The Parrot and the Igloo. David Lipsky. 2023. 18 hours, 46 minutes. (Audiobook.)
In the two hour Part I, this American environmentalist details the discoveries of such luminaries and forerunners of our technologies as Faraday, Volta, Turing, Westinghouse and Franklin leading to the ultimate discovery of carbon as the main cause of global warming.#
In Part II, the early warning of climate warming is featured, including Arrhenius who falsely believed that oceans would compensate, much earlier than usually appreciated and identified carbon dioxide as the major cause. The effect of methane is never mentioned. And the albedo effect is discussed in detail, providing a positive feedback loop. Jimmy Carter’s policy of boosting reliance on coal in response to the Arab oil embargo is only briefly mentioned. The surprising fact is that others, both Republican and Democrats were at least equally guilty. The myth of the frog in boiling water is shown to be just that-a myth. Long divergences about the relationship between lung cancer and smoking including eminent scientists, illustrate the ease with which people can be deceived by government propaganda, but that is hardly news. However, the broader efforts to discredit all science had its origin in this and can be linked the actions of the cigarette industry. We are now living with the consequences of this. The introduction of the late billionaire Reverend Moon, is confusing and it is a real stretch to relate it to climate change. It is not the only tenuous connection in this book. But there is no doubt about the link between aspirin use and Reye’s syndrome although some still deny it. That is one of several instances where the author repeats himself, sometimes several times.
Short terse sentences are everywhere and it seems to be the point that government agencies are ill equipped to deal with well paid lobbyists. The long conflict over the freedom of information act also seems unrelated. The author seems pleased to show off his minutiae of innumerable facts of no major significance. There are numerous incidents which are said to have been crucial to the survival of the species, as authors exaggerate their importance. Apart from numerous outright lies, many points of data are used selectively, to fit with the bias of the author. The hour-long final chapter criticizes the administration of Obama for its low priority of the climate crisis. The epilogue and the postscript are both more than one hour long.
This book is needlessly long, disjointed, and pessimistic; lots of problems are identified but no solutions are even suggested. I cannot recommend it but did finish it. I am sure better ones await.
I/10
Thanks,
The NewYorker.
The Passionate Reader 