Customer Reviews

Ecoscam: The False Prophets of Ecological Apocalypse

5 star:		(4)
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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(3)

 

 

Ronald Bailey personifies the environmental scientist's historian providing a detailed analysis of the motives and agendas of apocalyptic environmental "doomsters". In depth discussion of the major environmental disasters dispelling environmental myths. Classifies many environmentalists as 'true believers' taken in the Eric Hoffer derivation of the phrase. Must read for anyone trying to ascertain the salient features of today's popular environmental apocalyspe scenarios and their purveyors.

(1996) This book is overflowing with heavily footnoted evidence that we are being bamboozled by a few groups of zealots out to change the political landscape, even if it means fudging the truth a little here or there. The text is sometimes hard to follow, but only because he throws so many facts at the unsupported arguments of scientists and pseudo-scientists, and especially at scientists operating outside their fields. Butterfly scientist Paul Ehrlich and his wife show up several times, first bemoaning the man-made return of the ice age, then warning us about global warming with equal gravity. Bailey not only shows the illegitimacy of the science used by these apocalyptics, but he exposes their motives as well. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone wishing to ask, "Are you sure? How do we know? Are there no other alternatives?" when confronted with the bewildering plethora of supposedly man-made disasters.

(2004) Of course, nobody is saying, "Do nothing until it's too late." Bailey's point is to wait until you're sure before you act, because acting on false assumptions and/or conclusions may be the quickest way to disaster. The perfect warning against rash action is the Premature Ice Age or Imminent Global Famine scares of the 70s - fortunately, we waited to see the data before acting on those. His other point is that many of the actors cheerleading the various doomsday scenarios are more interested in political outcomes (like nationalizing agriculture and food distribution) than in their stated outcomes (like biodiversity).

By the way:
FACT - asthma has been increasing fastest in places where pollution has been decreasing. This has perplexed the worldwide asthma research community.

FACT - Organic vapours from live trees and methane from naturally rotting vegetation both contribute to "pollution". Trees don't clean air, they convert CO2 into O2.

FACT - Because of tree farms, the paper industry need no longer be dependent on biodiverse forests, so there are more for me to camp in.

FACT - There are more plants and trees in North America today than there were 100 years ago. Proof? Look it up in the Statistical Abstract (acres of forest land), or look at the Mauna Loa CO2 data which swings more widely in each successive year due to the North American winter/summer variance.

FACT - Water vapor is THE single most important contributor to the greenhouse effect, accounting for 98% of it. Thankfully, Richard Lindzen has been able to point that out despite the chorus of government-research-grant-hungry scientists who can't afford to publish neutral or good news for fearing of not getting any more grants.

FACT - Wealth is the single most important determinant of whether a country can survive natural disasters. Within a week of each other, California and Iran each experienced similar sized earthquakes (6.5 and 6.6), but while hardly any property or lives were lost in the much more densely populated California, Iran experienced devastating loss of both life and property.

Yet, despite that last fact, the world's eco-apocalyptics would drive our living standards, technology, and wealth back to levels unseen since the Pleistocene in order avoid various chimeras. The ironic thing is that it is they who are fighting for the status quo, irrationally fearing that we may have to build a sea wall (Holland has been doing this for a while), switch to nuclear power (France gets something on the order of 60% of its power that way), or develop new technologies (horrors!).

This book exposes the flaws and failures of Malthusian ideology. It also exposes the false teachings of ecological doom. Bailey proves that there is no population explosion, no ecology crisis, no global warming, no mineral shortage, and no energy shortage.

This book lays bare what the hardcore environmental movement is really about:MONEY first and foremost and a religion as well.Bailey provides generous quotes so that you can see for yourself just what the new Marxists have in store should they ever ascend to power.As you read the rantings of the wackos and money and power mad lunatics it is abundantly clear that they will deny themselves no tyranny in remaking the world in their own image,should they ever get the chance.The apocalyptic tone taken by the environmentalists is no accident.The more greedy and money hungry leaders of environmentalist organizations realize that the public is not very astute when it comes to science;so it only becomes a matter of getting out the dire predictions courtesy of press conferences and hearings with state and national legislatures to spread whatever disaster scenario they've thought of that week.The media and scientific bodies don't come out unscathed either.Bailey shows a righteous indignation that so many claims of the environmental movement go unchallenged by the mainstream press.And many scientists come out looking like individuals more concerned with getting more grant money than actually engaging in hard science and reporting unbiased facts.This book will outrage and perhaps even shock you.If you do read this expose of the seemy and despicable goings on and the unsavory elements that comprise it you will not watch the news or take the scientists word at face value ever again.This book should be required reading at every high school and college in America.Hopefully a great number of people will read it and pass the word around.

Jeez. I'm looking for a book about recycling and i come across this by accident, and I'm reading the reviews. some for, some against. People, if you are going to state "facts", back them up with references. Seriously, why would anyone reading these reviews take either of your arguments seriously? we have a couple of people saying this book is bs, and a couple of people saying it's great. I can handle people reviewing books and giving their OPINIONS about how well it's written, how it flows, whether it's accessible to non-scholars of the subject matter, etc, but if you're going to debate the actual content of the author's writing or factuality of his statements, for goodness sake, give the casual book searcher forer guy SOMEthing to go on besides your own opinions/rants. I guess I'll have to get this book myself, and check up on the references myself, and form my own opinion myself. If I ever get the chance, maybe I'll post another review of the book and cite some references that either agree or disagree with this book, and just MAYbe someone else will find my opinion which ought to be informed by good reason and factual evidence to be of some use.

11 years later we can see more clearly that this book is bs.

thousands of end notes do not a fact make.

the only folk i see trying to scare us to gain power are the gop cons, and "cons" is a highly appropriate word for them.

i'd give it 0 stars, but the system won't let me.

I am writing a book on tree-sitters protecting trees in the Pacific Northwest.
FACT (from 3 yrs. of observation) None I've seen are paid.

FACT (from revered scientist Jerry Franklin) Old-growth ecosystms are far more diverse than tree plantations.

FACT (From any high school level Earth sceince textbook) Trees help clean polluted air.

FACT (From the New York Times) Since 1980, asthma is up 74% in children. (Becuase of air pollution.)

Well, either I'm yet another brainwashed tree-hugger, or perhaps Mr. Bailey is just trying to make money selling a book full of bull.

And here I thought only Lindzen and Singer could write with such deliberate obfuscation in mind. Hooray for the status quo, let's do nothing until it is too late.