Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America

about a guy who supported the Iraq war but became a big opponent the moment the going got tough,as happens in most wars. This guy would have surrendered in WW2 after the Phillipines. You can choose to believe the man made global warming hoax,or you can write all day long about green energy,the fact remains until some economical viable solutions,fossil fuels rule. taxing fossil fuels to make them more viable is insane. the world is in a panic as oil falls back to 20 a barrel as it has before. guys like Freidmand,Obama,and Gore can only scream fire in the theater so often. Waste of money.

If you read one book in the new year, it should be Thomas L Friedman's "Hot, Flat, and Crowded". Mr. Friedman really has his act together and newspaper reports from around the world daily validate the author's thesis that without a fundamental change in the treatment of planet earth, our children and grandchildren will have little to inherit except a rapidly decreasing quality of life. This book should be required reading in every high school and college!

When you dive into the latest work of a three time Pulitzer Prize winner, you begin with the question of whether or not the author really has something substantive to contribute, or if they have reached the stage in their literary career where they are simply fulfilling the quota of books they signed up for in their last contract. Yes, I have been burned by the works of big name authors who can garner $27.95 per book.

Hot, Flat and Crowded - Why We Need A Green Revolution - and How It Can Renew America is a work that indicates Friedman remains one of the best thinkers, strategists and authors of our time regarding social policy and geo-political strategy development. Frankly, some authors are gifted in observing and conveying what most people cannot see, hear or comprehend. Friedman does exactly that in this book.

He writes:

"The future does not have to be a Malthusian nightmare -- if we think strategically about how to mitigate what we can, adapt to what we can't, and innovate our ways to new possibilities that right now seem unimaginable. The longer we wait to set out on such a strategic path though, the deeper the pail out of which we will have to climb."[i]

Friedman cares deeply about the current state of the U.S. and it's future. Pay particular attention to this theme in the first chapter entitled, "Where Birds Don't Fly."

The essence of the entire book, embracing the challenge in moving to what he refers to as a Clean Energy System is truly captured in a quote Friedman shares (p.265) from Machiavelli's The Prince:

"It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in introducing a new order of things, because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents -- who have the laws on their side -- and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them. "

Hot, Flat and Crowded is clearly a work that was years in the making. It is a clarion call to action.Honestly, it, in my opinion, is Friedman's best book. It is in my top 5 for 2008. Finally, I am reminded of a quote from another author that is poignant as it relates to the impact of this work:

"We need voices of dissent that point to another way, creative models that take exception to the givens of society. Obviously, prophetic simplicity runs the risk of excess; but the danger is no greater than the excess of the status quo."(ii)

A tremendous contribution. Thank you Mr. Friedman.

NOTES:

[i] Friedman, Thomas A. Hot, Flat & Crowded- Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America, Copyright © 2008 Farrar, Straus & Giroux New York, NY p. 49.

[ii]Foster, Richard J. Freedom of Simplicity, HarperSanFrancisco, San Francisco, CA Copyright 1981 by Richard J. Foster, p. 135

I agree that we need to cut down on energy consumption. The problem with all of this legislation on "Climate Change" (Changed from Global Warming since the latest studies show we have been cooling since 1998) are that we are going to create a greater economic disparity among the rich and the poor. They are making it so expensive to operate businesses in the United States that companies are going to China, India and other countries. The US emits 516 metric tons of CO2 per million dollars of GDP while China emits 2,222 tons of CO2 per million dollars of GDP. If these people who are charging the "Carbon Taxes" really cared about the environment, they would do everything in their power to keep factories in the United States where they will be regulated. China thinks it is hypocritical of us to regulate them in an industrial age, when nobody regulated our industrial age.
We need to come up with energy solutions that are economically beneficial, like cutting work weeks to 4 ten hour days instead of 5 eight hour days to reduce commuting times. Implement more buses and trains from communities outside of large cities to cut down on vehicle emissions. Provide tax benefits to people who use renewable energy or bike to work, rather than charge taxes to those who don't.
In order to find solutions, we need to provide economic incentives, not force people to do what we want, denying freedoms, and having a forced Communist/dictatorship style government. We came to America to escape unfair taxes, and fought our Revolutionary War against unfair taxes. Why place unreasonable taxes on things that are required for our existence?

Well written and not "preachy". A good resource for those looking for an intelligent conversation on issue of what is required to mitigate the damage we are causing to the planet. At times it gets long and some points get belabored. In hind sight I am glad he did spend more time because I came away with the sense that the author know what he is talking about.