Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-276) and index.

Global warming is the story of the 21st-century. It is the most serious issue facing the future of humankind, and American energy and environmental policy is driving the whole world down the path of global catastrophe. This book is nothing less than a wake-up call to the country. It is a searing critique of American environmental and energy policy and a passionate call to action by a writer with a unique command of the science and politics of climate change. We have ten years, at most, to start making sharp cuts to our greenhouse gas emissions or we will face catastrophic consequences. The good news is that there is something we can do--but only if the leadership of the U.S. government acts immediately and asserts its influence on the rest of the world--in particular such emerging powers as China and India--to join an international effort to stop global warming. Joseph Romm lays out a plan of action that involves: reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by midcentury; adopting a California-style energy-efficiency effort nationwide; and embracing high-mileage, advanced "hybrid" cars that run on both electricity and biofuels. Unfortunately, the required government policies and spending are strongly opposed by conservatives, who have blocked serious action on climate change and continue to publicly deny the dire warnings of scientists. Never before has there been such a sharp divergence between what top scientists know and what policymakers, the general public, and the media believe. And, sadly, never has so much been at stake. Offering an authoritative dissection of this disastrous policy, Romm goes beyond ideological rhetoric to offer pragmatic solutions to avert the threat of global warming--solutions that must be taken seriously by every American.--Book jacket.

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