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Losing Earth

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Losing Earth: A Recent History
First edition
AuthorNathaniel Rich
LanguageEnglish
GenreNon-fiction
PublisherMCD/Farrar
Publication date
April 9, 2019
Publication placeUnited States
Pages224
ISBN978-0-374-19133-7

Losing Earth: A Recent History (published as Losing Earth: The Decade We Could Have Stopped Climate Change in the UK and Commonwealth markets) is a 2019 book written by Nathaniel Rich. The book is about the existence of scientific evidence for climate change for decades while it was politically denied, and the eventual damage that will occur as a result.[1][2][3] It focuses on the years 1979 to 1989 and US-based scientists, activists, and policymakers including James Hansen, Rafe Pomerance, and Jule Gregory Charney.[4][5]

The story was first published as the August 5, 2018, issue of The New York Times Magazine and later expanded.[6][4] After the article was published, it was announced that the story was in development to be converted into a docuseries that will be distributed on Apple TV+.[7]

Responses

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Initial version of text

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Environmentalists including May Boeve criticized the narrative for promoting climate doom and focusing on a small group that they argue is not representative of the broader climate movement.[8] Leah Stokes and others have questioned Rich's framing of who is to blame for the climate crisis; Rich did not emphasize the culpability of the fossil fuel industry or of politicians.[4][8][9]

Expanded version of text

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In Bookforum, Roy Scranton wrote that "the book is substantially the same as the article" and pointed out its lack of citations.[10] The book received a starred review in Booklist, where it was called "a must-read handbook for everyone concerned about our planet’s future."[11] A review in NPR said it was "like a Greek tragedy".[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Lanchester, John (April 12, 2019). "Two New Books Dramatically Capture the Climate Change Crisis". The New York Times Book Review. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  2. ^ "Losing Earth: A Climate History". Kirkus Reviews. January 13, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  3. ^ Frank, Adam (March 25, 2019). "New Climate Books Stress We Are Already Far Down The Road To A Different Earth". National Public Radio. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "A conversation with Nathaniel Rich on "Losing Earth," human inertia and storytelling as "a moral act"". Nieman Foundation. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  5. ^ Brand, Yu (April 16, 2019). "Nathaniel Rich's 'Losing Earth' grapples with climate change". Datebook | San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  6. ^ Rich, Nathaniel (August 1, 2018). "Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  7. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (August 21, 2018). "Apple Lands TV Rights To Nathaniel Rich's 'Losing Earth' Climate Change Article For Series Produced By Anonymous Content". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Readers Respond to the 8.5.18 Issue". The New York Times. August 16, 2018. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  9. ^ Meyer, Robinson (August 1, 2018). "The Problem With The New York Times' Big Story on Climate Change". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  10. ^ "Wonk Quixote". www.bookforum.com. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  11. ^ Losing Earth: A Recent History, by By Nathaniel Rich. | Booklist Online.
  12. ^ Frank, Adam (March 25, 2019). "New Climate Books Stress We Are Already Far Down The Road To A Different Earth". NPR. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
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