The 2030 Spike: Countdown to Global Catastrophe [Hardcover]

Colin Mason (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2003 | ISBN-10: 1844070182 | ISBN-13: 978-1844070183 | Edition: 1St Edition

The clock is relentlessly ticking! Our world teeters on a knife-edge between a peaceful and prosperous future for all, and a dark winter of death and destruction that threatens to smother the light of civilization. Within 30 years, in the 2030 decade, six powerful 'drivers' will converge with unprecedented force in a statistical spike that could tear humanity apart and plunge the world into a new Dark Age. Depleted fuel supplies, massive population growth, poverty, global climate change, famine, growing water shortages and international lawlessness are on a crash course with potentially catastrophic consequences. In the face of both doomsaying and denial over the state of our world, Colin Mason cuts through the rhetoric and reams of conflicting data to muster the evidence to illustrate a broad picture of the world as it is, and our possible futures. Ultimately his message is clear; we must act decisively, collectively and immediately to alter the trajectory of humanity away from catastrophe. Offering over 100 priorities for immediate action, The 2030 Spike serves as a guidebook for humanity through the treacherous minefields and wastelands ahead to a bright, peaceful and prosperous future in which all humans have the opportunity to thrive and build a better civilization. This book is powerful and essential reading for all people concerned with the future of humanity and planet earth.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Is this a book you can afford to ignore?... Only the foolhardy would surely dare leave it unread on the shelf.' International Affairs 'This is a bold, thought-provoking and ultimately rewarding book, well-researched, full of ideas - and thus a good, all-round primer on the state of the planet.' BBC Wildlife 'Mason believes that within 30 years six factors - depleted fuel supplies, population growth, poverty, famine, water shortages and climate change - will converge to tear humanity apart. And it�s hard to disagree with him.' The Ecologist 'The 2030 Spike is an impressive tour of our current world: from sexual slavery to sailing ships, from malaria to microcredits, from nanotechnology to neopaganism, all the horrors and promises of our troubled Zeitgeist seem to be reflected here.' Resurgence 'This is one of the best examples of a book capturing the essence of sustainability.' International Affairs 'He offers 100 actions that need to be taken immediately to avoid disaster and build a possible better future civilisation' Luce Press Clippings- FUTURIST Bethesda, MD June 2004

About the Author

Colin Mason, a foreign correspondent, broadcaster and SEATO adviser to the Thai Government, was a senator in the Australian Federal Parliament for nine years as deputy leader of the Australian Democrats. He served on the Senate Standing Committee for science and the environment, a select committee on the effects of Agent Orange on Australian servicemen, and the first delegation of the Australian Parliament to China, and initiated the private member's bill that led to the salvation of the Pristine Franklin River in Tasmania. He has published 12 books including the international bestselling novel Hostage and A Short history of Asia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1St Edition edition (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844070182
• ISBN-13: 978-1844070183
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,480,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as pessimistic as the title suggests, February 23, 2005

By 

Bill Godfrey (Mt Stuart, TAS Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 2030 Spike: Countdown to Global Catastrophe (Hardcover)

The title of this book is much more pessimistic than its content. It does catalogue in great detail the range of threats to human society, as well as the failings of the current world order, and advance the thesis that a series of trends are converging towards a major 'crunch' about 2030. However, much of the book is devoted to pointing out that the resources, the technology and the expertise are available to manage most if not all of these issues if only we could get our priorities right. The author, who is a former Senator in the Australian Parliament, puts forward two axioms against which he tests proposals for managing towards a sustainable world.
The 26 chapters cover an enormous range of issues, centering on six drivers that the author identifies, but covering health and education, the family, religion, money and other subjects as well. This provides valuable breadth and understanding of interconnections, but at some expense in terms of depth of analysis of particular issues.
Most of the issues that the author addresses are also covered by many other authors. The value of this book is that it is relatively short, presents the issues clearly, and offers directions which, even if not 'the answer', provide a useful starting point for dialogue and development. 

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars 2003 old data and thinking., September 15, 2011

By 

Mike at the solar home - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The 2030 Spike: Countdown to Global Catastrophe (Hardcover)

Although the general conclusions are often right, the data is now old, and old solutions are no longer valid. Ways of thought that are invalid are still prevalent, like Mason's thinking that it is a direct link between poverty and over-breeding, when in reality it is intelligence. It is already too late for many solutions to ever work, because immediate 2003 steps had to be taken and were not.
The arctic has heated up enough that by 2009 it was reported at the tipping point for methane self-release, for example.
I had erroneously thought that the book was new, and wish I had not bought it. Too much has changed to make the book really of much use.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Catastrophe Countdown, July 4, 2008

By 

keith renick (Peachtree City, Ga. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The 2030 Spike: Countdown to Global Catastrophe (Hardcover)

I liked this little book. It felt good holding it in my hands. The writing style is a little dry. It has some very good chapters and some that will make you a little tired. Overall, Colin Mason has some important points to make. I think he has the year wrong. I don't think things will spike in 2030. I think they will spike by 2020 or 2025. You can be the judge of that because you can buy this book used on Amazon for almost nothing and this book is well worth the postage. Regard, Keith Renick, Peachtree City, Ga.