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The Vanishing Face of Gaia: A Final Warning Paperback – April 27, 2010

by James Lovelock (Author)

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The global temperature is rising, the ice caps are melting, and levels of pollution across the world have reached unprecedented heights. According to eminent scientist James Lovelock, in order to survive an assault from her dependents, the Earth is lurching ever closer to a permanent "hot state." Within the next century, we will almost certainly be forced to give up many of the comforts of western living as supplies are threatened. Only the fittest -- and the smartest -- will survive.

A reluctant jeremiad from one of the environmental movement's elder statesmen, The Vanishing Face of Gaia offers an essential wake-up call for the human race.

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About the Author

James Lovelock is the author of more than two hundred scientific papers and the originator of the Gaia Hypothesis (now Gaia Theory). In September 2005, Prospect magazine named him as one of the world's top 100 global public intellectuals. He lives in Louceston, England.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0465019072
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books (April 27, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780465019076
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465019076
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 11 and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #426,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #212 in Science Essays & Commentary (Books)
- #943 in Environmentalism
- #1,386 in History & Philosophy of Science (Books)

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A kind of third party view of global warming

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2009

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This book is a curious and interesting blend of insights that sometimes resembles a rambling set of memories of a 90-year old man and at other times resembles the wise reflections of a scientist that no longer has any vested interests in being careful or political. This book will probably be of interest to those who are looking for insights on global warming. However, in that sense, this is a difficult book to categorize. On the one hand, Lovelock seems to espouse many of the doubts that global warming skeptics hold such as the inability of climate models to make accurate predictions, the religion-like nature of global warming belief and the fact that carbon reduction schemes are more economic opportunities than realistic ways of preventing global warming. On the other hand, Lovelock is even more pessimistic about global warming than what is usually portrayed as the official stance of global warming researchers. Not only does he believe global warming is happening, he believes it is happening more quickly and to a bigger degree than official estimates admit. Along the way, he shows a good deal of respect for some of the more well-known climatologists such as James Hansen, Stephen Schneider and Wallace Broecker.

Lovelock's perspective, of course, comes from his espousal of the idea of Gaia, or in other words, that the Earth is a living system that self-regulates. This book, once again, covers some of the history of this perspective as well as implications of it. Many of these are interesting to read and provide a different way of looking at both global warming and environmental issues in general. Lovelock's basic outlook here is that global warming is happening, that it is basically unstoppable at this point and that we need to start thinking in terms of how we will adapt to live in a world that is much warmer and has much less habitable and productive land. He envisions certain areas being like lifeboats that support a much reduced population.

This book provides a valuable and thought-provoking look at global warming which doesn't conform perfectly to either the pro-warming or skeptical side. It is a difficult outlook to accept for anyone who is staunchly defensive of either of these two "sides" of the popular global warming debate, but for anyone with an open mind on the issue, it offers some interesting perspectives that may suggest some hard realities that will need to be faced. Lovelock seems to believe that Gaia theory has been successful in real-world predictions and that a different take on climate modeling suggests something different than the official climate models. If he's right, we probably won't have to wait too much longer for confirmation. In any case, this book is a valuable addition to the somewhat saturated discourse on global warming.

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R. Bono

Important Reading

Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2009

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This book has a helpful perspective in assessing the growing dangers of global warming. Lovelock is a scientist...whose career began as a specialist in chemical intrusions into the environment...and continued to evolve as planetary scientist at JPL in California and in Houston. This book goes beyond his early specialty scientific work to focus upon the "big picture" physics of the planet. It's a perspective that goes beyond solely anthropocentric derived concerns. For this reason, it has the potential to be irritating...and even unacceptable...to some early 21st century readers.

To my mind, this is a all the more reason to read it and understand its message.

When the Challenger exploded, Richard Feynman, the Nobel laureate on the study panel, eschewed esoteric specialized explanations for the catastrophe, by focusing upon the contraction of the Challenger's o-rings in ice water. The failure of a complex system like Challenger...as the earth system Lovelock has named, Gaia...could be explained by something as simple as the contraction of the o-ring material in a glass of iced water. Similarly, James Lovelock cuts to the quick concerning the planet's ocean system...and the physics of the continuing melting at the poles...and in fact for 97% of the earth's glaciers.

Whenever, due to greenhouse gases...especially carbon dioxide...ice melts and open water is exposed, 80% of heat is absorbed, instead of reflected. This additional heating then accelerates ocean heating...as once ice melts it's 60 times easier to raise its temperature. It's what's called a positive feedback loop. Except, for one little thing....It's decidedly a negative for humanity.

