Summary

In a familiar fashion, Sanders begins this chapter by describing the current scientific and political debate surrounding climate change. His conclusion of the scientific argument is simple: all scientists virtually worldwide agree that climate change is real and poses a major threat to the future of humanity. The political debate is much more complex, however; Sanders argues that the U.S. government’s inability to acknowledge climate change is evidence of a “corrupt political and campaign finance system” (362).

Before delving into exactly how to combat climate change, Sanders gives the reader a brief history lesson about the excessive use of fossil fuels in the U.S. and the diminishing state of the government’s policy toward efficient energy sources. Modern governments’ inability to acknowledge climate change and its repercussions are irrational and undemocratic. Sanders goes into detail to explain the runoff effects...