From Publishers Weekly
To free the U.S. of fossil fuel dependency while boosting the economy, we need the kind of visionary leadership that led to the Apollo moon landings in 1969, according to Inslee and Hendricks in this energetic articulation of a clean-energy future. That vision is sadly lacking under the current administration, reports Washington State Congressman Inslee in several caustic sidebars about his contentious energy discussions with President Bush and Vice-President Cheney. His first-person anecdotes lighten this otherwise earnest book, based on initiatives of the Apollo Alliance, an advocacy group and think tank uniting unions, environmental groups and business organizations committed to fostering a green economy. Redesigning the car, investing in solar power, mining wind for power, exploring the nascent technology of wave energy, using energy more efficiently and working clean coal and safe nuclear power into the equation are among the authors' prescriptions. Inslee is primary congressional sponsor of the New Apollo Energy Act and on the Apollo Alliance advisory board; coauthor Hendricks is a member of the alliance's steering committee. A brief foreword by Bill Clinton waxes enthusiastic about the synergy between the book, the alliance and the proposed legislation. (Nov. 2)
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Review
"...a passionate argument for the economic shift the authors say is necessary to ease America into a clean-energy revolution." ― Associated Press
"Representative Inslee is a nuanced thinker and speaker. . . Apollo's Fire is as characteristically rational and up front." ― TreeHugger
"…energetic articulation of a clean-energy future…" ― Publishers Weekly
"The book evokes the national focus on reaching the moon in the 1960s to advocate a comprehensive array of policy and technological solutions." ― Science News
"Apollo's Fire is one of the more comprehensive, balanced, and upbeat books out there now about America's energy situation… It encourages people to think big, while instilling a sense of urgency. It has a message of hope, not futility." ― Toledo Blade
"Apollo's Fire is a ... summons to shake ourselves free from the physical and political corruptions of oil." ― Seattle Times
"Apollo's Fire gets the situation almost exactly right." -- Bill McKibben ― SEED Magazine
"Their vision is true to America's competitive spirit … It is innovation for the improvement of humanity. It is science as stewardship. This is our errand into the wilderness, and it is our obligation to our children and to the global community. Apollo's Fire calls us to our destiny." -- President Bill Clinton, in his foreword to "Apollo's Fire"
"Apollo's Fire is a breath of fresh air and optimism about how America's ingenuity and enterprise can stop climate change. Jay Inslee and Bracken Hendricks provide a rousing call for all of us to protect the environment by using the inspiring stories of people around the country who already are." -- Donna Brazile, political strategist and analyst
"At Virgin, we know you don't get anywhere without vision. Here in Apollo's Fire is the compelling, bold vision in energy the world needs to beat global warming." -- Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of the Virgin Group
"For those of you who want to move beyond the doom and gloom of the global warming dialogue, Apollo's Fire fits the bill. Set in a frame of optimism and urgency, this book thinks big and shows that innovation, curiosity, and imagination already are driving the beginnings of an Apollo-like leap toward necessary solutions. The authors' sweeping and attainable vision for America's energy independence shows we can once again reach for higher goals and succeed." -- Robert Redford, actor and director
"Apollo's Fire is a brilliant, inspiring book on the need to set goals and find future solutions to achieve clean, efficient energy. It is beautifully written, exciting, and hopeful. It's a must read for every American who wants to save the planet." -- Helen Thomas, Hearst Newspapers columnist
"And so Apollo's Fire shares the stories of dozens of dreamers, inventors, scientists and more who are taking global warming seriously, and are doing their part to fight it."
― Olympian
About the Author
Jay Inslee is a Representative in the United States House of Representatives, representing the First District of the State of Washington, in the Seattle area. He is a recognized leader in Congress on energy issues and is the prime sponsor of the New Apollo Energy Act, a comprehensive plan to build a clean energy economy in America. Congressman Inslee was elected in 1998 and serves on the Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He was recently named by Nancy Pelosi to the new House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.
Bracken Hendricks is a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress and former executive director of the Apollo Alliance, an organization of environmental organizations, businesses, and labor organizations dedicated to building a new energy future for America. Mr. Hendricks formerly served as Special Assistant to the Office of Vice President Al Gore and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration where he worked on the Interagency Climate Change Working Group. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Urban Planning from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
