Hope on Earth is the thought-provoking result of a lively and
wide-ranging conversation between two of the world's leading
interdisciplinary environmental scientists: Paul R. Ehrlich, whose book
The Population Bomb shook the world in 1968 (and continues to shake
it), and Michael Charles Tobias, whose over 40 books and 150 films have
been read and/or viewed throughout the world. Hope on Earth offers a
rare opportunity to listen in as these deeply knowledgeable and highly
creative thinkers offer their takes on the most pressing environmental
concerns of the moment.
Both Ehrlich and Tobias argue that we are on the verge of environmental
catastrophe, as the human population continues to grow without restraint
and without significant attempts to deal with overconsumption and the
vast depletion of resources and climate problems it creates. Though
their views are sympathetic, they differ in their approach and in some
key moral stances, giving rise to a heated and engaging dialogue that
opens up dozens of new avenues of exploration. They both believe that
the impact of a human society on its environment is the direct result of
its population size, and through their dialogue they break down the
complex social problems that are wrapped up in this idea and attempts to
overcome it, hitting firmly upon many controversial topics such as
circumcision, religion, reproduction, abortion, animal rights, diet, and
gun control. For Ehrlich and Tobias, ethics involve not only how we
treat other people directly, but how we treat them and other organisms
indirectly through our effects on the environment. University of
California, Berkeley professor John Harte joins the duo for part of the
conversation, and his substantial expertise on energy and climate change
adds a crucial perspective to the discussion of the impact of population
on global warming.
This engaging and timely book invites readers into an intimate
conversation with some of the most eminent voices in science as they
offer a powerful and approachable argument that the ethical and
scientific issues involved in solving our environmental crisis are
deeply intertwined, while offering us an optimistic way forward. Hope
on Earth is indeed a conversation we should all be having.
