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In her latest book, Under a White Sky, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Elizabeth Kolbert traces the history of humanity’s attempts to engineer solutions to the problems caused by our own environmental destruction. From engineering the perfect cow to “geoengineering” the planet itself, Kolbert shows how our well-intentioned efforts often lead to unforeseen and sometimes disastrous consequences. With her trademark mix of rigorous reporting and wry humor, Kolbert has given us an essential book for our times.
“The strongest argument for gene editing cane toads, house mice, and ship rats is also the simplest: what’s the alternative? Rejecting such technologies as unnatural isn’t going to bring nature back. The choice is not between what is and what was, but between what is and what will be, which, often enough, is nothing.”
– Elizabeth Kolbert – Under A White Sky
Kolbert begins her story with a look at how we have changed the cows we raise for beef and dairy products. Through a process of selective breeding and genetic modification, we have turned these animals into “efficient protein production machines.” However, as Kolbert points out, this efficiency comes at a cost. The cows are now so large that they can barely move, and their diet of corn and soybeans is contributing to the pollution of our waterways. In addition, the vast quantities of manure produced by these cows are emitting methane gas, which is one of the most potent greenhouse gases.
“Atmospheric warming, ocean warming, ocean acidification, sea-level rise, deglaciation, desertification, eutrophication—these are just some of the by-products of our species’s success. Such is the pace of what is blandly labeled “global change” that there are only a handful of comparable examples in earth’s history, the most recent being the asteroid impact that ended the reign of the dinosaurs, sixty-six million years ago.”
– Elizabeth Kolbert – Under A White Sky
The next section of the book looks at our efforts to increase crop yields through irrigation and chemical fertilizers. These methods have allowed us to produce more food than ever before. But they have also had unintended consequences. The overuse of irrigation water has contributed to water shortages in many parts of the world. And the use of chemical fertilizers has created “dead zones” in our oceans, where marine life cannot survive.
“People have, by now, directly transformed more than half the ice-free land on earth- some twenty-seven million square miles- and indirectly half of what remains. We have dammed or diverted most of the world’s major rivers. Our fertilizer plants and legume crops fix more nitrogen than all terrestrial ecosystems combined, and our planes, cars, and power stations emit about a hundred times more carbon dioxide than volcanoes do. We now routinely cause earthquakes. In terms of sheer biomass, the numbers are stark-staring: today people outweigh wild mammals by a ratio of more than eight to one. Add in the weight of our domesticated animals- mostly cows and pigs- and that ratio climbs to twenty-two to one… We have become the major driver of extinction and also, probably, of speciation. So pervasive is man’s impact, it is said that we live in a new geological epoch- the Anthropocene.”
– Elizabeth Kolbert – Under A White Sky
In the final section of the book, Kolbert turns her attention to geoengineering—the intentional manipulation of Earth’s climate in an effort to counteract global warming. She profiles individuals who are advocating for various geoengineering schemes, such as injecting sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere or reflectiing sunlight back into space with giant mirrors. While some see geoengineering as a last-ditch effort to save the planet from catastrophe, others worry that it could unintentionally cause even more damage. Either way, it’s clear that we have reached a point where we must grapple with these difficult choices.
Concluding thoughts
In “Under a White Sky,” Elizabeth Kolbert has given us a sobering look at mankind’s misguided attempts to control nature. While some of these efforts may seem harmless or even noble at first glance, Kolbert shows how they can often do more harm than good. This is an important book for anyone who cares about the future of our planet and its inhabitants.