Red Sky at Morning and over 360,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
110 used & new from $2.92
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
X
Red Sky at Morning: America and the Crisis of the Global Environment, Second Edition (Yale Nota Bene)
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading Red Sky at Morning on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Red Sky at Morning: America and the Crisis of the Global Environment, Second Edition (Yale Nota Bene) (Paperback)

~ Professor James Gustave Speth (Author) "We live in the twenty-first century, but we live with the twentieth century..." (more)
Key Phrases: climate disruption, global environmental governance, global environmental challenges, United States, United Nations, Kyoto Protocol (more...)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
List Price: $16.00
Price: $10.88 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $5.12 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 5 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 10? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
35 new from $9.47 74 used from $2.92 1 collectible from $16.00

Also Available in:

 List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
Kindle Edition (Kindle Book)   $9.99  
Hardcover $24.00 $24.00 134 used & new from $0.34
Library Binding (2 Reprint) $25.00 $25.00 Order it used!

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability by Professor James Gustave Speth

Red Sky at Morning: America and the Crisis of the Global Environment, Second Edition (Yale Nota Bene) + The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability
Price For Both: $23.12

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Global Environmental Politics (Dilemmas in World Politics)

Global Environmental Politics (Dilemmas in World Politics)

by Pamela S. Chasek
5.0 out of 5 stars (3)  $29.05
Paths to a Green World: The Political Economy of the Global Environment

Paths to a Green World: The Political Economy of the Global Environment

by Jennifer Clapp
3.5 out of 5 stars (2)  $17.92
Global Environmental Governance: Foundations of Contemporary Environmental Studies (Foundations of Contemporary Environmental Studies Series)

Global Environmental Governance: Foundations of Contemporary Environmental Studies (Foundations of Contemporary Environmental Studies Series)

by James Gustave Speth
4.0 out of 5 stars (1)  $19.75
Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization (Substantially Revised)

Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization (Substantially Revised)

by Lester R. Brown
4.6 out of 5 stars (30)  $11.53
Fallout: The Environmental Consequences of the World Trade Center Collapse

Fallout: The Environmental Consequences of the World Trade Center Collapse

by Juan Gonzalez
4.8 out of 5 stars (5)  $13.95
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this timely book, Speth, dean of the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, sounds the alarm on the seriousness of the global environmental crisis. Although he contends that it is not too late to avert disaster, he stresses that we are running out of time and that we can't afford to let current trends continue. He acknowledges that there have been a few hopeful developments, such as the ban on ozone-depleting chemicals around the world, but overall, he argues that little has been accomplished by a plethora of international conferences, negotiations, action plans and treaties. The failure, for which he says the U.S. must take much of the blame, stems from a focus on the symptoms rather than on the underlying causes of environmental degradation, such as population size, affluence and technology. He underscores the necessity of achieving sustainability-living off nature's income rather than consuming its capital-and lists eight transitions that are necessary to redefine and redirect growth on a global level. Speth, co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council, founder of the World Resources Institute and an adviser on environmental issues for presidents Carter and Clinton, is well qualified to present a wake-up call on the environment in this thorough and reasoned book. Unfortunately, his somewhat dry recital of the facts may put off some potential readers-that is, today's youth. In a final and particularly useful chapter, he lists organizations and Web-based resources.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


From Booklist

*Starred Review* To be effective, call-to-action books about environmental issues must strive for balance. They must sound the alarm, Silent Spring-style, loudly enough to get readers motivated (i.e., frightened); but, on the other hand, they must remain optimistic enough to prevent feelings of futility from morphing into lethargy, no easy task when the environmental damage is immense and its scale global. It also helps to include specific suggestions for action. This book meets all of those challenges beautifully. Although the environmental movement, since the 1960s, has raised much consciousness and cleaned up much pollution, its methods fail against gigantic problems we cannot see until it is too late, like global warming. Nor, says Speth, will our current hodgepodge of treaties and international protocols even come close to preventing some truly horrible things in the near future, like the complete disappearance of maple trees from the Northeast.With concise statistics, bulleted lists, and the calm professionalism of an oncologist, the author is sympathetic to our civilization's economic needs but firm in prescribing some pretty serious lifestyle changes. Brendan Driscoll
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Yale University Press; 2 edition (March 11, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0300107765
  • ISBN-13: 978-0300107760
  • Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #332,784 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

