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The World Without Us - Alan Weisman


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Welcome to the July 2014 Reading Circle.

 

This month's book is The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.

 

Blurb from Amazon:

What if mankind disappeared right now, forever ... what would happen to the Earth in a week, a year, a millennium? Could the planet's climate ever recover from human activity? How would nature destroy our huge cities and our myriad plastics? And what would our final legacy be?

Speaking to experts in fields as diverse as oil production and ecology, and visiting the places that have escaped recent human activity to discover how they have adapted to life without us, Alan Weisman paints an intriguing picture of the future of Earth. Exploring key concerns of our time, this absorbing thought experiment reveals a powerful - and surprising - picture of our planet's future.

 

"It is assumed that you have read the book before reading posts in this thread, as the discussion might give away crucial points, and the continuous use of spoiler tags might hinder fluent reading of posts."

 

Some questions to aid any discussions, but feel free to add your own:

 

 - Did you enjoy the book?

 

 - Did it cover everything you expected?

 

 - Were there any chapters or discussions that you enjoyed most?

 

 - Was there anything you disliked about it?

 

 - Does it make you more aware of our impact on the world?

 

 - Have you read anything else by the author, and would you be interested in reading any other of his work?

 

 - Would you recommend this book to others. If so, to whom? If not, why not?

 

 

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I'm a little more than a hundred pages in, and while it isn't exactly as I'd thought, and frankly isn't riveting, I do like it, and find it extremely interesting.  Back when I can say more. :)

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 - Did you enjoy the book?

Yes I did. Although it's not enjoyable in the same sense as a fiction book is, I enjoyed learning about the different aspects of the world and what would happen to it if humans were to disappear. I quite liked the writing style and the details put into the book. I did want to keep on reading though at some point I was also keen to finish it and read a fictional book.

 

 - Did it cover everything you expected?

I wasn't quite sure what to expect to be honest, but the book covered even subjects I hadn't even thought of. I also was expecting the book to be more about plants and trees in the far future because this is what's on my cover (I know, this isn't always the best way of going about what to expect from a book), but the text talked more about the near future rather than in many years. I wasn't expecting to hear about chemicals or nuclear waste but I really liked those chapters.

 

 - Were there any chapters or discussions that you enjoyed most?

I enjoyed the first few chapters of part I a lot (about what happens to the buildings), part IV (where do we go from here?) and certain chapters in part II (about the chemicals for example).

 

 - Was there anything you disliked about it?

Some of the chapters seemed to go on a little bit of a tangent, I wanted for the author to get to the point quicker (I did enjoy though the little descriptions of the people he interviewed, that made the text come more alive for me). I also didn't like how imperial units were used for everything as I would've preferred it if metric or SI units had been in there too, so it would've been easier for me. I also would have liked to see some more discussion on countries or areas that weren't mentioned in the book. I felt the focus was perhaps a little too much on certain areas compared with others. But maybe that's just me.

 

 - Does it make you more aware of our impact on the world?

Yes, definitely. I know we're doing some bad things to the world but I didn't realise it was this bad. It really was a thought-provoking book and I think it'd be good for more people to read it, to spread awareness of what we're doing to the environment.

 

 - Have you read anything else by the author, and would you be interested in reading any other of his work?

I haven't read anything else by the author. I would be interested in reading more by him based on his writing style, but I'd want to know what the subject of the book is as it has to be something I'm interested in reading.

 

 - Would you recommend this book to others. If so, to whom? If not, why not?

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about what humans are doing to the environment as the book describes a lot of aspects of this very well. I would also recommend the book to some people who don't care as much about the environment or who don't know much about it. I doubt it would really change their minds but I think it's worth a try. Ie. I think it'd be good if for example politicians would read it, maybe they can make better decisions for the environment.

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 - Did you enjoy the book?

 

I really liked it - more than I thought I would. It was very informative and also pretty easy to read. Sometimes it took me a little while to connect the dots and see where the author was coming from, but he tied it all together very nicely.

 

 - Did it cover everything you expected?