As this science is fundamentally being accepted by the IPCC, Lovelock then proceeds to connect the dots in a way that the IPCC does not. Lovelock, James Hansen of NASA, and other prominent climate scientists have given their warnings. Locklock in this book, and Hansen in his assertion that 350 ppm must be maintained, in order to avoid the Gaia earth system from flipping to a new equilibrium, at an average mean temperature not to our liking...and in fact, threatening the survival of our civilization. Modern society shows no signs of effectively acting on this most crucial issue. The fact that the Gaia earth system's history demonstrates that this change of equilibrium can be quite abrupt, adds urgency to his warning.

He then ruminates, not only on the negative effects of the increased specialization of science....but also, on the flaws in the modern environmental movement itself. He finds them both wanting.

One of the points I find great sympathy with, is his stance on nuclear power. Though I live but six miles "as the crow flies" from Three Mile Island, I completely agree that the fear mongering regarding nuclear power has been an enormous burden on the truth. Lovelock explodes these myths effectively with several telling examples. Nuclear does not produce greenhouse gases...and storage is not the bogeyman all too many environmentalists assert. Good for James Lovelock.

What he does assert several times, is that the population of the planet, at seven billion and rising, is insupportable for habitable equilibrium...at the high level of culture of advanced countries....no less millions of third-worlders with the same aspirations. In this, he is quite sanguine in his quite correct assessment. He does not expect this historic population surge to cease anytime soon....certainly not in the 20 year span that Jim Hansen proposes. In one swoop, he calls into question the Sisyphean economic imperative of most governments and corporations, to service these growing masses....as well as the many religious scruples associated with population restraint. Good for James Lovelock.

He then takes Lincoln's dictum..."He has a right to criticize who has a heart to help."...to its conclusion, by surveying the possible interventions (and their possible side effects), to delay global warming, while humanity takes to time to reorganize itself to be good stewards of the planet....a term itself, he considers inadequate, and often applied unwisely, in its early 21st century iterations. And there will many such dead-end iterations...including skyscraper farming now being proposed for New York City. How exactly humanity reorganizes its settlement patterns, will be highly dependent upon a flurry of factors, some of which can only be imagined at this point, but the need for planning the reorganization of the world will become apparent, Lovelock posits.

In fact, in spite of this scientist's search for solutions, his realistic assessment is that the physics of warming has already gone too far for a happy conclusion. To him, it's more likely that the Gaia earth system will find a new equilibrium from 6 to 8 degrees hotter than today...a condition that James Hansen, of NASA describes as guaranteeing "a different planet".

It's this pessimistic side of his thesis, which leads him to envision how a new civilization, fully informed through experience, might evolve. In the end for Lovelock, it's his love of the living earth...Gaia, the Greek goddess of the earth...to which humanity must aspire. More than its dominance through force or economics, it is love for Gaia, the earth system, Lovelock proposes...as much as love of ourselves. It's a love, he urges to be put at the center of human civilization itself. In the end, this, he thinks, is the prudent way to honor the dignity of human life...to see ours as one part...the intelligent part...of the ever evolving whole earth system.

I was inclined to like to book and support its thesis, from my following of the work of James Hansen. As I said earlier, some readers might find this work bogus. Certainly James Lovelock has been criticized by scientists...some of whom see his thesis as not rigorous enough.

However, what is rigorous, is that their computer models on ocean rise have been off by 60%....that is, 60% short of reality. The report card of science will be its measure of the real world...not the cloistered laboratory. It's to this real world, that James Lovelock and James Hansen, and other highly qualified climate scientists, refer...and warn us about. In fact, this book is Lovelock's final warning.

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Helen Dipling

ok

Reviewed in Germany on October 11, 2020

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Einwandfreie Abwicklung, interessantes Buch

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Shaheed Khan

A classic; Mr. Lovelock takes you on a ...

Reviewed in India on September 30, 2016

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A classic; Mr. Lovelock takes you on a roller coaster ride. My partner and I discuss the concepts and try to get to the deeper meaning of the world. A must for everyone

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Koke

Reviewed in Spain on November 8, 2015

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Cualquier obra de Lovelock sobre Gaia es 100% recomendable. Sigue aportando datos para intentar remediar la realidad del cambio climático...

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S. Henley

Essential reading: a book to read and acted upon

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 23, 2009

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This is without doubt the most frightening book that I have ever read. Not because the author is peddling green propaganda - but because he isn't. It is written in a very urbane and personal style, and Lovelock almost goes out of his way to avoid sensationalism. However, his stark message is that global heating is happening, that the cause is unequivocally humankind, and there's virtually nothing we can now do to stop it. We are on an ever steeper slippery slope. The primary cause is simply that there are too many people on the planet (about half of all human-generated greenhouse gas emission is caused simply by our existence - our breathing, eating, and other biological activity, plus those of our pets and livestock). This makes nonsense of any long range emission reduction targets for 2020 or 2050 which are unachievable without drastic reduction in the total numbers of people.

