Michael Mann knows what he’s talking about ... Mann starts from the premise that we can save the planet from the worst impacts of climate change if we move to net-zero carbon emissions. As a scientist, he dismisses most scenarios of an uninhabitable Earth because they’re based on a misunderstanding of methane feedback loops, and, as a citizen, he has no time for 'climate doom porn' because it leads to political paralysis. But if Mann is 'objectively hopeful,' he’s not naïve. The challenges are real and the vested interests of business as usual are powerful ... Michael Mann may or may not be a Climate Jedi, but he is a climate smart guy and The New Climate War is a must read.
... many standout moments ... In war there are casualties, including the innocent. While Mann rightly blasts delayers and cynical 'eco-modernists' such as Bill Gates, Bjorn Lomborg and Michael Shellenberger, some of his volleys inflict collateral damage on good faith climate allies such as George Monbiot and Prof Kevin Anderson ... a punchy, provocative, informed, sometimes idiosyncratic but also deeply personal take on the crisis, by a respected voice in the climate science and communications field.
The main focus of Mann’s book is a call to arms in the new war against 'inactivists' who are using new tactics of 'deception, distraction and delay' to prevent the phase-out of fossil fuels. Mann is a robust character ... Mann does not pull his punches, but his aim is usually strong and true. This book will no doubt prove controversial for some climate campaigners, as well as the deniers, but I hope it will be read by everybody who is engaged in making the case for action.
In The New Climate War, climate scientist Michael Mann channels Sun Tzu to demystify the myriad tactics of 'the enemy' — in this case, 'the fossil fuel companies, right-wing plutocrats and oil-funded governments' and other forces standing in the way of large-scale action to combat climate change ... He pulls no punches ... The New Climate War’s main focus is to combat psychological warfare, and on this front, the book is fascinating and often entertaining. It’s an engrossing mix of footnoted history, acerbic political commentary and personal anecdotes.
... punchy and illuminating ... Mann, a world-renowned climate scientist who teaches at Penn State University, uses both peer-reviewed climate science research and combative wit to expose the strategies of people and industries bent on deflecting responsibility and limiting the systemic change necessary to move the world away from dependence on planet-destroying fossil fuel ... Mann clearly has skin in this game. Both his professional and personal reputations have been viciously attacked in response to his work. Here he fights back, settles some scores and argues for the necessity and possibility of aggressive, systemic changes. It’s a bracing read—both eye-opening and even fun.
... blunt, lucid ... Consistently displaying his comprehensive command of climate science and the attendant politics, [Mann] clearly walks readers through the disingenuous arguments about carbon pricing; the mechanics of receiving governmental incentives for renewable energy; how the energy market lacks sufficient incentives to build a new infrastructure; solar and wind energy scare tactics in right-wing media; the pitfalls of 'clean' coal and geoengineering; 'doomism' ... An expert effectively debunks the false narrative of denialism and advocates communal resistance to fossil fuels.
