Well, the first review is in: The venerable Publishers Weekly, reaching thousands of publishers, librarians, writers, folks in print, film and other media, as well as agents, has given a thumbs up. The review notes that the book “…takes a broad look at efforts to combat the effects of climate change and finds much that is encouraging.” Later, it characterizes the book as “…a helpful synopsis of the world’s efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.”
I might add that the book has garnered two early endorsements of which I’m especially proud. One is from Bill McKibben and the other is from Elizabeth Kolbert. These are, for my money, the two best writers out there on the environment and climate change. Bill has this to say: “Amidst the (entirely warranted) gloom of rapidly advancing climate change, there are rays of light–and Bill Hewitt has followed them all. This book makes clear that we lack neither the technology nor the policy necessary to deal with global warming, merely the political will. And that, happily, we can create if we want!” Betsy adds “A Newer World is a thoughtful, timely, and ultimately hopeful book.”
I should add that the critique that the PW review has about my conflating mountain-top removal mining and mangrove forest destruction is a bit off the mark because I spend several pages on problems associated with deforestation in the section titled “The War on the Forests.” These two are discussed along with boreal forest destruction in the context of tar sands extraction, and peatlands and rainforest destruction in Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia for cattle, soy and palm oil.

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