All Is Not Lost: Brooklyn author uncovers technologies to dig out from environmental ruin
Brooklyn BookBeat
As the former environment and energy editor for Scientific American, PBS host and science curator for TED, David Biello is a practiced translator of complicated climate issues into informative, entertaining reportage. In his debut book “The Unnatural World: The Race to Remake Civilization in Earth’s Newest Age” published by Scribner, Biello examines the historic debate on whether we now live in a new geologic age and, if so, how we should define this Anthropocene. He traverses the globe to find the innovators working to make this new epoch one where humanity can make our impact on the planet better and human civilization longer lasting.
Imagine a controversial ship circling the frigid Southern Ocean around Antarctica, dumping iron into the waters to fertilize a plankton bloom. Envision drones that can count trees, a stove fueled by human and animal waste, extinct animals brought back to life and rocks that can absorb greenhouse gas. These are just a few examples of the projects Biello highlights in his global survey of the frontier of the People’s Epoch. He goes behind the scenes to profile researchers, innovators, and tech moguls — like Elon Musk — dramatically chronicling their ingenious experiments, failures, and triumphs, while providing a historical survey of why it matters. More importantly, he argues why these projects are possible. For example, Biello cites London’s massive investment in creating closed sewer systems: a visionary project with a high cost, but even higher return.