Description:
"A pathbreaking synthesis" Gus Speth
"Rigorous and compelling" Michael Foley
Why our current fixes for the environmental crisis are making things worse, and what we need to do about it.
Does the future of humankind lie in colonising a new planet, or uploading our minds to a digital metaverse?
Listening to certain billionaires and technophiles, you might think these are our best bets for escaping the increasingly hostile world we've made for ourselves. The Nature Delusion dismantles these ideas. It shows why technological and economic 'fixes' alone cannot solve the existential threat of climate change, and why they remain out of reach for most people. Instead, this book uncovers the root causes of our environmental crisis - from our disconnection from nature to our focus on short-term, self-centred priorities - and offers a hopeful vision for the future.
As the environmental crisis deepens, it's easy to feel powerless or overwhelmed. The Nature Delusion invites you to see humanity's place in the world in a radically new way and demonstrates how transforming our mindset can create a healthier, more resilient world.
Review Quotes:
"We are Homo deludians, a selfish species lost inside a dark technosphere. The Nature Delusion illuminates a pathway out of this cave and offers reconnection to Earth, nature and life." Glenn Albrecht, philosopher
"Sobering yet hopeful - this impeccable analysis offers key insights to transcend our sustainability delusions and transform our world." Lorenzo Benini, European Environment Agency
"Oliver breathes new life into the axiom, 'Humans are a part of nature, not apart from nature', while explaining how - and why - our peculiar nature is both the source and the solution to the environmental crises we face. He powerfully demonstrates that the only path forward is a transformation of our relationship with both nature and modern industry. But, such a radical transformation can be achieved through all of our tiny decisions and daily adjustments. Individual action is collective action, when we work together." Nathan H. Lents, John Jay College (CUNY)
"This is a book about resilience and hope. Thought provoking, succinct and challenging, it links the individual mind set to the complex system challenges we all face, whether we know it yet or not. Our own values and attitudes matter as much as our social structures and economic framing if we are to change our connectedness to nature and the wider environmental crisis. Ultimately it questions our own sense of identity, where change is surely needed if we are to navigate our future." Beccy Speight, Chief Executive at RSPB (The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)