Our Fragile Moment: how lessons from the Earth’s past can help us survive the climate crisis

An Independent Climate Book of the Year 2023 In this sweeping work of science and history, the renowned climate scientist and author of The New Climate War shows us the conditions on Earth that allowed humans not only to exist but thrive, and how they are imperiled if we veer off course. For the vast majority of its 4.54 billion years, Earth has proven it can manage just fine without human beings. Then came the first proto-humans, who emerged just a little more than 2 million years ago — a fleeting moment in geological time. What is it that made this benevolent moment of ours possible? Ironically, it’s the very same thing that now threatens us — climate change. Climate variability has at times created new niches that humans or their ancestors could potentially exploit, and challenges that at times have spurred innovation. But the conditions that allowed humans to live on this earth are fragile, incredibly so. There’s a relatively narrow envelope of climate variability within which human civilisation remains viable. And our survival depends on conditions remaining within that range.  In this book, renowned climate scientist Michael Mann arms readers with the knowledge necessary to appreciate the gravity of the unfolding climate crisis, while emboldening them — and others — to act before it truly does become too late. 

About the Author :
Michael Mann is Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State. He has received many honours and awards, including his selection by Scientific American as one of the fifty leading visionaries in science and technology in 2002. Additionally, he contributed, with other IPCC authors, to the award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. In 2018 he received the Award for Public Engagement with Science from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Climate Communication Prize from the American Geophysical Union. In 2020 he was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences. He is the author of numerous books, including Dire Predictions: understanding climate change and The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars: dispatches from the front lines. He lives in State College, Pennsylvania.

Review :
‘This is a gently radical book, which clearly depicts the beauty of the planet we call home.’ ‘This detailed and yet marvellously readable look at our climatic past offers us the information we need to understand our climatic future — and more importantly, to act to shape that future in the here and now.’ ‘Reading Our Fragile Moment is like taking a spectacular hike through billions of years of Earth’s climate history with one of the great scientists of our time. Oh look — there’s the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs! There’s the great ocean conveyor! There’s the Rossby waves! When you reach the summit of Mann’s wonderful book, you will understand just how rare and beautiful our moment is — and why we need to fight harder to protect it.’ ‘Mann has masterfully woven the climate story from our past to the future. Drawing upon a wealth of data, research, and expertise, he slays the persistent zombie theories that climate scientists ignore historical context.’ ‘A gripping tale of Earth’s climate history, this book is a must-read for every global citizen. It dispels common climate myths with surgical clarity and provides an essential roadmap to understanding our past and choosing our future.’ ‘Mann shows that over the last few hundreds of millions of years, Earth has been snowball cold, tropic hot, rainforest wet, and desert dry. Its atmosphere has been oxygen poor, oxygen rich, or choked with deadly gas. But Earth has never been through anything quite like humankind. Our current comfortable climate is disappearing — because of us. It’s cause for thundering alarm, but is not cause for despair or doomist gloom. It’s time for action. Don’t believe me? Read this book.’ ‘Written with clarity, brevity, and wit, Mann presents a riveting and instructive narrative of Earth’s climate changes to help us navigate this new epoch of human-altered climate. This honest, informed look at planetary history serves as both a defence against doomism and a call to action to forge a livable world that is still well within our grasp.’ ‘Deeply-researched, sprawling in scope, and with insights and surprises on every page. This is the sort of historical understanding that leads to wisdom.’ ‘Mann has a tremendous depth of knowledge about the history of our planet’s climate, which is why his words of warning and optimism are so important. This book provides important lessons from humanity’s past to empower readers to help protect our future.’ ‘In this sober warning, Mann … examines epochal climate events of the past to underscore the current threat posed by global warming … this enlightens even as it unsettles.’ ‘A renowned climatologist and science journalist casts a hard eye on the probability that climate change is irreversible … An evenhanded take on a crucial topic. While our goose may not be cooked, it’s still time to reduce the heat.’ ‘“Are we doomed?” This is the question Michael Mann explores in his latest book on the climate crisis … Mann cuts through the noise of panic and denial, presenting an argument that errs surprisingly on the side of hope. But the hope that Mann endorses is not the passive kind; rather, it is an urgent motivator for taking accountability. This book is a compelling call to action.’ ‘Timely.’ ‘For history buffs, aspiring paleoclimatologists or anyone interested in our planet’s past, Michael Mann’s book will make a perfect addition to their bookshelf … Instead of just examining the climate crisis as it is now, Mr Mann guides the reader through a history of the global climate and how climate change across the millennia has impacted societies of the past.’ ‘A sweeping work of science and history.’ Praise for The New Climate War: ‘Mann’s voice is especially powerful on the subject.’ Praise for The New Climate War: ‘Mann has combined the roles of groundbreaking scientific researcher, compelling popular communicator, and courageous activist in a way few have since Carl Sagan. His latest book, The New Climate War, provides a thoughtful perspective on the forces impeding meaningful climate action.’