Earth in the Balance- Very enlightning and a "Must read"

“Earth in the Balance”, written by Al Gore in 1992,

reveals our global environmental plight. In this book it

convincingly details disasters, such as the Aral Sea in the

former Soviet Union as being very scary for the planet. On the

edges of the Aral Sea which was once about the size of Lake

Superior are fishing villages with dry-docked boats. These

villages are separated from the water edge by miles and miles

of desert. The Aral Sea dried up because of the misuse of the

water by irresponsible scheme of trying to grow cotton in the

desert. There are other environmental disasters much closer to

home in this book. As an experienced politician Gore recognized

A real need for proposing environmental solutions that go along

with the economic climate of the entire world.

Gore uses military analogy to describe many environ-

mental problems. Depending on the scale of the battle,conflicts

are categorized as local skirmishes, regional battles or

strategic conflicts. Gore suggests that we view environmental

threats in the same manner. In essence citizens fighting an

industry that pollutes a small stream in their neighborhood

would be involves in a local conflict. Large oil spills or the

construction of unnecessary freeways and highways through a

forest ecosystem would have a definite regional impact.

Among the environmental threats on a global the Gore talks

about in his book are depletion of the ozone layer, assaults
on the forests that are resulting in the ill-conceived changes

in land patterns and most importantly the crisis of global

warming. Gore also expounds upon the issue of population

growth as a major global concern. One of his ideas pointed

out in the book would be to initiate a recovery plan to

stabilize the population growth. In evidence is the fact which

he points out is that 35,000 children die around the world each

day. Gore in curtailing this problem recommends a strong focus

on programs designed to improve healthcare for children. Gore

also proposes to make available birth control programs for all

nations on the planet, including instructions that are appro-

priate for each culture.

Gore finally sees a general objective of establishing

world political and social conditions conducive to evolvement

of viable and sustainable societies.

Specifics that Mr. Gore speaks of in this book are about

how in just one generation there is danger of the changing

the atmosphere on a global scale more dramatic than any volcano

has done in history with the effects lasting for hundreds of

years. Global temperatures mostly may increase up to or more

than five times more than the fluctuations in temperatures

that produced the the Little Ice Age. Another example could

result in the climate change that led to the Great Famine of

1315 through 1317.

Mr. Gore goes into specifics when talking about global

warming and how in the course of a single generation we risk

changing the makeup of global atmospheres more drastically

than any volcano in history. The effects of this could last

hundreds of years. Also with global warming comes an increase

in ultraviolet radiation and with explosive population growths

there is more likely that this urbanization will alter

basic cultural patterns and lead to millions of people becoming

susceptible to the spread of disease when the population of

pests, germs and viruses migrate when climate patterns change.

Gore further points out that as mankind encroaches on the planet

in a negative way the result will be a weakened global environment

and danger of the earth not being able to maintain its equilibrium.

The ever present question is how the world will respond. New

information according to Gore is that because of climate changes

there was an increase in famine in areas of Africa that include

Ethiopia and Somalia. According to Gore there had been a dramatic

change in rainfall patterns with a continual decrease in the region

of Africa while Europe has had a steady increase in rain because

of this global shift in weather.

In covering the consequences of the Dust Bowl during class

maybe we would have learned a lesson, but apparently not. Gore

again points out that mistakes are being ignored. Land use patterns

which were present before the Dust Bowl which led to it, are more

drastic today. Gore speaks about the massive clearing of rain

forests and how land misuse before the Dust Bowl pales in comparison

to the rain forest and that the consequence and damage to the

environment could last tens of millions of years. The Dust Bowl

disaster lasted only a few generations.

“Earth in the Balance” was a well written book taken the fact

that Gore had been a newspaper reporter for several years. The ideas

and facts were well arranged and presented in a clear and precise

way. I think this book should be a required reading in college

Geology courses and better yet being presented in high school as

a required reading would get young people thinking about taking

care our planet. Gores topics of destruction of our environment

stand out on there own. He seems to have a grasp of science and

has no problem in explaining it to prove various points.

On global warming, Gore even with it being a difficult fact to

establish does a good job of presenting evidence like the innate

variability of climate, and evidence linking it to changes in

the intensity of the sun, volcanic eruptions and unprecedented

rise of CO2 levels since the late 1800’s. The only criticism that

I have of the book is that Gore sometimes sounds a little preachy

and in my opinion tells us more than we need to know. Even though

the book was written a decade ago Gore’s approach to the Greenhouse

Effect still seems as relevant and current in application as it did
ten years ago.