Solvable: how we healed the Earth, and how we can do it again

"In this convincing book, MIT climate scientist Susan Solomon argues against the hopeless passivity we too often feel when confronted with dire predictions about the future of our planet. Her antidote is to provide the inside story of past environmental victories, to extract from this neglected history the essential elements of what works, and to show that we have not just the popular will but the specific means to save the planet. In each case, she demonstrates the path to success begins with researchers and activists who make an environmental problem--smog, DDT, ozone depletion, lead, climate change--both perceptible and personal. Lawmakers, diplomats, and international agencies then take up the cause. But real change takes place when legislation and regulation lead to "technology-forcing," in tandem with consumer pressure, which co-ops manufacturers of environmentally sensitive products, turning presumed culprits into allies. It's not just polemics; it's also pragmatism. The heroes in these stories range from angry mothers; to gangs turned social activists; to upset Long Island bird watchers; to iconoclastic scientists (often women); to brilliant legislative craftsmen, among whom the almost forgotten Edmund Muskie stands supreme. Solomon's fundamental message is that doom and gloom get us nowhere, and idealism will only take us so far. As she ably demonstrates, healing the planet is a long game, won not only with marches and soul-stirring speeches, but with pragmatic maneuvering that moves beyond moral suasion to apply economic pressure and regulatory action which signals to industry the imperative to innovate and compete. Solomon's authoritative point of view is an inspiration, a reality check, a road map, and a dose of optimism that can lead to sustained commitment from all stake holders. Healing our Planet is Solvable. Solomon shows how"--