Inheritors of the Earth by Chris D. Thomas
This book explores how plant and animal life can adapt to the Anthropocene epoch and is “improbably optimistic” about the future of the earth in the face of a rapidly changing climate, as Elizabeth Kolbert puts it on the back cover.
Inheritors of the Earth by Chris D. Thomas
9 used from $15.24
Amazon.com
This explanation of how humans affect the environment is well-written, sensible, and intelligent. It demonstrates logically both the foolishness of trying to preserve the natural world’s current state and the conceit of people who believe that the current state of affairs should continue indefinitely. It gives a thorough overview of how the natural world has changed over time (both long and short term) and examines how it might change in the future, with or without assistance from humanity, for example, by reducing the consequences of climate change. Regarding the studies cited, this book has numerous footnotes and is very well-referenced.
He’s an expert naturalist who is demonstrating that evolution never ends and that animals, plants, and microorganisms are already adjusting to climate change, which is actually boosting biological diversity in many regions. He acknowledges the catastrophes created by humans (we ate the mammoths, and our buddies the rats ate many, many flightless birds), but he also makes the point that species are evolving all over the place as a result of our CO2 emissions and worldwide transportation. It’s motivating!
