William T. Vollmann | Carbon Ideologies

Рет қаралды 15,310

Күн бұрын

National Book Award winner William T. Vollmann introduces “Carbon Ideologies,” his new two-volume exploration of the causes and consequences global warming. Buy a copy of “No Immediate Danger: Volume One of Carbon Ideologies” here: www.strandbook...
Over the years William T. Vollmann has earned critical acclaim by tackling some of the largest and thorniest issues of our times, including poverty, violence, and American imperialism. In “Carbon Ideologies,” Vollmann turns to one of the greatest crises we have ever faced: global warming.
“No Immediate Danger,” volume one of the series, examines the technological and cultural forces that created climate change--manufacturing, agriculture, fossil fuel extraction and the global demand for electric power--leading to a detailed case study of the brutal 2011 tsunami and nuclear reactor meltdowns in Fukushima, Japan. For seven years, at great personal risk, Vollmann traveled to the no-go zones and ghost towns of Fukushima to interview tsunami victims, nuclear evacuees, anti-nuclear organizers and pro-nuclear utility workers. With his signature wit and meticulous, wide-ranging research, “No Immediate Danger” builds a powerful picture of one of the greatest environmental disasters in recent history.
Volume two, “No Good Alternative,” coming in June 2018, focuses on human experiences related to coal mining and natural gas production.
Recorded April 10, 2018

Пікірлер: 30

@williamleahy8478 6 жыл бұрын

These two volumes are magnificent. Difficult to imagine such subject matter to be gripping, but Vollmann writes magic and I couldn't put them down. I was already "the choir" but this book really influenced the way I view the issue.

@AganaktismenhSalonik 6 жыл бұрын

There is only one true eternal and immortal god and his name is William Tanner Vollmann

@johndickson4575 6 жыл бұрын

aaaa Tanner

@nothingmatters321 6 жыл бұрын

indeed

@Budzilla24 6 жыл бұрын

Or, you know, he's a self-important deluded hack peddling fear about a widely misunderstood technology that might otherwise be the savior of civilization. But po-tay-to po-tah-to I guess?

@jdamsel8212 3 жыл бұрын

@@Budzilla24 I realize this is two years late, but have your read any of his other books?

@ceruchi2084 5 жыл бұрын

I read Vol. 1, and the best part of the book really can't be presented at a lecture: WTV has included dozens of comparative charts about everything from radiation levels to energy usage to the dollar-cost of different forms of power generation. My favorite was a chart that shows the energy consumption of various American household appliances in terms of the energy consumption of a 1975 plug-in vibrator. A cellphone charger uses 15x as much power per minute! (And provides much less pleasure.)

@ectomy1235 6 жыл бұрын

Anyone know where i can get an ebook of this book, i can only find a hardcover copy here in melbourne Australia and its too expensive

@LexWick 6 жыл бұрын

No questions? Damn I wish I could have gone to The Headless Horseman

@Booksandchess 3 жыл бұрын

Same!!

@latifabelhadj4575 3 жыл бұрын

16'22 : the noise of a Police Car.

@williamwelshjr.7704 4 жыл бұрын

I loved soused people...very open...um

@ChaseAlexander01 5 жыл бұрын

i stan this model toxicity fetishist

@radiohill 4 жыл бұрын

What do you mean you Stan?

@iuseitToo 3 жыл бұрын

@@radiohill he's a 'fan' (cf. Eminem's 'Stan') IE he supports it

@Budzilla24 6 жыл бұрын

I guess as someone a bit less credulous about the dangers of radiation, there doesn't seem to be much here supporting his argument. He can't show actual harmful levels of radiation in the 'red zone' nor can he find anything actually disturbing so he constantly reminds us of his own anxiety about the radiation levels surrounding him in the hope that his anxiety will leak into you. Even if you agree with him wholeheartedly, you have to admit his accounting does nothing to convince those that are not already sure that Nuclear power is a dangerous mistake. If you are already sure of this, then everything he says has the aura of deep foreboding, but for those like me, yeah, nope. He constantly goes on about 'maybe this, maybe that', suppositions and misrepresentations abound in this story. It's telling how the people on the ground don't think the radiation is much of a problem, not wearing masks and resenting being separated from their property, but the author's conception is that THEY are deluded, not him.

@radiohill 4 жыл бұрын

@Syntax what kind of a lame command is that?

@radiohill 4 жыл бұрын

@Syntax right. I understand what your saying now. I actually took it as you saying, "calm down", in this really annoying way, that young people do here in NYC when they want to shut you down in a competitive maneuver. I do agree about the Fukashima point. Good call. My bad.