James Gustave Speth
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's James Gustave Speth Page
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
We live in the twenty-first century, but we live with the twentieth century. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
climate disruption, global environmental governance, global environmental challenges, perverse subsidies, eight transitions, international environmental law, global environmental protection, environmental treaties, abrupt climate change, climate risks, sustainable consumption
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, United Nations, Kyoto Protocol, Montreal Protocol, European Union, World Wildlife Fund, Earth Day, Rio Earth Summit, World Bank, Gulf Stream, World War, Clean Air Act, Environmental Defense, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York Times, United Kingdom, Conference of the Parties, Earth Charter, Environmental Protection Agency, Law of the Sea, North Atlantic, Third World, World Conservation Union, Business Week, Global Environment Facility
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100 books:
See all 100 books this book cites

Books on Related Topics (learn more)
 
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Red Sky at Morning: America and the Crisis of the Global Environment, Second Edition (Yale Nota Bene)
76% buy the item featured on this page:
Red Sky at Morning: America and the Crisis of the Global Environment, Second Edition (Yale Nota Bene) 4.6 out of 5 stars (12)
$10.88
The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability
17% buy
The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability 4.6 out of 5 stars (18)
$12.24
Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization (Substantially Revised)
3% buy
Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization (Substantially Revised) 4.6 out of 5 stars (30)
$11.53
Red Sky at Morning: A Novel (Perennial Classics)
2% buy
Red Sky at Morning: A Novel (Perennial Classics) 4.8 out of 5 stars (41)
$9.36
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(3)
(3)
(2)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars More JAZZ..., August 30, 2004
By Friederike Knabe (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
This review is from: Red Sky at Morning: America and the Crisis of the Global Environment (Hardcover)
You may wonder what jazz could possibly have to do with "The Global Crisis of the Environment"! Speth introduces a new term, "JAZZ", to explain one of three possible scenarios for environmental governance frameworks. The concept, developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, describes an approach to solving global environmental challenges. Like musical jazz, it uses a multitude of diverse and "unscripted" initiatives, based on creativity, flexibility and involving a wide range of players. The good news, Speth insists, is that, increasingly, JAZZ is being played around the world - decentralized and voluntary. Activities are being driven by environmental and consumer and other citizens' groups, supported or at least "facilitated" by governments. Businesses, recognizing advantages in these developments, now participate in growing numbers and developing new partnerships. Expanding and multiplying JAZZ is one of the promising trends that can move us towards an "environmental revolution". Nothing short of it, Speth is convinced, will save our planet.

In recent years, scientists, environmentalists and policy makers have learned that, solving the problems of the planet in a sustainable way requires an integrated - "ecosystem" - approach. Results have been slow and efforts must dramatically accelerate. Steps to reduce our ecological human footprint have to be augmented by the adoption of "ecological economics". A long term goal will see the economy serve primarily the advancement of human development and environmental sustainability. It will no longer remain an end in itself. New "compacts" with all sectors of society and the governments in the North and in the South will be struck.

Speth does not come to his somewhat optimistic outlook lightly and he remains cautious as to its success. Based on decades of experience in the environmental field, both in the US and as part of the UN system, he submits one of the most comprehensive analyses of the environmental challenges and dangers one can find today. Filled with facts, figures, and carefully sourced, he paints a devastating picture of the state of the earth's environment. He urges us to face up to "ten drivers of environmental degradation". Added to the environmental impact of population size, affluence and technology (IPAT) are such fundamental problems as poverty, market and political failures. Complementing this examination is his excellent analysis of the inadequate international governmental efforts so far to reach global agreements on environmental protection. He exposes the weaknesses of such compromise treaties as the UN Convention on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification that lack "teeth" in terms of binding protocols. He deplores the withdrawal of the current US administration from international agreements, particularly the Kyoto Protocol. He acknowledges the European leadership at this time in environmental protection and challenges America to take back the role of leader that it had earlier.

