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The Unvarnished Truth about Climate Change and Global Warming

The following information is provided for those who wish to learn the facts about the crisis we are in,
what went wrong, and what we can do to possibly save our civilization and life on our planet.

I strongly suggest this first book, Storms of My Grandchildren, by Dr. James E. Hansen, because
it clearly shows the urgency of our situation.  As mentioned in the review that follows, we do have
one last window of opportunity to save our civilization, but it will not remain open for long.



Storms of My Grandchildren
by James Hansen
Reviewed by Richard Douse
Published by Bloomsbury USA 2009



    James Hansen is a scientist.  He has been all his life. 
He is generally regarded as the world's foremost authority
on global warming and climate change.  Indeed, he has
been called the father of global warming.  But he is also
a grandfather who sees a train coming down the tracks,
and his grandkids are on that train.  There's a bridge out
up ahead.  Nobody seems to see it – what do you do?
    Scientists are generally reluctant to state anything with 100% certainty.  Unless, of course,
you are in the pocket of the tobacco industry, the pesticide industry, or big coal.  That kind of
scientist does not hesitate.  Their paycheck depends on speaking out aggressively and with certainty. 
    Dr. Hansen is not that kind of scientist.   Never has been.  Now however, in addition to being a
scientist, he is also a grandfather who loves his grandkids and, based on a lifetime study on climate
forcing and feedback loops, he knows full well what is in store for them.   He has decided not to
remain silent.  He is speaking out, not for money, but for his grandchildren.
    As he points out in “Storms of My Grandchildren,” climate change deniers, (he calls them “contrarians”)
as few as they may be, seem to get equal time to ridicule conclusions held by the vast majority of
scientists throughout the world who are convinced we are headed for trouble.  Indeed, perhaps the
most well known contrarian, Richard Lindzen, takes a rather unique position for a scientist. 
As Hansen writes, “Lindzen's perspective on climate sensitivity, as he told Richard Kerr, stems from
an idea of the theological or philosophical perspective that he doggedly adheres to. Lindzen is convinced
that nature will find ways to cool itself.”  Politicians from both parties seem eager to listen to the
deniers: following their view requires no action.  Politicians don't seem to understand the gravity of the
situation we are in.  “On the contrary,” Hansen writes, “they are pursuing policies to get every last drop
of fossil fuel, including coal, by whatever means necessary, regardless of environmental damage.”  
Well, Dr. Hansen has had enough.  He is speaking of the dire consequences of business as usual. 
    In this work Hansen speaks of efforts to silence him.  Some years ago, all NASA press releases were
being funneled to the White House for approval or changes.  Under the influence of Vice President
Dick Cheney, political appointees such as former NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, with no scientific
background, were put in charge of NASA and, Hansen notes, “by 2005, I was well aware that the
NASA Office of Public Affairs had become an office of propaganda.” 
    In “Storms of My Grandchildren,” you will learn to understand the mechanisms of climate change. 
As the author says, “This is not difficult!”  He shows the importance of understanding climate related
feedback loops that show how loss of ice cover in the arctic works to speed the release of methane gas
locked in the frozen tundra.  The release of methane from the tundra adds to the greenhouse effect in
a way that will be totally out of our control once the tundra begins to thaw.  He stresses the importance
of getting the current level of CO² down from the present 387 parts per million (and climbing) in our
atmosphere, to 350 ppm and below.  This is a change for him, one that is based on new and disturbing
data.  Formerly he believed that civilization could handle and adapt to 450 ppm of CO² in our atmosphere. 
No longer.
     “Storms of My Grandchildren” has a sub-title.  It reads: “The Truth about the Coming Climate
Catastrophe and our Last Chance to Save Humanity.”  We have one last window of opportunity to
save our civilization, but as Dr. Hansen shows, it will not remain open for long.
    This is a book for those who are genuinely concerned about the health of our planet and our children
and grandchildren, and can deal with hearing unvarnished truth about what is in store for them if we hold
the course we are on.  Hansen, with this book, also wishes to show his own grandchildren that he did
everything he could to inform people of the dire consequences of their failure to keep coal in the ground,
unused, and develop another, different, non CO²  producing base load energy source immediately. 
    We must stop entirely all burning of coal.  “I've come to conclude that if we burn all reserves of oil, gas,
and coal, there is a substantial chance we will initiate the runaway greenhouse.  If we also burn the
tar sands and tar shale, I believe the Venus syndrome (boiling away of our oceans) is a dead certainty.” 
He continues, “. . . the large ice sheets are just beginning to be softened up . . . once ice sheet disintegration
begins in earnest, our grandchildren will live the rest of their lives in a chaotic transition period.” 
Further, “Business as usual greenhouse gas emissions, without any doubt, will commit the planet to
global warming of a magnitude that will lead eventually to an ice free planet.  An ice free planet means
a sea level rise of about 75 meters (almost 250 feet).”
    I would urge the reader to pay particular attention to what Dr. Hansen has to say about nuclear power
plants.  I must say that his argument turned my position 180 degrees.  From someone entirely opposed, 
I now urge my elected representatives to support their construction.  His reasons are compelling.
    Hansen tells us we cannot depend on politicians in either party to act.  Corporations hold sway over
them with money and the power to decide elections.  Our future depends upon citizens learning the truth,
and then acting on that truth.  Dr. Hansen put his reputation on the line in speaking out in this work. 
He has also placed his own personal freedom in jeopardy when he, along with thirty others, were recently
arrested at Coal River Mountain in West Virginia for, “obstructing, impeding flow of traffic.”  At the time
of his arrest he was, “. . . reading a statement in front of a Massey Energy facility, the statement being
a demand that Massey (1) withdraw its plans to build a coal silo, which would emit tons of coal dust
within 300 feet of Marsh Fork Elementary School; (2) fund the building of a new school to replace
the one sitting 400 yards downstream of a three-billion-gallon sludge dam; (3) withdraw its permits to
blow up Coal River Mountain, which would destroy the mountain's potential for a proposed wind energy
project that would provide permanent clean energy and jobs; and (4) halt mountaintop-removal operations,
which are destroying the mountains, poisoning water supplies, and increasing the risk of devastating floods.” 
For speaking out and telling the truth,  this grandfather is looking at a one year prison sentence if found guilty. 
Buy the book . . . and for continuing updates:  http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/
And, for some facts on nuclear energy:  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/reaction/




Nothing we are presently doing will save humanity.  We are following
the wrong path.  We need a new plan.  Here it is.

This is a book that tells us what we can do to reverse course.   
In addition to demanding that our elected representatives legislate the
mining of coal (all coal) out of existance, we can follow the direction
pointed out to us in, "Plan B 4.0," by Earth Policy Institute President,
Lester R. Brown.

To stay current, I suggest:         http://www.earthpolicy.org/










This is a very important book that everyone should read.
It is every bit as important as Rachael Carson's, "Silent Spring."
Let's hope that people are moved to act, as they did, when
they demanded that DDT be banned.










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