 

It covered much more than I originally thought, and the approach was different to what I was expecting. I though it would be a more 'generalised' book, but the author has chapters dedicated to very specific circumstances - ie. his discussion of what would happen to the nuclear reactors. That's not something I thought would be covered, and I was very interested to read about it. He was also very detailed, and you can tell he has thought and researched this in great depth.

 

 - Were there any chapters or discussions that you enjoyed most?

 

I found something to like in every chapter, as it was all so educational. Some standouts were what would happen to our cities if no-one was around to manage the underground water. Again not something I would have thought about, and was quite shocked to realised that subways would be flooded within hours, not days or weeks. I was interested to hear about the flourishing life in the DMZ in Korea - again, completely unexpected discussion point, but he explored it in a lot of detail.

 

Those were the standouts, but there was something new to learn in every chapter.

 

 - Was there anything you disliked about it?

 

No, I can't say there was.

 

 - Does it make you more aware of our impact on the world?

 

Definitely. The chapter on how much plastics and polymers are in our oceans was quite harrowing, and everyone is aware of how we have changed our environment, but I never realised how much or how long it would take for our impact to be reversed (if ever). Humans have done so much damage, but nature still finds a way to fight back (or work around us). Sadly I don't think things will change...we are over-reliant on the 'bad stuff' but it's very difficult to change things in any major meaningful way.

 

 - Have you read anything else by the author, and would you be interested in reading any other of his work?

 

I don't actually know anything about him, whether he is an all purpose journalist or focuses on particular areas, but based on this yes I would.

 

 - Would you recommend this book to others. If so, to whom? If not, why not?

 

Yes, I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the world around them, probably moreso to those who have an interest in any kind of science.

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I'm a little more than a hundred pages in, and while it isn't exactly as I'd thought, and frankly isn't riveting, I do like it, and find it extremely interesting.  Back when I can say more. :)

 

It was very different to what I was expecting too. It was much more specific and detail-orientated.  Glad you are finding it interesting. :smile:

 

 - Did you enjoy the book?

Yes I did. Although it's not enjoyable in the same sense as a fiction book is, I enjoyed learning about the different aspects of the world and what would happen to it if humans were to disappear. I quite liked the writing style and the details put into the book. I did want to keep on reading though at some point I was also keen to finish it and read a fictional book.

I know what you mean about itching to get on with a fictional book. As much as I enjoyed it, it's not the kind of book you can read in the same manner as a novel- ie. in long sessions. At least, that's my experience of it. Because it's non-fiction, it needs to be absorbed and thought about....unfortunately time wasn't on my side.  :giggle2:  I suspect I will refer to it again at some point though. 

 

 - Did it cover everything you expected?

I wasn't quite sure what to expect to be honest, but the book covered even subjects I hadn't even thought of. I also was expecting the book to be more about plants and trees in the far future because this is what's on my cover (I know, this isn't always the best way of going about what to expect from a book), but the text talked more about the near future rather than in many years. I wasn't expecting to hear about chemicals or nuclear waste but I really liked those chapters.

I agree completely and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much - because it was different to what I was expecting. He has obviously given this a lot of thought, and I bet he had to do a lot of editing and only keep the most interesting scenarios. I also thought it would be more about plants and trees, because that's what I automatically think of when I think of nature claiming things back.

 

 

 - Was there anything you disliked about it?

Some of the chapters seemed to go on a little bit of a tangent, I wanted for the author to get to the point quicker (I did enjoy though the little descriptions of the people he interviewed, that made the text come more alive for me).

I know what you mean about the tangents, but I didn't mind too much as it was still very interesting. I do recall wondering where he was leading, a few times.

 

 

 - Would you recommend this book to others. If so, to whom? If not, why not?

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about what humans are doing to the environment as the book describes a lot of aspects of this very well. I would also recommend the book to some people who don't care as much about the environment or who don't know much about it. I doubt it would really change their minds but I think it's worth a try. Ie. I think it'd be good if for example politicians would read it, maybe they can make better decisions for the environment.

It's a very good introduction to all things environmental, but not in a preachy or heavy-handed way. I think if it had been written in that manner, I would have struggled to read it. As it stands, it seemed like the author was just describing possible outcomes, rather than finger-pointing at the behaviour of people, and so I think people will be more receptive to learning from it.

