Suggested Discussion Outline

[The Gurneys]

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1. Compare the tone and approach of Klein with last month’s book, “The Sixth Extinction” by Elizabeth Kolbert.

2. What beliefs and world views underlie climate change denial according to Klein? Do you find her analysis persuasive? Helpful?

3. Are you persuaded that the threat of climate chaos changes everything?

4. What actions does Klein support? Are these feasible in the time available?

5. Are there governmental actions to slow carbon emissions that could be put in effect rapidly in the US? Federal legislation seems unlikely this year. President Obama has recently begun to try administrative measures, mainly through the EPA. However, the Supreme Court recently blocked one of these, the Clean Power Plan that aims to reduce carbon emissions from US power plants. The Court said he must first wait for, and hope for, a favorable judicial review that might take place in June, 2016 at the earliest. Is there any alternative to a slow judicial review of each plan? Is there hope for governmental action at state or local levels?

6. If CO2 production is not slowed, if it continues at the present rate, when would major coastal flooding begin? In our lifetimes? In the lifetimes of our children?

7. Klein reviews international politics relevant to the climate change debate. One argument made by some Global South nations or Developing nations is that they deserve equal or fair treatment by developed nations; they are entitled to burn as much fossil fuel as we enjoyed during the last 250 years or so. How could we persuade them to accept a substitute? Give them lots of solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries?

8. When we read “Super Fuel” by Richard Martin, we were persuaded that tho*rium reactors could safely and inexpensively provide electric power in small local facilities. Although this technology was studied in the 1960’s at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, it has not been implemented as far as we know. Could it now make a difference in this time of global crisis?