...I'd accumulated a set of contrarian views on some important environmental issues—specifically, cities, nuclear energy, genetic engineering, and geoengineering—and that it added up to a story worth telling."
The author cites numerous other authors both in the recommended reading section and in live lectures. In particular, book influences are Constant Battles by Steven A. LeBlanc
with Katherine Register, Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, a New Urban World by Robert Neuwirth
, and James Lovelock
, the author of The Revenge of Gaia
and The Vanishing Face of Gaia.
In an interview with American Public Media
, Brand said, "...in [Whole Earth Catalog] I focused on individual empowerment, and in [Whole Earth Discipline] the focus is on the aggregate effects of humans on things like climate. And some of these issues are of such scale that you got to have the governments doing things like making carbon expensive. Or making coal expensive to burn and putting all that carbon into the atmosphere. And individuals can't do that, individual communities can't do that. It takes national governments."
The book challenges traditional environmentalist thinking around four major issues:
And he summarized the book. Urbanization
, or the move to cities, requires grid electricity
, which one chapter discusses, in particular nuclear power
. Another two chapters explain the need for genetic engineering
. A "sermon" on science and large-scale geoengineering
is a fourth chapter. Fifth is a chapter on restoration of natural infrastructure and benevolent ecosystem engineering. Finally, Brand concludes with humans' obligation to "learn planet craft", to enhance life and Earth like an earthworm
.
published a critique at the Rocky Mountain Institute
, saying on NPR that nuclear energy is not the most cost-effective solution, that it is too expensive and slow to build. Jim Riccio, a spokesman for Greenpeace
speaking with Green Inc. of The New York Times
, called Brand's arguments "nonsensical, especially concerning the abysmal economics of nuclear power." David Lewis, a former Speaker of the Green Party of British Columbia and former prominent Canadian ozone activist, who believes Brand's views on nuclear power have a sound foundation, asks "How can Brand champion the views of a climate science denier who denounces climate scientists and expect to be taken seriously by environmentalists?"
"(Environmentalists) are viewing what I'm saying more in sorrow than in anger," Brand told the Toronto Star
. Lewis says "Brand did not respond when I challenged him to debate over his support for a climate science denier".
He also published an online "Afterword". He asks: "What belongs in an afterword?" For one thing, he says: "history that has moved on from what I described in 2009 should be indicated" But his Afterword is also a place where he can record changes in his views: "I did promise in this book that I would change my mind as needed...."
One surprise in the Afterword is Brand's changed view of climate science. Brand says his views on climate are influenced most by his old friend James Lovelock. In the Afterword, Brand tells us that Lovelock has "softened his sense of alarm about the pace of climate change". (Lovelock's position had been that planetary catastrophe was now unavoidable). Brand explains that Lovelock changed his mind because of two things. He's read a book, The Climate Caper, by Garth Paltridge
, and he's read a paper by Dr. Kevin Trenberth, which was published in Science. Brand quotes from an email he got from Lovelock: "Something unknown appears to be slowing down the rate of global warming"
I contacted Dr Trenberth asking him if anyone should interpret his work the way Lovelock has. He wrote: "the anthropogenic global warming signature is not large enough to overwhelm natural variability and so the trend from increased GHGs is only clear on time scales of 25 or more years. We used 25 years in Chapter 3 of IPCC as the lowest trend we provided that was meaningful…. So any pause in sfc T increase from 2000 to 2008 is not unexpected and the first 8 months of this year were the warmest on record and have restored the upward trend. So there is no evidence of a reduction in trend"
Dr. Trenberth was one of two Coordinating Lead Authors in the IPCC AR4 group who assessed what apparent trends from temperature data can be said to be meaningful. He has published an online statement aimed at clarifying what his work means after some emails of his became part of the so called climategate incident. This statement from Trenberth applies also to what Lovelock believes Trenberth wrote in the Science article.
Garth Paltridge, who Brand recommends as a "sensible skeptic" in the Afterword, argues that we should do the exact opposite of what Brand was calling for originally in his book. I.e. in his book Brand argues that climate change is so threatening that environmentalists should reconsider their opposition to nuclear power, whereas in his Afterword Brand recommends we pay attention to Paltridge who argues since nothing anyone has to worry about can happen as a result of civilization changing the composition of the Earth's atmosphere, nothing should be done to limit the changes. Paltridge says the effects from increased carbon dioxide will not be "seriously noticeable". It is clear where Paltridge stands in the spectrum of opinion on climate science: he got Lord Monckton to write the Foreword to his book.
