Review: Dancing at the Edge of Chaos
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 4, 2012
This is a novel written by a distinguished geoscientist and educator. It presents an oral history of "The Great Warming" of planet Earth between 2000 and 2084 as related by a variety of (fictional) observant individuals from around the world whose nations and cultures have been devastated by the effects of global warming. Like Orwell's 1984 the world in 2084 is a distopia but unlike that novel this book is definitely not satirical.Each of the narratives is presented as an interview with one of the observant individuals in one country or another. The author translates his extensive knowledge of the earth sciences into vivid pictures of rising sea levels, extreme weather, flooded coastal cities, disappearing glaciers, empty rivers and diminished crop yields that impact global civilization. Of course, it means the end of golf too. No water to waste.As a science-fiction novel it is entertaining as well as informative. You may find yourself thinking about various countries, like Bangladesh, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Tuvalu (yes, its real), India and Pakistan, and several states in the USA as you have never thought of them before. Namely, in terms of their topographic exposure to sea level risks, dependency on foreign water supplies and much more.The book also explores how present-day geopolitical situations may be exacerbated to the extreme by the effects of human-accelerated climate change: the Arab-Israel situation, Pakistan-India disputes, Mexico-USA border issues. Whatever your view on global warming and its causes, if it's real then this author has the credentials and vision to portray the complex and interrelated consequences for our world and civilization.What is missing is any discussion, preface or afterword that addresses the current controversy, with the sole exception of a short final paragraph. However, the author has several other excellent non-fiction books on the subject that cover the science of global warming. I rate this book 4 stars with one deducted over lack of background on climate change and global warming for those unfamiliar (well, there might be one or two).