Thomas Friedman is well-known for his book, The World is Flat. His 2008 work, Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution – And How it Can Renew America, is insightful and provocative. If the global economy and U.S. election were not the two biggest topics in the media, I am certain that Friedman’s latest book would receive more coverage in the press. Hot, Flat, and Crowded is about the need for a Green Revolution. More than 400 pages in length, it is not a light read. If you don’t have time to read a book of this length, seriously consider the CD or MP3 version. If that’s not an option, borrow the book and read the first and last chapters.
Sometime ago, I wrote about the President’s Climate Commitment initiative. I stated that I thought it was the right thing to do even though I wasn’t sure that carbon neutrality was achievable in the near term. Friedman’s premise is that reducing our carbon footprint is the right thing to do for our children and that waiting twenty or thirty more years to start conservation efforts will be too late.
Friedman’s travels take the reader around the world looking at the consequences of global warming, the perverse incentives of commerce in developing countries, and the “head in the sand” attitudes of our politicians. He makes a case that we (the United States) are in a position to drive behavior by our actions related to energy conservation and just as importantly, would be in a position to financially benefit through developing standards and technologies that could be sold world-wide.
Friedman does not believe that consumers and businesses can drive this movement without the assistance of the government and policies that would incentivize reducing energy consumption. His comments regarding the political influence of “Big Oil” and “Coal Interests” are interesting. His insights regarding instances where governments have influenced the development of greener technologies or reduced energy consumption are positive examples of what can be accomplished from a policy perspective. California has been the most progressive example of this in the U.S. and Germany and Japan have been aggressive leaders of green policies outside the U.S. Surprisingly, Friedman cites some of the accomplishments in China which is often cited for its massively polluted air and environment, symptoms of China’s unrelenting quest to industrialize.
A sobering chapter is entitled “Global Weirding.” It’s about climate change and some of it is factual and some of it is speculative. Friedman interviews more than a few scientists with impressive credentials whose perspectives on our climate are not optimistic. While there are other scientists who may classify Friedman’s sources as overly pessimistic, it is difficult to read this chapter and not want to have a more serious national dialogue on the environment and our efforts to “green up”.
Friedman concludes by stating that “the Energy-Climate Era has the obligation to make sure there is a stable planet for all species – and an opportunity for America to renew and regenerate itself.” He calls for our generation to be known as the “Re-generation” and states that leadership needs to be created and pushed forward on this issue.
I am not an expert on the environment or even someone who dabbles in it as a hobby. I am, however, concerned about the environmental legacy that we will leave to our children. Friedman’s book is an excellent place to start for an overview of the issues, their global and domestic complexity, examples of successful initiatives, and an idea for how to push for future initiatives and successes.
