Gore, Al. Earth in the Balance

Title

Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit

Author

Gore, Al

Publisher

Houghton Mifflin, Boston

Year

1992

ISBN

0395578213 (hardcover)

Illustrations

Photos and Diagrams

Table of Contents

Contents

Bibliography

Bibliography

Pages

408

Categories

nature, environment, ecology, science

Language

English (en)

From the Dust Jacket

A passionate defender of the environment for more than twenty years, Senator Al Gore is now convinced that the engines of human civilization have brought us to the brink of catastrophe. In this brave and provocative book, Gore argues that only a radical rethinking of our relationship with nature can save the earth's ecology for future generations.
Astonishingly, some politicians and business leaders still insist the threat isn't real. But Gore proves that it is: using the latest research, he demonstrates that the quality of our air, water, and soil is at grave risk. And where once the problems were local or regional, they are now global. Such alarming issues as rising CO₂ levels, the deteriorating ozone layer, and the rapid destruction of the world's rain forests must now be considered from a strategic point of view.
The roots of this crisis reach into every aspect of society, and Gore's forceful analysis of where we've gone wrong ranges across politics, history, science, economics, psychology, and religion. A sizable portion of the blame, he argues, must be assigned to our political leaders, many of whom ignore the long term consequences of timid policy choices. Likewise, most economists have failed to calculate the true cost of our ravenous consumption of nonrenewable resources. In a groundbreaking analysis, Gore uses the metaphor of a dysfunctional family to show how human civilization must heal itself—psychologically and spiritually—before we can heal our ailing environment.
In the book's final part, Gore argues that only a worldwide mobilization can save us from disaster. In a brilliant and comprehensive plan for action, Gore addresses issues that involve not only the earth's ecology but also population trends, appropriate technology, and environmental education.
The severity of the environmental crisis requires a bold and visionary response, and Al Gore believes that it will take nothing less than a new conception of both the individual and civilization. This illuminating and deeply personal book is required reading for all who perceive the urgent need to bring the earth back into balance.
Al Gore, Democratic senator from Tennessee, was a journalist for seven years before winning a seat in the House of Representatives in 1976. Elected to the Senate in 1984, he has spent the past fifteen years leading the fight in Congress to save the global environment. With his wife, Tipper, and their four children, Senator Gore lives in Carthage, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.

See and/or order this title at Amazon.com:

• Hardcover, with a new foreword, 416 pages, Houghton Mifflin, 2000
• Paperback, with a new foreword, 432 pages, Plume, 1993
• Earth in the Balance: Forging a New Common Purpose, out of print, Earthscan Publications, 1992
• CD/Ltd Edition, Hardcover, Dove Audio, 1993
• 2 Audio Cassettes, 1st edition, abridged, read by Al Gore, Audio Literature, 2000
• Audio Cassette, Dove Audio, 1993

No longer available (but if you send me an e-mail message, I'll try to find you a used copy):

• Hardcover, 408 pages, Houghton Mifflin, 1992, ISBN 0395578213
• Audio Cassette, Dove Audio, 1992, 1558006613