For each of the environmental degradation drivers he suggests concrete transition strategies. The most fundamental of the transitions required, he stresses, and probably the most difficult to achieve fast, is the shift in our consciousness. He commends steps already under way in some of the areas, such as slowing population growth, or reducing the use of pollutants, such as DDT and PCBs. While these are vital steps, Speth cautions that they will be far from sufficient. Hence the call for an environmental revolution and the establishment of a new institution with the mandate to "manage the global environment".
In his recommendations for future strategies, he argues that an institutional approach based on international environmental law - the second scenario - GEOpolity - might work in combination with JAZZ, and if enforced by binding international treaties. The third scenario - FROG, [First Raise Our Growth] - he completely discards as not only ineffectual but also endangering our future. This scenario will lead, he contends, to wrecking our environment and our global society. After having followed his in-depth review of the impacts of current laissez-faire attitudes, you will probably agree with him.

While he addresses economic globalization's impact on the environment, he avoids challenging the role of the big transnational corporations. The food and pharmaceutical sectors could well represent major stumbling blocks. He deliberately remains within the market economy, convinced that the changes needed can be realized within the current systems.

Speth's RED SKY AT MORNING is a vital book. His style is clear and personable. The book is well structured and indexed so that readers can find specific topics easily. While at times focusing heavily on the American audience, the book is important for readers from around the world. His resource guide for citizens underlines his conviction that progress will rely heavily on environmental and consumer groups, scientists, the media and enlightened business people - all part of civil society. [Friederike Knabe, Ottawa Canada]
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, but really more a textbook than action guide, November 7, 2004
By S. A. Felton (southern OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Red Sky at Morning: America and the Crisis of the Global Environment (Hardcover)
For a book whose main chapters comprise little more than 200
pages, "Red Sky At Morning" is amazingly comprehensive. Written by a
high-level environmentalist in the Carter Administration, (perhaps the
last Administration that really cared about such things), the book
covers many aspects of the environmental state/crisis we are in,
in a style that is always concise, usually with the right amount
of detail (at times too much about policies!), and yet engaging at
the same time.

Because of the author's involvement with environmental
causes from the movement's outset in the late 1960's-early 70's,
the book provides a nice history of the enviromental movement as
well as a deep analysis of problems and solutions that have
worked or not worked. One interesting and obvious point brought out
is that at the beginning the environmental movement could focus on
national issues like pollution and power generation, while inevitably
with globalization the issues have become far more serious, complex,
and contentious. The many successes obtained by the hard-working people
on the national level, aided greatly by the public's outcry for sounder
policies (which today has amazingly deteriorated into widespread apathy),
are much harder to come by on an international level, obviously because
of conflicts with issues like the need for endless economic growth as
well as national sovereignty. And yet we are reminded in the book that
when scientists announced the serious degradation of the ozone layer,
largely by CFC's, the world did unite in the 1980's Montreal Protocol to
relatively quickly take very effective action, such that it appears that
the ozone layer will restore itself by mid-century.

Thus "Red Sky" provides a thorough analysis of the problems we face
today, as well as models and solutions. The author feels that while
there is hope, it is almost too late to effectively resolve the mass of
complex issues of this potentially planetary "holocaust." Yet in the
chapter "Attacking the Root Causes" he provides a very well-thought out
list of eight "transitions to sustainability," such as lowering the
population, reducing poverty by 1/2 by 2015, and creating environmentally
benign technologies. In the chapter entitled "The Most Fundamental
Transition Of All," he discusses what activists like F. Capra wrote
about years ago, the "paradigm shift" to "eco-feminism," working with
and caring for nature rather than conquering it. [I noted my own former
idealism that has turned in part to cynicism as I read this chapter!]

