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Title details for The Parrot and the Igloo by David Lipsky - Available

The Parrot and the Igloo

Climate and the Science of Denial

by David Lipsky
Mike Chamberlain
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
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2 of 2 copies available
In 1956, the New York Times prophesied that once global warming really kicked in, we could see parrots in the Antarctic. In 2010, when science deniers had control of the climate story, Senator James Inhofe and his family built an igloo on the Washington Mall and plunked a sign on top: AL GORE'S NEW HOME: HONK IF YOU LOVE CLIMATE CHANGE. In The Parrot and the Igloo, bestselling author David Lipsky tells the astonishing story of how we moved from one extreme (the correct one) to the other. The story begins with a tale of three inventors-Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla-who made our technological world, not knowing what they had set into motion. Then there are the scientists who sounded the alarm once they identified carbon dioxide as the culprit of our warming planet. And we meet the hucksters, zealots, and crackpots who lied about that science and misled the public in ever more outrageous ways. Lipsky masterfully traces the evolution of climate denial, exposing how it grew out of early efforts to build a network of untruth about products like aspirin and cigarettes. Featuring an indelible cast of heroes and villains, mavericks and swindlers, The Parrot and the Igloo delivers a real-life tragicomedy-one that captures the extraordinary dance of science, money, and the American character.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 20, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781696611039
      • File size: 540618 KB
      • Duration: 18:46:17

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from November 14, 2022
      Humor accompanies horrific truths in this vital look at the rise of climate change denial. With dry wit and novelistic flair, National Magazine Award winner Lipsky (Absolutely American) chronicles how harnessing electricity changed the world, then charts growing public awareness of electricity and fossil fuels’ contributions to climate change. After covering the innovations of Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, and George Westinghouse, Lipsky fast-forwards to describe how the climate became a political issue, from concerns over air pollution to the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency to the 2006 Al Gore documentary An Inconvenient Truth. The most revelatory section illuminates corporate disinformation campaigns as Lipsky points out how climate denialism borrowed tactics that the tobacco industry used to push back on science linking smoking with lung cancer, notably the strategy of rebuking scientific consensus by calling for more research. Lipsky adopts an offbeat style (“Arrange all farewells and balloons no later than 2069,” he deadpans about a biologist’s tongue-in-cheek prediction of apocalypse), and his perspective on how diverse cultural and political forces have contributed to inaction on climate change is sobering and incisive. Buoyed by thorough historical research, this is a first-rate entry in the field of climate denial studies.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Mike Chamberlain's believable tone and unhurried pace make him a great choice to narrate this audiobook subtitled "Climate and the Science of Denial." He animates the author's controlled irony and subtly brings out the frustration that runs through Lipsky's discussion. This is a long story of facts versus falsehoods and the climate-change deniers who have benefitted from both the hired guns and playbook of Big Tobacco. These are the folks who still pit themselves against the scientists who reveal the unyielding truths of melting glaciers, warming temperatures, and catastrophic weather events, including wildfires. In a painstakingly researched yet witty text, Lipsky bags the culprits. Chamberlain's careful narration of Lipsky's punchy prose makes this enjoyable, informative listening despite the dire nature of the topic. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Lipsky (Absolutely American) charts the history of global warming, from Edison's taming of electricity through Westinghouse and Tesla to today's climate crisis. In 1956, scientists demonstrated that global warming was happening and warned that the consequences could be catastrophic if conditions remained unchecked. Carbon emissions were identified as the main problem. Scientists presented evidence to political leaders, waiting for remedial policies to be implemented. Big corporations had other ideas. Their scientists created a story that insidiously cast doubt on the concept of global warming. Opportunities to mitigate the effects of human activity on climate were repeatedly ignored, questioned, or set aside altogether. Even when the warming trend became obvious, and catastrophic weather events became commonplace, leaders in the U.S. did nothing and even reversed previous legislation addressing the problems. Narrator Mike Chamberlain enhances Lipsky's extensively researched work with his animated, conversational style. He is especially effective when conveying the punchiness of Lipsky's prose. VERDICT A thorough history outlining how deniers cast doubt on global warming and the U.S. government's repeated failures to take action. Readers and listeners of Kate Aronoff's Overheated will want to snap this story up.--Joanna M. Burkhardt

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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