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Interresting answers, BB! It looks like we agreed on a lot of things :). Pontalba, I hope you enjoy the book too.

 

EDIT: Here's a maybe 'random' question. It seems to differ a lot which kinds of things garbage is seperated in per region. In my town, we have vegetable/fruit/garden rubbish, a bin for normal rubbish, they pick up old paper and plastic rubbish seperately. Personally I take this quite seriously and try to put things where they belong instead of putting it all in the normal rubbish. How does it work where you live?

Edited by Athena
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Thanks, Gaia.  I haven't been able to read the last couple of days, but expect to buckle down tonight. :)

 

About recycling trash/garbage etc.  I know that the City, aka New Orleans has a program that they provide extra containers to put out recyclable aluminum cans and such.  Also, every year they ask residents to put out their live Christmas trees, on a certain day.  Not flocked ones, or any sort of fake stuff on them though.  The plain ones are used to help reclaim parts of the shoreline down south of us, at Grand Isle, Louisiana.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Isle,_Louisiana  I don't know how many feet of shoreline is being swept away yearly, but it's a lot. 

 

We are out in the rural area, and there is no city pickup available.  So there are various contractors that take up the slack.

After Hurricane Katrina, the contractor I had seemed to disappear, it took me months to find someone.  Finally I was able to find a contractor.  I was very fortunate in finding a man that would come back to the house (set back about 1/10th of a mile from the road) and pick up the cans.  I know he just goes to the local waste management place.  How or if they separate it is unknown to me.  It is however, my only option. 

 

We don't use any aluminum cans to speak of, so can't even recycle that. :)  Maybe that's better. lol

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Just finished a little while ago, and wow, I am still a bit dizzy from all the facts and figures Weisman threw out there! 

Ok,  now to the questions. :)

 

- Did you enjoy the book?

 

I did, finally, enjoy and appreciate the facts and figures that Weisman deluged us with.  He humanized the story beautifully, down to the physical descriptions of some of the scientists he was interviewing.  I quite appreciated that, inconsequential as it was.  It added flavor.

 

 - Did it cover everything you expected?

 

LOL, it covered much more than I expected.  From Chernobyl to the oil fields of Texas, to the construction and possible destruction of the Panama Canal.  I appreciated the way he told how the Canal had been built, just what the engineers and workman went through, and just how easily, if Man were gone, how it would disintegrate.  Wow.  Fascinating stuff.

 

 - Were there any chapters or discussions that you enjoyed most?

 

When he told about the political upheaval that is Cyprus.  The seaside city that was built and then abandoned on account of the wars...Varosha.  I'd never heard of it.  Oh, not the problems of Cyprus, I had a fair grasp of that situation, but the story of the engineer searching out and cannibalizing the other hotels in the area for electrical wire and electrical appliances to fix the one.....that was amazing.  And then that went down the tubes as well! 

I love that he went into the history of the various lands he told of, it was most informative.

 

 - Was there anything you disliked about it?

 

I can't say that there was anything to dislike.  Well, perhaps he was a bit preachy at the end, but after all, he did write the book to get his point, and world view across to the reader, so perhaps that was to be expected.

 

 - Does it make you more aware of our impact on the world?

 

Yes and no.  I'd read about that whirlpool effect in the Pacific Ocean, and strip mining of coal in West Virginia and of course Chernobyl many years ago.  But what he did do was bring it all together in one horrifying stream.  A person can read about this and that, but when so many items are massed together, it has a rather paralyzing effect.

 

 - Have you read anything else by the author, and would you be interested in reading any other of his work?

 

No, I haven't read any of his other books, but I'd be interested in his others. 

 

 - Would you recommend this book to others. If so, to whom? If not, why not?

 

I'd recommend it to someone that thought they knew everything about our environment. :)

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EDIT: Here's a maybe 'random' question. It seems to differ a lot which kinds of things garbage is seperated in per region. In my town, we have vegetable/fruit/garden rubbish, a bin for normal rubbish, they pick up old paper and plastic rubbish seperately. Personally I take this quite seriously and try to put things where they belong instead of putting it all in the normal rubbish. How does it work where you live?

