Apocalypse Never is a book by author Michael Shellenberger. The book’s content about climate change is real, but not the end of the world. It’s not even our most serious environmental problem.
Michael Shellenberger has been fighting for a greener planet for decades. He helped save the last unprotected redwoods in the world. He was the co-creator of the forerunner of today’s Green New Deal. He has led a successful effort by scientists and climate activists to keep nuclear plants running, preventing emissions from skyrocketing.
But in 2019, when some declared “billions of people will die”, contributing to increased anxiety, including teenagers, Shellenberger decided that, as an environmental activist throughout Life, leading energy expert and father of a teenage daughter, he needs to speak out apart from science fiction.
Despite decades of news media attention, many people remain ignorant of the underlying facts. Carbon emissions have peaked and are falling in most developed countries for more than a decade. Deaths from extreme weather, even in poor countries, have fallen by 80% over the past four decades. And the risk of the Earth warming to very high temperatures is increasingly unlikely thanks to slowing population growth and abundant natural gas.
Curiously, those most alarmed about problems also tend to oppose obvious solutions.