Yet "Red Sky" is really not directed at individuals acting alone
or even in small groups. Its main focus is clearly to reach ingtelligent,
young people who might want to major in environmental studies, and
secondarily open-minded policy makers. Many sections have detailed
policy proposals and guidelines, which is not surprising given the
author's involvement with both governmental departments as well as
NGO's (non-governmental organizations). While I found the many pages
devoted to policy issues very useful in understanding both the way these
organizations work and how intricate the relationships among large-scale
entities must be, I prefer books that are more oriented to individuals and
small organizations, since that is my own orientation. Yet NGO's like WWF
and EDF may be our best hope, and many of them do work on international
issues.

Two areas the author does not cover as well as others are the new fuel
sources like hydrogen (though p. 158 is good), and he also does not mention
organizations like the bioneers whose members have been working on sustainable
solutions since the first warnings about the environment were sounded years
ago, and have devised in many cases very well-thought out (and at deep levels)
solutions to a surprisingly large number of the environmental problems we face
today (he does cite A. Lovins and P. Hawkins, who are assoc. with the group).
And precisely the political process, which the author has been a part of,
has surely been a very strong force against implementing the solutions of
these "anti-establishment" groups, due to obvious money issues.

One book (or at least a web visit) I'd strongly recommend is from p. 160,
the work of Wm. McDonough ("Cradle to Cradle").

The last chapter (available at the book's website for download) is a
mind-boggling compendium of books and web sites (information overload
squared!) which cover the eight transitions to sustainability discussed so
well in the book.

While the author and many reviewers think that it is almost too late
to "save" the environment, I see a lot of positive because of the large
numbers of people and organizations working so diligently to create the
balance we so clearly need between using resources wisely and providing
sustainable lives for the world's enormous population. With public awareness
and a change in politics (when?!), things will improve environmentally.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Ms. Carson, meet Mr. Speth, May 7, 2004
By Donald McLeod (Antioch, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Red Sky at Morning: America and the Crisis of the Global Environment (Hardcover)
This book deserves ten stars.
It is more important than the sacrosanct Silent Spring. It is impossible to overstate this book's importance. Heard about any melting polar ice lately? I wish the author had published initially in both hardcover and paperback to get it more widely disseminated.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Red Sky at Morning

James Gustave Speth in his book, Red Sky at Morning, focuses on the subject of global warming in four sections: Environmental Challenges Go... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Matthew Olson

3.0 out of 5 stars environmental crisis?
That there is a global environmental crisis is indisputable, and the first part of the book gives much relevant statistics: the rates of desertification, deforestation, the... Read more
Published on January 14, 2007 by Ilya

5.0 out of 5 stars Serious threat to profits! Sure pal, anything you say.
A gripping book. Yes..ANOTHER global warming book..but it does link habitat loss, ocean health and sustainability all together similar to Paul and Ann Ehrlich's "One With... Read more
Published on September 16, 2006 by Tunnelpet

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book to Share
I agree with every good thing said about this book in the eight Amazon readers' reviews below. I have read a great many of the books about our planetary crisis over the years. Read more
Published on April 23, 2006 by George C. Stone

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
This is an outstanding volume. Informative and well written, it stands alone but also goes especially well with volumes that offer more detail on the nitty gritty of global... Read more
Published on March 7, 2006 by Samuel Johson

5.0 out of 5 stars Understand the facts and change apathy into action...
At little more than 200 pages (of primary text), this important book is hardly a boring textbook. In a concise manner, it explains what exactly is going on in the world today. Read more
Published on December 15, 2005 by just_another_bibliophile

5.0 out of 5 stars Speth shows the way forward
Speth's book is one of the best books about the environment, and after a year of being out there should now be treated as a standard for the solutions it provides. Read more
Published on December 12, 2005 by Martin H. Dickinson

5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling read, with an abundance of citizen resources
To add to the other reviews, I would emphasize that "Red Sky at Morning" is a great read for just about anyone, whether it's your first or your fiftieth book about environmental... Read more
Published on November 30, 2004 by A. Tobey

5.0 out of 5 stars "We are not powerless . . . "
Readers are often intimidated by the challenges presented by climate change. That's an understandable reaction. Read more
Published on September 1, 2004 by Stephen A. Haines

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:


















i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.