 

Our area for rubbish collection has changed over the last few years, with a stronger emphasis on recycling. We never used to have regular recycling collections; if you couldn't be bothered to take it to the local recycling bins (which are usually in supermarket carparks), then it got thrown out with the regular garbage.

 

Now we have separate collections for recyclable and non-recyclable rubbish. Non-recyclable rubbish (what they call normal household waste) gets collected every two weeks. Recyclable (or compostible) rubbish is collected weekly. Food waste goes in a separate bin (all households in the area got a small caddy to have in your kitchen, and then a larger one (not much larger) which get collected each week). We use biodegradable bags for this (which aren't cheap!). I quite like it because it makes you aware of how much food waste (peelings, etc) you throw away. Then we have two containers for other recyclables. One is for cardboard, foil and mixed glass and jars. The other one is for paper, plastic bottles (though some kinds still aren't recyclable - like margarine containers), aerosols, tins and clothes/textiles. (Actually, as I side note, I just went out to look at the boxes and I'm glad I did, as I didn't realise one was for clothes. I've been using the bins at the local supermarket to get rid of clothes :doh::giggle2: ). It's always puzzled me that cardboard and paper go in separate boxes, but I guess they get recycled separately. 

 

We are out in the rural area, and there is no city pickup available.  So there are various contractors that take up the slack.

After Hurricane Katrina, the contractor I had seemed to disappear, it took me months to find someone.  Finally I was able to find a contractor.  I was very fortunate in finding a man that would come back to the house (set back about 1/10th of a mile from the road) and pick up the cans.  I know he just goes to the local waste management place.  How or if they separate it is unknown to me.  It is however, my only option.

 

That must be a pain. How close is the local recycling centre or tip?

 

- Did you enjoy the book?

 

I did, finally, enjoy and appreciate the facts and figures that Weisman deluged us with.  He humanized the story beautifully, down to the physical descriptions of some of the scientists he was interviewing.  I quite appreciated that, inconsequential as it was.  It added flavor.

I enjoyed that as well. After the first few times I came to expect it, and whenever the author introduced someone new I found myself waiting for his physical description.

 

 - Did it cover everything you expected?

 

LOL, it covered much more than I expected.  From Chernobyl to the oil fields of Texas, to the construction and possible destruction of the Panama Canal.  I appreciated the way he told how the Canal had been built, just what the engineers and workman went through, and just how easily, if Man were gone, how it would disintegrate.  Wow.  Fascinating stuff.

Yes, that was pretty amazing. I googled the Panama Canal as I was reading it....fascinating stuff, and how quickly it would just be overrun. :thud: 

 

 - Were there any chapters or discussions that you enjoyed most?

 

When he told about the political upheaval that is Cyprus.  The seaside city that was built and then abandoned on account of the wars...Varosha.  I'd never heard of it. 

Oh yes, I'd forgotten the discussion about Cyprus. I meant to look up Varosha as I had never heard of it....must look it up later. That reminds me, I also found fascinating the underground cities of Cappadocia. They are built many tens of metres underground and can hold thousands. Amazing stuff.

 

 - Does it make you more aware of our impact on the world?

 

Yes and no.  I'd read about that whirlpool effect in the Pacific Ocean, and strip mining of coal in West Virginia and of course Chernobyl many years ago.  But what he did do was bring it all together in one horrifying stream.  A person can read about this and that, but when so many items are massed together, it has a rather paralyzing effect.

I'd never heard of the South Pacific Gyre....it was so interesting, yet another things I learned from this book.

 

 - Would you recommend this book to others. If so, to whom? If not, why not?

 

I'd recommend it to someone that thought they knew everything about our environment. :)

Good answer! :smile:

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Our area for rubbish collection has changed over the last few years, with a stronger emphasis on recycling. We never used to have regular recycling collections; if you couldn't be bothered to take it to the local recycling bins (which are usually in supermarket carparks), then it got thrown out with the regular garbage.