Brand's position is unclear. In a talk in recorded in Vancouver he tells the audience "maybe nothing" will happen as a result of the accumulating greenhouse gases although he says it would be like playing Russian Roulette with five cylinders loaded to not reduce emissions. But Brand's "sensible skeptic" Paltridge tells us the scientists involved with the IPCC are the worst thing that has happened to science in the last several hundred years, because they are on a “religious crusade”, "manipulating" the climate issue "into the ultimate example of the politically correct" acting as if "the science behind the issue" which Paltridge claims is not what the IPCC says it is, is "irrelevant".
said, "Rejecting the inflexible message so common in the Green movement, he describes a process of reasonable debate and experimentation. Brand's fresh perspective, approachable writing style and manifest wisdom ultimately convince the reader that the future is not an abyss to be feared but an opportunity for innovative problem solvers to embrace enthusiastically." Library Journal
s verdict: "Despite the occasional flippant comment, Brand's tough but constructive projection of our near future on this overheating planet is essential reading for all." One Energy Collective reviewer disagreed: "What's Brand doing telling people to pay attention to a second rate climate science denier like Paltridge? And that aging old friend of his who has so influenced him, Lovelock, he doesn't seem to understand what recent debate among leading climate scientists means."
Stewart Brand
Stewart Brand is an American writer, best known as editor of the Whole Earth Catalog. He founded a number of organizations including The WELL, the Global Business Network, and the Long Now Foundation...
, published by Viking Penguin
Viking Press
Viking Press is an American publishing company owned by the Penguin Group, which has owned the company since 1975. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim...
in 2009. He sees Earth and people propelled by three transformations: climate change
Climate 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...
(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...
), urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
and biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
. Brand tackles "touchy issues" like nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
, genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
and geoengineering
Geoengineering
The concept of Geoengineering refers to the deliberate large-scale engineering and manipulation of the planetary environment to combat or counteract anthropogenic changes in atmospheric chemistry The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded in 2007 that geoengineering options, such...
, "fully aware that many of the environmentalist readers he hopes to reach will start out disagreeing with him".
Overview
Brand said in an interview with SeedSeed (magazine)
Seed is an online science magazine published by Seed Media Group. The magazine looks at big ideas in science, important issues at the intersection of science and society, and the people driving global science culture...
magazine, "...I'd accumulated a set of contrarian views on some important environmental issues—specifically, cities, nuclear energy, genetic engineering, and geoengineering—and that it added up to a story worth telling."
The author cites numerous other authors both in the recommended reading section and in live lectures. In particular, book influences are Constant Battles by Steven A. LeBlanc
Steven A. LeBlanc
Steven A. LeBlanc is an American archaeologist and director of collections at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University's Peabody Museum....
with Katherine Register, Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, a New Urban World by Robert Neuwirth
Robert Neuwirth
Robert Neuwirth is an American journalist and author. He wrote Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World, a book describing his experiences living in squatter communities in Nairobi, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul and Mumbai. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, The Nation, and...
, and James Lovelock
James Lovelock
James Lovelock, CH, CBE, FRS is an independent scientist, environmentalist and futurologist who lives in Devon, England. He is best known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, which postulates that the biosphere is a self-regulating entity with the capacity to keep our planet healthy by controlling...
, the author of The Revenge of Gaia
The Revenge of Gaia
The Revenge of Gaia: Why the Earth is Fighting Back – and How we Can Still Save Humanity is a book by James Lovelock.- External links :* The Revenge of Gaia * , edited extract from The Guardian, 24 March 2006...
and The Vanishing Face of Gaia.
In an interview with American Public Media
American Public Media
American Public Media is the second largest producer of public radio programs in the United States of America after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and operates radio stations in Minnesota, California, and Florida. Its station brands are Minnesota Public Radio,...
, Brand said, "...in [Whole Earth Catalog] I focused on individual empowerment, and in [Whole Earth Discipline] the focus is on the aggregate effects of humans on things like climate. And some of these issues are of such scale that you got to have the governments doing things like making carbon expensive. Or making coal expensive to burn and putting all that carbon into the atmosphere. And individuals can't do that, individual communities can't do that. It takes national governments."
Synopsis
Speaking on "Rethinking Green", Brand provided a short version of his book:The book challenges traditional environmentalist thinking around four major issues:
- Cities are green.
- Nuclear power is green.
- Genetic engineering is green.
- Geoengineering is probably necessary.
And he summarized the book. Urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
, or the move to cities, requires grid electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, which one chapter discusses, in particular nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
. Another two chapters explain the need for genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
. A "sermon" on science and large-scale geoengineering
Geoengineering
The concept of Geoengineering refers to the deliberate large-scale engineering and manipulation of the planetary environment to combat or counteract anthropogenic changes in atmospheric chemistry The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded in 2007 that geoengineering options, such...
is a fourth chapter. Fifth is a chapter on restoration of natural infrastructure and benevolent ecosystem engineering. Finally, Brand concludes with humans' obligation to "learn planet craft", to enhance life and Earth like an earthworm
Earthworm
Earthworm is the common name for the largest members of Oligochaeta in the phylum Annelida. In classical systems they were placed in the order Opisthopora, on the basis of the male pores opening posterior to the female pores, even though the internal male segments are anterior to the female...
.
Criticism
Amory LovinsAmory Lovins
Amory Bloch Lovins is an American environmental scientist and writer, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. He has worked in the field of energy policy and related areas for four decades...
published a critique at the Rocky Mountain Institute
Rocky Mountain Institute
Rocky Mountain Institute is an organization in the United States dedicated to research, publication, consulting, and lecturing in the general field of sustainability, with a special focus on profitable innovations for energy and resource efficiency. RMI was established in 1982 and has grown into a...
