Descartes Poon

Global warming is dire. Attenborough predicts, 0.5 degree Celsius will further add on to our existing global temperature in the decade to come. People enjoy instant gratifications to an extent that they’re over-drawing future resources. We stack up public debts for future generations to repay; likewise, we reap the benefits of technology at the expense of future carry capacity. Some changes are easier said than done — becoming a vegan or not using air-con at all. We can support sustainable farming (the Dutch farm model) and fishing (Palau). We can lobby those concrete measure raised by Attenborough and Hughes in the later half of the book. The most incredible exposition is imaging that in the carbon cycle, the burning of fossil fuels are essentially releasing carbons that have been contained for millions of years within decades. So, Attenborough managed to convince me that carbon capture and storage is the best method in theory to reduce greenhouse gases. We all grew up watching (listening really) David Attenborough. When I streamed the eponymous documentary on TV, even my grandfather recognised his voice and appearance! He made use of his fame to mobilise more people to step forward and speak up. This is his late life. Life of the humankind is ephemeral compared to nature. The loser would be our kind if people turned a blind eye to this crisis, as we’ve observed, nature has a startling recoverability. It is us, humans, who are fragile.

The book offers an unbridled panorama of philosophers. Although the Analytic Philosophy part makes up the whole reason of my purchase, it opens my eyes wide to a plethora of other bright minds. An unexpected benefit is that I get to identify those whose notions have enthralled me such that I can read their work extensively later. Also the highlights (annotation is not my thing) are at my disposal when I re-read the chapters. I will surely come back very often. What an excellent buy and entertaining read!