Lovelock points out that observational data show the world is heating up faster than the most pessimistic scenario from the IPCC models. He makes it crystal clear why the IPCC, even though it includes many excellent individual scientists among its membership, is incapable of presenting a model which actually bears any relationship with what is really happening. Consensus reached through a fundamentally political process is not a mechanism that will ever achieve scientific truth.

The message is not wholly pessimistic, though. There are actions that we can take - and urgently should take - to slow this headlong rush to catastrophe even if we cannot halt or reverse it. Wholesale transition from fossil fuels to other sources of energy is necessary but not sufficient. He argues well the folly of wind power as even a partial solution, while enthusiastically supporting nuclear power. His clear presentation of the facts combined with his independence from the 'nuclear lobby' and from any green pressure group lend authority to his statements.

Lovelock also examines the prospects for various geo-engineering options though accepts that none are likely to be able to reverse global heating, and that none are risk-free. He identifies the burial of elemental carbon ('bio-char') as by far the most promising - but like all else, it will not happen unless there is a serious commitment and concerted effort. Similarly, the industrial synthesis of food and fuel from inorganic ingredients (mainly CO2 and water), using nuclear power as an energy source, would have added benefits of reducing our demand for agricultural land and taking CO2 out of the system.

This is a book not only to be read but to be acted upon. Although private individuals can and should do whatever they can, many actions can be taken only at governmental level. Business, driven by short-term profit motives, cannot be expected to do anything without appropriate carrot-and-stick measures. It is vital, therefore, that our decision-makers read, understand, and accept the obligation that is theirs to ensure a long term future for humankind as an important component of our living planet. Procrastination or lip-service are nothing but death sentences for humanity.

25 people found this helpful

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ラヴロックの遺言 ?

Reviewed in Japan on August 8, 2009

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　本書は著者の前著 “The Revenge of Gaia”の続編とも言うべきで，今回は最後の警告と副題に掲げています．齢すでに90 を超す著者にすればこれが辞世だと思ったのでしょう．彼は1979年に“GAIA ' A New Look at Life on Earth”を書いて以来，アラームを鳴らし続けてきました．本のカバーにはガイアの顔写真がありますが，心なしかその顔は傷つき，無残に見えます．人間が壊したのです．ラヴロックは，地球のエコシステムを一つに統合する有機体の存在を考え，それをガイアと名づけました．ガイアは女神，ギリシャ神話に登場してこの大地，地球を指します．ガイアは自己調節能力をもち，多少の環境の変化にも対応して恒常性を保つことができます．大気の温度が上がれば下げようと，二酸化炭素が増えれば下げようとして，です．地球の大気や海洋の組成が長い間，ほとんど変わらなかったのはガイアが元気に生きてきたからだと，彼は考えます．しかし，多くの科学者は，ガイア説はノンサイエンスだと見なして認めようとしませんでした．そんな一人に分子生物者リチャード・ドーキンスがいます．彼は持ち前の説得力でガイアを幻想と冷笑し，神学の領域と断じました．煽りをくったラヴロックは一時期Natureなど有力雑誌への投稿に支障を来したと述懐しています．
　ヒトはかってはガイアの一部に組み込まれていました．しかし火を使うようになってヒトは人間になり，ガイアの破壊の側に回りました．人間が欲望の赴くままにガイアを苦しめ続けていれば，やがてわれわれは復讐され，この文明はおろかわれわれの存続さえ危うくなると---．前著ではその時期は今世紀中で，早ければ今世紀半ばで決定的なダメージを受け，もう元に戻らないと言いました．しかし，北極海の氷の溶ける速度が予測より早く，このまま融解が進めば２０年後には氷は消失すると本書にあります．そのとき大気の熱化は抜き差しならぬ段階に達し，人間は水と食料の不足に追い込まれると警告します．温暖化などと言うような悠長な話ではありません．飢えと渇きが人類を襲うのです．この期に及んでわれわれは知性と理性を維持することができるでしょうか．彼の警告を直に聞いて下さい．格調高い英文ですが，苦労してでも読む価値があると思いますので英語にお慣れの方々に推薦します．

The Revenge of Gaia

2013−06-20 追記
夏目漱石の随筆集＜思いだす事など＞61頁に次の記載があります．

ドイツのフェヒナーは19世紀中頃既に地球その物に意識の存すべき所以を説いた．石と土とあらがねに霊があるというならば，あるとするを妨げる自分ではない．しかしせめてこの仮定から出立して，地球の意識とは如何なる性質のものであろう位の想像はあって然るべきだと思う．

この記述が事実ならフェヒナーはJames Lovelockの先駆者になります．注解によるとフェヒナーは，Fechner,Gustav Theodor（1801-1910）で，ドイツの哲学書です．実験心理学の祖とあります．漱石は1910 年にフェヒナーに注目して地球の意識を考えている．その先見の明に私は驚きました．

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