Terra Nova
The New World After Oil, Cars, and Suburbs
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- 21,99 €
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- 21,99 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
A look at what the American lifestyle has done to the environment—and how to move toward a better future.
In the last century, three powerful forces—oil, cars, and suburbs—buoyed the American dream. Yet now, the quality of life in the United States is declining due to these same three forces. Our dependence on oil is a root cause of wars, recessions, and natural disasters. Cars consume an outsize share of our incomes and force us to squander time in traffic. Meanwhile, expensive, spread-out suburbs devour farmland—and in a vicious cycle, further entrench our reliance on cars and oil.
In Terra Nova, conservation ecologist Eric W. Sanderson—the national bestselling author of Mannahatta—offers concrete steps toward a solution. He delves into natural history, architecture, chemistry, and politics, to show how the American relationship to nature has shaped our past, and how it can affect our future. Illustrated throughout with maps, charts, and infographics, Terra Nova demonstrates that it is indeed possible to achieve a better world.
"Sanderson commendably outlines 'a new way of life . . . designed to sustain American prosperity, health, and freedom for generations to come.'" —Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Likening oil, cars, and suburbs to modern-day Sirens, those "beautiful winged monsters" that tempted Odysseus with their songs, conservation ecologist Sanderson (Mannahatta) discourages an over-reliance on these things in this well-intentioned cautionary volume. The comparison is an ambitious one he employs throughout, believing they could doom Americans the way the Sirens would have doomed Odysseus, had he succumbed to their choruses. Sanderson lays out details on oil drilling, for example, tracing American interests back to 19th century businessmen such as John D. Rockefeller, whose ability to "consolidate, integrate, and ruthlessly out-compete everyone else" helped to turn Standard Oil into a monopoly. Subsequent sections deal with oil consumption and foreign resources as well as the rise in popularity and accessibility of gas-dependent vehicles on U.S. roads. "Car companies, rubber companies, oil companies, and their advertisers" managed to convince consumers "Americans wouldn't be American if we didn't drive." Further infrastructure led to the growth of suburbs in the 20th century, but what we gained in living space and shopping malls we lost in community. Sanderson commendably outlines "a new way of life...designed to sustain American prosperity, health, and freedom for generations to come," but whether his suggestions or admonitions will be taken seriously is another matter entirely.
