I’m finally getting to read Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All by Michael Shellenberger.

The first time I heard from Michael Shellenberger was on Conversations with Coleman back in August of last year. I talked about it in my post, Buddhism, Economics, Racism, and More: A Podcast Roundup.

Confession: I have been accused of being what people call a “climate change denier” most of my adult life for all the reasons that Michael Shellenberger is writing about in this book. The statements I hear from activists don’t make sense. There doesn’t seem to be any real research backing up the radical claims that I hear spread all over the media. The fearmongering “sky is falling” rhetoric makes me tune anything you say out. If we’re all going to die, right now, and there’s nothing we can do but go back in time and start over…well…yeah. What do you expect?

That interview last year is what piqued my curiosity and enticed me start listening. His assessments made sense. He seemed logical. And I wanted to know more. I read some of his articles after the interview and put his book on my wish list for future reading. And here we are.

This book is based on the idea that we can do more for the environment by increasing tech, helping developing nations stabilize their governments, and moving forward, not backward. How we got here, history, is important. Technology has made things better, not worse.

From the introduction:

“I wrote Apocalypse Never because the conversation about climate change and the environment has, in the last few years, spiraled out of control…”

Like every other conversation, true. Everything has turned into a religious war.

“I also care about getting the facts and science right. I believe environmental scientists, journalists, and activists have an obligation to describe environmental problems honestly and accurately, even if they fear doing so will reduce their news value or salience with the public.”

Because lying and exaggerating get you nowhere. You only lose credibility.

“Finally, Apocalypse Never offers a defense of what one might call mainstream ethics. It makes the moral case for humanism, of both secular and religious variants, against the anti-humanism of apocalyptic environmentalism.”

I’m looking forward to reading this. It’s far more inspiring than, “Humans are bad!” and “Let’s all live in dirt huts and eat ants!” Or making feel-good recycling and banning laws.

Want to read more? Check out: Nuclear Power & Vacations and Environmental Humanism: Hope