The Great Disruption
I recently read The Great Disruption, a work by Paul Gilding. It is a fine work about climate change, the possible horrible effects, and a look at a positive outcome as well. Gilding was a Greenpeace officer and also had a ecological consulting practice.
I recommend it highly.
He outlines the overall climate change situation with lots of scientists references. He says the planet is currently running at ~140% of capacity and it is quite clear that if things don't change the disasters that result: land loss, deaths, wars, political upheaval, etc. will be devastating. Among other things we produce too much stuff that isn't needed. About 1/3 of the way I was getting quite depressed and then ran into his comment that the mood will get better soon.
He describes the many, many things that can be done to change the course of what is happening and is very hopeful. I know I'm not going to live long enough to see the disaster or the real changes but hope that I will see real recognition and the start of significant action.
In 2005 he published an article: SCREAM CRASH BOOM that is a forerunner to this book (published in 2011). SCREAM is the stage where some people are forecasting disaster but no-one is listening, CRASH is when the effects start getting bad, BOOM is where everything starts changing positively.
If not we'll just be a failed civilization like the Incas were (the icon for this posting).