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Brand, Stewart

sadly gets lomborg tag

see uber1:https://webbrain.com/brainpage/brain/6950F840-FB80-FCB0-D505-8AB1FA685F08#-470

see longnow

==

7/20 stewart brand

https://thebreakthrough.org/about/who-we-are/senior-fellows

shillenberger

pamela ronald gmo uc davis

shill said left 2015 but here's 2016 post:

https://thebreakthrough.org/articles/low-carbon-portfolio-standards

===

11 25 STEWART BRAND

The first in a multi-volume work, Maintenance: Of Everything, Part One offers a comprehensive overview of the civilizational importance of maintenance. The book is a wide-ranging and provocative call to expand what we mean by “maintenance”. It invites us to understand why taking responsibility for maintaining something —whether a motorcycle, a monument, or our very planet — can be a radical act.

“Maintenance is absolutely necessary and maintenance is optional. It is easy to put off, yet it has to be done. Defer now, regret later. Neglect kills. What to do?

Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto is the sixth book by Stewart Brand, published by Viking Penguin in 2009.[1] He sees Earth and people propelled by three transformations: climate change (global warming), urbanization and biotechnology.[2] Brand tackles "touchy issues" like nuclear power, genetic engineering and geoengineering, "fully aware that many of the environmentalist readers he hopes to reach will start out disagreeing with him".[3]

Overview

Brand said in an interview with Seed magazine, "...I'd accumulated a set of contrarian views on some important environmental issues—specifically, cities, nuclear energy, genetic engineering, and geoengineering—and that it added up to a story worth telling."[4]

The author cites numerous other authors both in the recommended reading section[5] and in live lectures.[6] In particular, book influences are Constant Battles by Steven A. LeBlanc with Katherine Register,[7] Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, a New Urban World by Robert Neuwirth,[8] and James Lovelock, the author of The Revenge of Gaia and The Vanishing Face of Gaia.[9]

In an interview with American Public Media, Brand said, "...in [Whole Earth Catalog] I focused on individual empowerment, and in [Whole Earth Discipline] the focus is on the aggregate effects of humans on things like climate. And some of these issues are of such scale that you got to have the governments doing things like making carbon expensive. Or making coal expensive to burn and putting all that carbon into the atmosphere. And individuals can't do that, individual communities can't do that. It takes national governments."[10]

Synopsis

Speaking on "Rethinking Green", Brand provided a short version of his book:[11]

The book challenges traditional environmentalist thinking around four major issues:

He summarized the book as follows:

Urbanization, or the move to cities, requires grid electricity, which chapter one discusses, in particular nuclear power. Another two chapters explain the need for genetic engineering. The fourth chapter is a "sermon" on science and large-scale geoengineering. The fifth chapter tackles restoration of natural infrastructure and benevolent ecosystem engineering. Finally, Brand concludes with humans' obligation to "learn planet craft", to enhance life and Earth like an earthworm.[12]

Criticism

Amory Lovins published a critique at the Rocky Mountain Institute,[13] saying on NPR that nuclear energy is not the most cost-effective solution, that it is too expensive and slow to build.[14] Jim Riccio, a spokesman for Greenpeace speaking with Green Inc. of The New York Times, called Brand's arguments "nonsensical, especially concerning the abysmal economics of nuclear power."[15] David Lewis, a former Speaker of the Green Party of British Columbia and former prominent Canadian ozone activist, who believes Brand's views on nuclear power have a sound foundation, asks "How can Brand champion the views of a climate science denier who denounces climate scientists and expect to be taken seriously by environmentalists?"[16]

"(Environmentalists) are viewing what I'm saying more in sorrow than in anger," Brand told the Toronto Star.[17]

Online revision after publication

Brand maintains an online version of his book[18] where, as he says "the text (much of it) dwells in a living thicket of its origins and implications. Instead of static footnotes there are live links to my sources, including some better ones that turned up after the writing".

He also published an online "Afterword".[19] He asks: "What belongs in an afterword?" For one thing, he says: "history that has moved on from what I described in 2009 should be indicated" But his Afterword is also a place where he can record changes in his views: "I did promise in this book that I would change my mind as needed...."