, saying on NPR that nuclear energy is not the most cost-effective solution, that it is too expensive and slow to build. Jim Riccio, a spokesman for 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...
speaking with Green Inc. of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, called Brand's arguments "nonsensical, especially concerning the abysmal economics of nuclear power." David Lewis, a former Speaker of the Green Party of British Columbia and former prominent Canadian ozone activist, who believes Brand's views on nuclear power have a sound foundation, asks "How can Brand champion the views of a climate science denier who denounces climate scientists and expect to be taken seriously by environmentalists?"
"(Environmentalists) are viewing what I'm saying more in sorrow than in anger," Brand told the Toronto Star
Toronto 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...
. Lewis says "Brand did not respond when I challenged him to debate over his support for a climate science denier".
Online revision after publication
Brand maintains an online version of his book where, as he says "the text (much of it) dwells in a living thicket of its origins and implications. Instead of static footnotes there are live links to my sources, including some better ones that turned up after the writing".He also published an online "Afterword". He asks: "What belongs in an afterword?" For one thing, he says: "history that has moved on from what I described in 2009 should be indicated" But his Afterword is also a place where he can record changes in his views: "I did promise in this book that I would change my mind as needed...."
One surprise in the Afterword is Brand's changed view of climate science. Brand says his views on climate are influenced most by his old friend James Lovelock. In the Afterword, Brand tells us that Lovelock has "softened his sense of alarm about the pace of climate change". (Lovelock's position had been that planetary catastrophe was now unavoidable). Brand explains that Lovelock changed his mind because of two things. He's read a book, The Climate Caper, by Garth Paltridge
Garth Paltridge
Garth William Paltridge, , is a retired Australian atmospheric physicist. He is presently a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University and Emeritus Professor and Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute of Antarctic and Southern Oceans Studies , University of Tasmania.-Career:Paltridge...
, and he's read a paper by Dr. Kevin Trenberth, which was published in Science. Brand quotes from an email he got from Lovelock: "Something unknown appears to be slowing down the rate of global warming"
I contacted Dr Trenberth asking him if anyone should interpret his work the way Lovelock has. He wrote: "the anthropogenic global warming signature is not large enough to overwhelm natural variability and so the trend from increased GHGs is only clear on time scales of 25 or more years. We used 25 years in Chapter 3 of IPCC as the lowest trend we provided that was meaningful…. So any pause in sfc T increase from 2000 to 2008 is not unexpected and the first 8 months of this year were the warmest on record and have restored the upward trend. So there is no evidence of a reduction in trend"
Dr. Trenberth was one of two Coordinating Lead Authors in the IPCC AR4 group who assessed what apparent trends from temperature data can be said to be meaningful. He has published an online statement aimed at clarifying what his work means after some emails of his became part of the so called climategate incident. This statement from Trenberth applies also to what Lovelock believes Trenberth wrote in the Science article.
Garth Paltridge, who Brand recommends as a "sensible skeptic" in the Afterword, argues that we should do the exact opposite of what Brand was calling for originally in his book. I.e. in his book Brand argues that climate change is so threatening that environmentalists should reconsider their opposition to nuclear power, whereas in his Afterword Brand recommends we pay attention to Paltridge who argues since nothing anyone has to worry about can happen as a result of civilization changing the composition of the Earth's atmosphere, nothing should be done to limit the changes. Paltridge says the effects from increased carbon dioxide will not be "seriously noticeable". It is clear where Paltridge stands in the spectrum of opinion on climate science: he got Lord Monckton to write the Foreword to his book.
Brand's position is unclear. In a talk in recorded in Vancouver he tells the audience "maybe nothing" will happen as a result of the accumulating greenhouse gases although he says it would be like playing Russian Roulette with five cylinders loaded to not reduce emissions. But Brand's "sensible skeptic" Paltridge tells us the scientists involved with the IPCC are the worst thing that has happened to science in the last several hundred years, because they are on a “religious crusade”, "manipulating" the climate issue "into the ultimate example of the politically correct" acting as if "the science behind the issue" which Paltridge claims is not what the IPCC says it is, is "irrelevant".
Reviews
Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
said, "Rejecting the inflexible message so common in the Green movement, he describes a process of reasonable debate and experimentation. Brand's fresh perspective, approachable writing style and manifest wisdom ultimately convince the reader that the future is not an abyss to be feared but an opportunity for innovative problem solvers to embrace enthusiastically." Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
s verdict: "Despite the occasional flippant comment, Brand's tough but constructive projection of our near future on this overheating planet is essential reading for all." One Energy Collective reviewer disagreed: "What's Brand doing telling people to pay attention to a second rate climate science denier like Paltridge? And that aging old friend of his who has so influenced him, Lovelock, he doesn't seem to understand what recent debate among leading climate scientists means."
External links
- Annotated extract on sbnotes.com are footnotes for the book.