Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis [Paperback]

Al Gore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2009

It is now abundantly clear that we have at our fingertips all of the tools we need to solve the climate crisis. The only missing ingredient is collective will.

Properly understood, the climate crisis is an unparalleled opportunity to finally and effectively address many persistent causes of suffering and misery that have long been neglected, and to transform the prospects of future generations, giving them a chance to live healthier, more prosperous lives as they continue their pursuit of happiness.

Our Choice gathers in one place all of the most effective solutions that are available now and that, together, will solve this crisis. It is meant to depoliticize the issue as much as possible and inspire readers to take action—not only on an individual basis but as participants in the political processes by which every country, and the world as a whole, makes the choice that now confronts us.

There is an old African proverb that says, "If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together."

We have to go far, quickly.

We can solve the climate crisis. It will be hard, to be sure, but if we can make the choice to solve it, I have no doubt whatsoever that we can and will succeed.

—AL GORE, from the introduction

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Nobel laureate Gore is dedicated to one of the most important missions on the planet: educating humankind about the causes and consequences of global warming and offering solutions to the looming crises implicit in the changes to the earth’s climate and habitability that are already well under way. No one is more qualified than Gore to lead the collective movement beyond fossil fuels, given his command of the science and politics involved, his invaluable global connections and resources, and his sensitivity to our reluctance to face the “magnitude and gravity of the climate crisis.” As he did in An Inconvenient Truth (2006), Gore matches clear and ringing explanations and commentary with superb supporting diagrams and illustrations and striking photographs from around the world, documenting the dramatic impacts of human industry and climate change. He begins by providing the straight facts about the sources of the pollutants causing global warming and the disastrous energy inefficiency of our buildings, vehicles, appliances, and industrialized agriculture. Here, too, is the searing truth about the campaign of climate change denial via disinformation and ridicule orchestrated and paid for by oil and coal corporations. But after spending three years convening “solution summits” and assessing the fruits of those productive discussions, Gore turns away from blame and despair and toward answers and encouragement. The result is a veritable catalog for a better world and a practical guide to solar, wind, and geothermal power and smart “super grids,” endeavors China is already pursuing. Gore also eloquently explains how the harnessing of renewable energy sources will solve an entire matrix of global traumas. Our Choice is an inviting and momentous compendium of environmental discovery (with 100 percent of its earnings going to the Alliance for Climate Protection) that addresses one of the greatest threats our species has encountered with intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, and faith in human empowerment. This is a book that should be displayed and talked about everywhere. --Donna Seaman

Review

"In a new book that marks an evolution in his thinking, Al Gore recognizes that the debate over climate change can be more about doing well while doing good."
—John Meachan, Newsweek
 
"Authoritative, exhaustive, reasoned, erudite."
 —Sharon Begley, Newsweek

 

“The clarity of his argument and the fissile power of his analysis combine to elevate Our Choice into the top-ranking environmental books of our time."
 —Financial Times

 

"There is no greater champion of the climate imperative than Al Gore. [He] distills his mastery of the topic into clean, readable prose, and illustrates it with gorgeous glossy photos and accessible -- and eye-opening -- charts. After you read Gore's book, you will see why the choice must be made right now."
 —Huffington Post
 
"Ken-Burns-meets-global-warming, with vivid diagrams of how technologies work and lavish color photos."
—Philadelphia Inquirer
   
"Besides being informative, Our Choice is a truly beautiful book page after page, and I highly recommend it, particularly for those who want a broad overview of the key strategies for preserving a livable climate. This [is] a must-read book for those who want a primer on all the key solutions countries will be considering at Copenhagen."
 —Dr. Joseph Romm, Climateprogress.com
 
"It’s the grand compendium of all that we know about how to undertake this most difficult of transitions. Gore’s new volume is the indispensable one-stop shop for the cutting edge thinking about how we’re going to solve this problem."
 —Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature

 

“No one is more qualified than Gore to lead the collective movement beyond fossil fuels, given his command of the science and politics involved, his invaluable global connections and resources, and his sensitivity to our reluctance to face the ‘magnitude and gravity of the climate crisis.’ As he did in An Inconvenient Truth (2006), Gore matches clear and ringing explanations and commentary with superb supporting diagrams and illustrations and striking photographs from around the world, documenting the dramatic impacts of human industry and climate change… Our Choice is an inviting and momentous compendium of environmental discovery (with 100 percent of its earnings going to the Alliance for Climate Protection) that addresses one of the greatest threats our species has encountered with intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, and faith in human empowerment. This is a book that should be displayed and talked about everywhere.”
—Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books; First Edition edition (November 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594867348
• ISBN-13: 978-1594867347
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Earth Sciences > Climatology

More About the Author

Former Vice President Al Gore is currently the chairman of both
Current TV and Generational Investment Management. He was elected to the
U.S. House of Representatives in 1976 and the U.S. Senate in 1984 and 1990,
and served eight years as vice president of the United States, from 1993 to
2000. He is the author of the 1992 bestseller Earth in the Balance:
Ecology and the Human Spirit. He lives with his wife, Tipper, in
Nashville, Tennessee.