Brand says his views on climate are influenced most by his old friend James Lovelock.[20] In the Afterword, Brand writes that Lovelock has "softened his sense of alarm about the pace of climate change". (Lovelock's position had been that planetary catastrophe was now unavoidable).[21] Brand explains that Lovelock changed his mind because of two things: he read a book, The Climate Caper, by Garth Paltridge,[22] and he read a paper by Dr. Kevin Trenberth,[23] which was published in Science. Brand quotes from an email he got from Lovelock: "Something unknown appears to be slowing down the rate of global warming"

Brand's current position on climate change is unclear. In a talk recorded in Vancouver, he told the audience "maybe nothing" will happen as a result of the accumulating greenhouse gases, although he said it would be "like playing Russian Roulette with five cylinders loaded, to not reduce emissions".[24]  ^ ^July 20, 2010.

Reviews

Publishers Weekly said, "Rejecting the inflexible message so common in the Green movement, he describes a process of reasonable debate and experimentation. Brand's fresh perspective, approachable writing style and manifest wisdom ultimately convince the reader that the future is not an abyss to be feared but an opportunity for innovative problem solvers to embrace enthusiastically."[25] Library Journal's verdict: "Despite the occasional flippant comment, Brand's tough but constructive projection of our near future on this overheating planet is essential reading for all."[26] One Energy Collective reviewer disagreed: "What's Brand doing telling people to pay attention to a second rate climate science denier like Paltridge? And that aging old friend of his who has so influenced him, Lovelock, he doesn't seem to understand what recent debate among leading climate scientists means."[27]

References

  1. ^ Brand, Stewart (2009). Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto. Viking Penguin. ISBN 978-0-670-02121-5.
  2. ^ "Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto". Skeptics Society. 2009-10-27. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  3. ^ Morton, Oliver (October 2, 2009). "Must-reads for Copenhagen". Nature Publishing Group. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  4. ^ Montenegro, Maywa (September 3, 2009). "Author and environmental icon Stewart Brand on four green heresies, developing-world ingenuity, and the new face of environmentalism". Seed. Seed Media Group. Archived from the original on September 6, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  5. ^ Brand 2009, pp. 303–313
  6. ^ Brand, Stewart (October 24, 2009). *Lecture Series presented by KPMG - Whole Earth Discipline*. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: Perimeter Institute, Quantum to Cosmos (Q2C) Festival. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  7. ^ Brand 2009, p. 2
  8. ^ Brand 2009, p. 37
  9. ^ Brand 2009, p. 11
  10. ^ Brand, Stewart and Ryssdal, Kai (October 26, 2009). *Marketplace: A pragmatic response to climate change*. American Public Media. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  11. ^ Brand, Stewart (October 10, 2009). *Rethinking Green*. The Long Now Foundation via ForaTV. Event occurs at 15:20. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  12. ^ Brand 2009, p. 23
  13. ^ Lovins, Amory (October 13, 2009). "Four Nuclear Myths" (PDF). Rocky Mountain Institute. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  14. ^ Lovins, Amory (October 21, 2009). "Transcript: Brand vs. Lovins On Nuclear Power". On Point. Trustees of Boston University. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  15. ^ Witkin, Jim (October 23, 2009). "Of Climate Change and Nuclear Power". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  16. ^ Stewart Brand: Fearless Follower of Lovelock, not science The Energy Collective, November 14, 2010 Retrieved July 20, 2010
  17. ^ Kelly, Cathal (October 10, 2009). "Why greens need to grow up if they want to save the planet". Toronto Star. Torstar. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  18. ^ Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto, online version Retrieved July 20, 2010. ArchivedSeptember 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Online Afterword to Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto. Retrieved July 20, 2010 Archived June 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ Radio Ecoshock interview with Stewart Brand Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  21. ^ Enjoy life while you can Views of James Lovelock, The Guardian, March 1, 2008, Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  22. ^ Paltridge, Garth The Climate Caper 2009
  23. ^ Tracking Earth's Energy, Science "Perspectives" April 16, 2010 Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  24. ^ Radio Ecoshock interview with Stewart Brand Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  25. ^ "Nonfiction Reviews". Publishers Weekly. Reed Business Information, Reed Elsevier. August 24, 2009. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  26. ^ Conn, David R., Surrey P.L., B.C. (September 1, 2009). "Science & Technology". Library Journal. Reed Business Information. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  27. ^ Lewis, David, November 10, 2010 Stewart Brand: Fearless Follower of Lovelock, not science review of Brand's online Afterword, The Energy Collective

External links

-*Too Much Controversy over Genetically Modified Foods? - Stewart Brand*. ForaTV via YouTube (Google). October 21, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-02.