 

Now we have separate collections for recyclable and non-recyclable rubbish. Non-recyclable rubbish (what they call normal household waste) gets collected every two weeks. Recyclable (or compostible) rubbish is collected weekly. Food waste goes in a separate bin (all households in the area got a small caddy to have in your kitchen, and then a larger one (not much larger) which get collected each week). We use biodegradable bags for this (which aren't cheap!). I quite like it because it makes you aware of how much food waste (peelings, etc) you throw away. Then we have two containers for other recyclables. One is for cardboard, foil and mixed glass and jars. The other one is for paper, plastic bottles (though some kinds still aren't recyclable - like margarine containers), aerosols, tins and clothes/textiles. (Actually, as I side note, I just went out to look at the boxes and I'm glad I did, as I didn't realise one was for clothes. I've been using the bins at the local supermarket to get rid of clothes :doh::giggle2: ). It's always puzzled me that cardboard and paper go in separate boxes, but I guess they get recycled separately.

Wow, that's pretty good! In the Netherlands you can also give away your clothes, they go to third world countries.

 

@ Cyprus

I thought that was pretty interesting too, though also a bit scary.

 

I didn't know that much about the Panama canal before reading the book so I thought it was quite good how the book explained things.

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Our area for rubbish collection has changed over the last few years, with a stronger emphasis on recycling. We never used to have regular recycling collections; if you couldn't be bothered to take it to the local recycling bins (which are usually in supermarket carparks), then it got thrown out with the regular garbage.

 

Now we have separate collections for recyclable and non-recyclable rubbish. Non-recyclable rubbish (what they call normal household waste) gets collected every two weeks. Recyclable (or compostible) rubbish is collected weekly. Food waste goes in a separate bin (all households in the area got a small caddy to have in your kitchen, and then a larger one (not much larger) which get collected each week). We use biodegradable bags for this (which aren't cheap!). I quite like it because it makes you aware of how much food waste (peelings, etc) you throw away. Then we have two containers for other recyclables. One is for cardboard, foil and mixed glass and jars. The other one is for paper, plastic bottles (though some kinds still aren't recyclable - like margarine containers), aerosols, tins and clothes/textiles. (Actually, as I side note, I just went out to look at the boxes and I'm glad I did, as I didn't realise one was for clothes. I've been using the bins at the local supermarket to get rid of clothes :doh::giggle2: ). It's always puzzled me that cardboard and paper go in separate boxes, but I guess they get recycled separately. 

 

 

That must be a pain. How close is the local recycling centre or tip?

 

I enjoyed that as well. After the first few times I came to expect it, and whenever the author introduced someone new I found myself waiting for his physical description.

 

Yes, that was pretty amazing. I googled the Panama Canal as I was reading it....fascinating stuff, and how quickly it would just be overrun. :thud: 

 

Oh yes, I'd forgotten the discussion about Cyprus. I meant to look up Varosha as I had never heard of it....must look it up later. That reminds me, I also found fascinating the underground cities of Cappadocia. They are built many tens of metres underground and can hold thousands. Amazing stuff.

 

I'd never heard of the South Pacific Gyre....it was so interesting, yet another things I learned from this book.

 

Good answer! :smile:

 

There are some recycling places on this side of the lake, but they seem to be only specialized in that they take construction trash.  Left over supplies that many contractors throw away.

 

Re Cappadocia, funnily enough I just had read something about Cappadocia in one of the Roman books.  Apparently it was a choice for some exiles to live.  Right now I can't remember who it was, but a main character of the first book was exiled and he chose that as his place of exile.  I wish McCullough had said more about the place!

 

LOL, thanks. :D

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I'm so glad you enjoyed it Pontalba :)!

 

Thanks, me too!  Good thing, as it was one of my suggestions! :blush2:  :giggle2:

 

Athena wrote: - Were there any chapters or discussions that you enjoyed most?

I enjoyed the first few chapters of part I a lot (about what happens to the buildings), part IV (where do we go from here?) and certain chapters in part II (about the chemicals for example).

 

 

I found the bits about the lasting effects of chemicals horrifying.  No matter what happens, it'll always be with us. 

 

 Athena wrote: - Was there anything you disliked about it?

