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Freedom Book of the Month
Email List Archive
Free-Market.Net's F r e e d o m B o o k o f t h e M o n t h
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Edited by Sunni Maravillosa. To join or leave this and other
lists, click to: http://www.free-market.net/features/lists/
* February, 2003: "Global Warming and Other Eco-Myths," by Ronald
Bailey (Ed.)
* New and notable
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Freedom Book of the Month for February, 2003:
"Global Warming and Other Eco-Myths"
by Ronald Bailey (Ed.)
Prima Publishing 2002, hardcover, 371 pp.
ISBN: 0-7615-3660-4
Environmental issues are front and center worldwide, as claims of
global warming, overpopulation, and depletion of the Earth's
resources continue to be advanced by some environmentalists. Aided in
their efforts by journalists who seem increasingly unable or
unwilling to evaluate claims and studies logically and
scientifically, it can seem that free-market environmentalism is
losing ground. Fortunately, Ronald Bailey has put together a dynamite
package in "Global Warming and Other Eco-Myths" that refutes several
"eco-myths", and offers hope for the future.
"Global Warming and Other Eco-Myths" gets straight to the point. Each
chapter is authored by a respected expert, such as Jonathan Adler,
Gregory Conko, Rakhi Gupta, and Norman Borlaug. Although varying in
style and level of detail, each chapter clearly, systematically
demolishes claims of the collectivist-environmentalists, starting
with the list of "Eco-Myths Debunked" that opens each chapter.
Extensive quotations from environmental leaders of Greenpeace, Sierra
Club, and other groups are often sufficient to show the irrationality
of their claims and goals (one particularly laughable one is to "ban
all chlorine compounds"), but the contributors take it farther. They
show how these claims are often parroted year after year, when in
fact improvements have been made, making their scare-mongering
completely unjustified. Comparisons of pseudoscience alongside
rigorous research, done in mostly jargon-free, straightforward
language make the book highly readable for a general audience.
Indeed, one of the things I like best about "Global Warming and Other
Eco-Myths" is how chapter contributors include general facts, such as
why wheat is the the only grain ideally suited for making leavened
products. The inclusion of a section titled "Benchmarks: The Global
Trends that are Shaping Our World" is highly informative. Each
benchmark is identified, described, and put into context so that its
relevance is understood. An accompanying graph shows each benchmark's
recent trend. An interested reader can easily keep up with the
benchmarks of interest to him or her by monitoring news and other
reports. The Benchmarks section alone is worth the price of the book.
"Global Warming and Other Eco-Myths" isn't likely to make it onto the
reading lists of those labeled "ideological environmentalists" by the
book's contributors. That label is unfortunate, because it will
likely cause some people to avoid the book, and some readers to stop
reading. It and the title (again, because it helps close minds) are
the only major quibbles I have with this excellent volume.
Clear language, sound science contrasted with junk science and
Luddism, and broad coverage of environmental issues combine in
"Global Warming and Other Eco-Myths" to create the definitive
refutation of the environmental doomsayers' messages. Apolitical
environmentalists (i.e., those who don't accept the underlying
socialism of much of the environmental movement) are likely to find
it persuasive. For free-market environmentalists, "Global Warming and
Other Eco-Myths" is an invigorating defense of capitalism and reason,
and a valuable resource of facts. It ought to be translated into as
many languages as possible and distributed worldwide, because "Global
Warming and Other Eco-Myths" has exactly what developing countries,
and those who challenge the EU's flawed environmental policies, need.
Order "Global Warming and Other Eco-Myths" from Laissez Faire Books:
http://www.free-market.net/rd/300672534.html, $24.95
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New and notable
o "The Shadows of Babylon," by Julie Daube
A gripping, apocalyptic novel depicting the takeover of the U.S. by
... ostensibly the UN, but what's driving the one-world-government
movement? Highly recommended to Christian libertarians.
Order "The Shadows of Babylon" from Amazon.com:
http://www.free-market.net/rd/401717890.html, $29.95
o "Cato Supreme Court Review 2001-2002"
The first of Cato's annual book critiques of the Supreme Court's
decisions from the last term. Written for nonlaywers, it's an
excellent overview of important cases, including relevant history and
commentary on the principles involved.
Order "Cato Supreme Court Review 2001-2002" from Laissez Faire Books:
http://www.free-market.net/rd/394656693.html, $14.95
o "Teacher Quality," by Lance T. Izumi and Williamson M. Evers (Eds.)
If you want a concise overview of the problems in education caused by
poor teachers, look no further. In just 5 chapters, and under 100
pages, issues of teacher training, methods, and accountability are
addressed, and solutions offered. Based on a teacher quality
conference sponsored by the Hoover Institute and the Pacific Research
Institute.
Order "Teacher Quality" from Amazon.com:
http://www.free-market.net/rd/405548611.html, $10.50
Keep doing freedom!
Sunni Maravillosa
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