DavidWeisman's Full Review: Ross Gelbspan - Boiling Point
If you're only going to read one book on global warming, this probably shouldn't be it. This book isn't primarily about global warming. The subtitle above the main title is accurate - it's about how politicians, oil and coal companies, journalists and the reduced expectations of activists have affected the campaign to fight global warming. It focuses on events since 1998, after the publication of the author's previous book.
A Touch of Science
This book cites some scientists who have talked about the dangers of global warming. It doesn't explain their reasoning, even to the limited extent a book on science aimed at non scientists can do so. It talks about some of the potential future consequences of global warming. It also talks about events in the recent past which it attributes to global warming. While scientists have indeed stated that wild weather swings could result from global warming, the author of this book is much more comfortable tying individual catastrophes to global warming than are scientists who have spoken on the issue.
Follow The Money
This book has a great deal of information about how the various groups opposing action on Global Warming were and are funded. Gelbspan traces the shift from the coal lobby to ExxonMobil, and I believe most of the information is not controversial.
The Bush Administration
There's an entire chapter about how the Bush administration tried to prevent any mandatory action on climate change even after they half heartedly acknowledged it, and the subject comes up in the rest of the book as well. He also writes about Senator Imofe and others who have a financial relationship with the fossil fuel industries.
The Media
Ross Gelbspan writes about the media as well, suggesting that their efforts to be even handed have actually given viewers and readers a disproportionate view of the tiny number of real scientists who agree with the skeptics.
Overall
This book has some useful information for those studying not science but global warming deniers. Unfortunately it leaves readers unprepared to confront the actual arguments of the better informed global warming deniers. Someone new to the issue who was persuaded might be easy prey, having only heard a fragmentary version of one side of the issue. It might possibly increase the enthusiam of someone who already knew about the subject. By presenting information on the deniers, but no information at all on errors of people who have studied global warming, he may be setting up people preparing for a debate for a fall.
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