Some of the chapters seemed to go on a little bit of a tangent, I wanted for the author to get to the point quicker (I did enjoy though the little descriptions of the people he interviewed, that made the text come more alive for me). I also didn't like how imperial units were used for everything as I would've preferred it if metric or SI units had been in there too, so it would've been easier for me. I also would have liked to see some more discussion on countries or areas that weren't mentioned in the book. I felt the focus was perhaps a little too much on certain areas compared with others. But maybe that's just me.

 

 

LOL  As my husband will testify to, I love tangents.  :giggle:  

Re Imperial Units.  I didn't realize that.  I wonder why he didn't use either the English Units (what we use in the US) or the metric system.  Very odd.

 

I think he might have just picked the worst examples.  What other areas would you have liked to see discussed? 

It's true, I don't remember that he explained very much about the Gulf Stream for example.

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 BB wrote: - Have you read anything else by the author, and would you be interested in reading any other of his work?

 

I don't actually know anything about him, whether he is an all purpose journalist or focuses on particular areas, but based on this yes I would.

 

He has written several other books, evidently one is a bit of a family history.  Here is his author's page from Amazon.  http://www.amazon.com/Alan-Weisman/e/B001H6KZ4W/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1404604467&sr=1-2-ent

 

The family history book is this one.  http://www.amazon.com/Echo-My-Blood-Search-Familys/dp/0151002916/ref=la_B001H6KZ4W_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404604474&sr=1-5   I think I might order this one.  2nd hand. :)

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I found the bits about the lasting effects of chemicals horrifying.  No matter what happens, it'll always be with us.

It might be strange saying this as I've studied chemistry (I don't know if I'd be called a 'chemist' as I think that means something else) but I find that particularly scary and worrying. As a chemist I might be very 'pro-chemical' or whatever.. but that's not the case. I believe we should take care of the environment and not create too much rubbish that'll still be here in years. I've always been against nuclear waste to be honest, my parents are too so that's as well how I've been raised, to take care of the environment.

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Slowly, but surely, humans are learning, but I have wondered if it's too little, too late. The trouble is that it costs more to do things in a environmentally sound manner. Now, is that a false cost, bring run up by unscrupulous businessmen, or a true cost? The higher cost will inevitably keep many from following the green path. Some are just short sighted, or lazy, or just plain ignorant.

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Oh, and on the recycling bit, I remembered Good Will.  They do a lot to help homeless people, rehabilitation and the like.  When I've done clear outs, I've given literally truck loads of clothes, household items to them.   I come from a long line of packrats. :):blush2:

 

Then there is the Salvation Army, they accept all sorts of donations of items as well.  I know there are more, I just can't think of them at the moment.

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  • 4 weeks later...

- Did you enjoy the book?


On the whole yes, it was more involved than I was expecting and I got lost a bit but it was very thought provoking .. worryingly so.


 - Did it cover everything you expected?


I didn't know what to expect, I came to the book late so didn't know what it was about .. or only had the slightest inkling and wasn't even sure if was fiction or non fiction before I started so had no pre-conceived ideas. It must have been difficult to keep a tight rein on it actually. Even though I thought it did get a bit too deep and involved at times it must have been difficult knowing where to stop with it. The subject matter is so vast.


 - Were there any chapters or discussions that you enjoyed most?


Enjoyed is probably the wrong word :D Fascinated is probably more like it. Of particular interest was the many, many chapters and pages about the pollution of the seas. We all know about it but the actual facts are quite horrifying. It was fascinating too to read about the animals that have long since died out .. sloths bigger than bears etc .. wondrous stuff. Makes you realise that .. in the history of the earth .. our time here is shorter a blink of an eye. However .. we have managed to do so much damage in that short time  :( 


 - Was there anything you disliked about it?


Not really .. I just found some chapters more interesting than others. Also I preferred it when I had a good chance of actually being able to grasp what he was saying .. when he didn't get too technical in his descriptions. Facts about nuclear physics are beyond me .. I have not the slightest chance of clinging on  :blush2: 


 - Does it make you more aware of our impact on the world?