Categories: 

eco prag bk rev

Review by: Philip Sansone The first part of this review serves as an introduction to Environmentalism’s Impact on World Poverty section of book recommendations. Arguably, Stewart Brand can be called the father, or at least the godfather of modern environmentalism. Publisher of the famed Whole Earth Catalog, he comes with impeccable environmentalist credentials. With Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto he joins other “ecopragmatists”, like Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, Bjorn Lomborg, founder of the Copenhagen Consensus, James McWilliams, author of Just Food and energy expert Robert Bryce, author of Power Hungry, who rely on facts and science when questioning popular environmental beliefs. What all these environmentalists have in common is the realization that utopia is somewhere in the future. It might be far into the future, or it might arrive this decade or this century. But for now we have to contend with the laws of physics and other realities as we constantly move forward in our quest for a cleaner, environmentally sound environment. What they all realize, too, is that many of our environmental policies are very detrimental to the world’s poor and hinder their ability to escape grinding poverty. These policies are not only a form of cultural imperialism, but, also, hypocritical and blatantly unfair to developing countries. After all, the developed world; i.e. the wealthy countries had access to cheap energy and polluted our environment on our way to riches, so how can we deny the poor the same access? These countries will have something we didn’t and that is help and technology to clean up their mess far faster than we did. First step though is to relieve hunger and gain some wealth. We’ve proved that the environment will recover just fine. Brand covers all this. His chapters on urbanization titled City Planet and Urban Promise are exceptionally clear and document the environmental benefits of u

https://medium.com/the-long-now-foundation/doing-good-better-cc86982207a

[graph wow free trade biggest bank for buck, phase out FF = cookstoves....]

loMBORG OPENED WITH A PHOTO FROM HAITI, showing a young girl dressed for school wading through the muck and garbage of a slum, with pigs in the muck right behind her. Lomborg was just back from working with the government of Haiti and the Canadian Development Agency to prioritize aid projects there. He sympathized that when people see that photo they instantly want to donate to urban sanitation in Haiti, but that is not the most effective good that can be done for the girl.

There is a limited amount of aid money that can be spent in Haiti, and in the world. (Total world aid is $200 billion a year.) It helps to look at what are the greatest multiples of good you can get for each dollar spent — the benefit-cost ratio (BCR). For urban sanitation, when you do the math on the costs of building and maintaining pit latrines and compare it with the benefits (measured in dollars) of deaths and diseases avoided, of productivity and education gains, etc., for each dollar spent, you get only about 77 cents of benefit.

How does that benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of less than 1 compare with other forms of aid such as, say, cleaner cook stoves? Indoor air pollution from traditional cooking kills 4.3 million people a year in the developing world. According to Lomborg and his Copenhagen Consensus colleagues, when you substitute cleaner fuel, you get a BCR of 15 — each dollar spent yields $15 of benefit, with drastically fewer deaths, and a far better home to grow up in. Not all problems have such direct solutions though.

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On the night of Tuesday August 4, the :{Breakthrough Institute:(style="text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"):}: is hosting a special event at The Interval: "Is Ecomodernism the Future of Environmentalism?" will feature Breakthrough’s :{Michael Shellenberger:(style="text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"):}: and Long Now’s :{Stewart Brand:(style="text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"):}: on stage speaking with :{Katie Fehrenbacher:(style="text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"):}:, a senior writer at Fortune.

Please Note: this is not part of The Interval’s regular salon series,[ why not?] but it will have a similar format.

The title references :{the Ecomodernism manifesto:(style="text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"):}: which Breakthrough Institute released earlier this year which was signed by 18 prominent environmental scientists and scholars including Stewart Brand and former SALT speakersMark Lynas and David Keith.