November 15, 2013   |   0 comments

Guy McPherson discusses his latest book Going Dark.

We are the last individuals of our species on Earth. How shall we respond? How shall we act? If industrial civilization is maintained, climate change will cause human extinction in the near term. If industrial civilization falls, sufficient ionizing radiation will be released from the world’s nuclear power plants to cause human extinction in the near term. In the wake of this horrific conclusion, conservation biologist McPherson proposes we act with compassion, courage, and creativity. He suggests we act with the kind of empathy for which humans are renowned. In other words, he suggests we act with decency toward the humans and other organisms with which we share this beautiful planet. Going Dark is the story of one  scientist’s response to the horrors we face. It is a deeply personal narrative infused with abundant evidence to support its terrifying claims.

Going Dark peels the shadow from the cosy dreams we’ve all bought into – that technology will save us from climate change; that the products we consume are endless and untainted; that our modern idea of happiness and convenience doesn’t crush others; that the heartbeat of the industrial economy that pulses within us is sustainable and ethical. McPherson’s latest work will make you think twice.

www.guymcpherson.com

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Red Sparowes ‘At The Soundless Dawn’