Yes .. not sure if it will have a long term effect  :blush2: we forget things all too quickly but I've tried to cut down on buying anything in plastic this week and have eyed everything in the house .. packaging wise especially .. with a suspicious eye. It made me think that .. unless you are lucky enough to have a natural spring in your garden (and sometimes not even then) .. then drinking water is probably as unhealthy as it gets. What comes out of the tap has been treated with chemicals and what comes in a plastic bottle can't be good for you. Absolutely horrified about what happens to nuclear waste  :o  :( I've never really given it serious thought before but there's no way we will survive if we keep on doing the things we're doing. Nearly every 'improvement' we've made has had a negative impact on the planet.


 - Have you read anything else by the author, and would you be interested in reading any other of his work?


I haven't. Not sure I would again .. it would depend on the subject matter.


 - Would you recommend this book to others. If so, to whom? If not, why not?


I might .. only if we had a relevant conversation though. 


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Also terrifying was how .. the powers that be concerned with nuclear energy and nuclear waste etc .. sweep it all under the carpet. It's all so hush-hush. Most of us have no idea. I had not an inkling about those salt caves/mines that are used for radioactive waste  :o Also how they turn a lot of ex nuclear sites into wildlife sanctuaries .. and all the animals and birds go there because of course .. no-one has told them!! Mutant offspring and everything .. so distressing!

And what about the pylons and the tall towers .. killing all the birds  :o .. plate glass windows too .. terrifying statistics :( 

 

The animals are what really upset me. I wasn't so bothered about the human suffering because .. well .. it's our fault (though it's always the innocent that are most affected) but the animals have to live on this planet with us .. and we're mucking it up bigtime. And there's absolutely no reason for it, no reason at all to supply our milk in plastic containers .. or shrink wrap our apples and juices etc. Often you'll buy something and it's doubly wrapped .. plastic shrink wrap on top of a plastic container. I'm going to buy loose as much as I can. Go to the greengrocers and not buy pre-packaged from the supermarket. It's convenience isn't it? .. most of us have fallen for the convenience of getting everything from one place. I didn't even know that the use of DDT was still legal in some countries  :o Oh my!! .. some people don't care a fig about the planet and what happens to it in the future.  

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Boy, you are not kidding about any of it, Kay.  Scary stuff, to say the least. 

I think that if I had to pick one thing that was the most disturbing.....it had to be the effects after we are and have been gone for decades, nay...centuries!  When they spoke of the oilfields in Texas down by Houston and Galveston...wow!  That's only about a 5 hour drive from our home.  To think of all that running, and running down, exploding all over the place.  Making even more pollution for the animals left! 

 

And you are absolutely right about the double and triple packaging of ordinary items.  It's enough to gag one. Literally.  :roll::(

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I guess even responsible countries are up against it when it comes to packaging. If they were suddenly to ban the use of non-recyclable packaging then the plastics industry in particular would sink taking millions of people with it. Equally they'd be unwilling to adapt most probably .. because it would cost them billions. 

Such a sobering thought that .. even if we stopped polluting the world with plastic now .. it'd all still be around choking up the oceans etc probably for as long as the earth remains :( Oh dear! 

One thing he didn't touch on much was the stuff we chuck down the loo .. the stuff that isn't paper etc  :blush2: Apparently a lot of us chuck ear buds down there and they end up in the ocean poisoning the dolphins etc .. not to mention condoms, tampons, baby wipes etc etc .. disposable nappies too .. though they don't get chucked down the loo they're supposed to be bad news for the planet. Can you imagine the amount of extra waste that's amounted to since the extinction of the terry nappy/diaper? The thing is we're all a bit dim :blush2: .. a new innovation comes along and we think .. thanks very much Mr Inventor .. you've saved me much time and loads of hassle .. we don't for a minute stop and think of the far reaching consequences. I mean .. some of us do now but I had no idea in the 80's that the lorry-load of hairspray that I got through each week would have any impact on the ozone layer .. I'd never heard of it  :blush2: 

People are so used to their creature comforts now .. can't see us wanting to alter our ways .. not if it means extra work or inconvenience. We are trying but it's a drop in the ocean isn't it?

 

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