An important book with brilliant solutions

Gaia Vince has written am important book in which it is proposed that since we as a species are failing to combat climate change we must prepare to do what comes natural to us: migrate. Nomad century describes how billions will be forced to move and how we can use this to create more resilient societies that become stronger due to migration not despite it.

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The author’s optimism

Gaia knows her subject but like so many others when it comes to solutions she says nothing that has not been said many times before by other well meaning writers, scientists and others.Her emphasis of course is on migration viewing it as a positive overall something not shared by many in the U.K.,Ireland, Croatia and those US states on the Mexican border to name but a few.

When Gaia suggests that “we” should welcome migrants and seek to resolve the climate issues that are causing so many to flee their mainly drought ridden homelands she does not define who she encompasses within that subject pronoun.Just how are we get Russia,Saudi Arabia, China and numerous other countries with severe climate, demographic and other problems of their own to co operate , assuming the likes of Mr Putin would want to, with “us” by taking more migrants ( do they want to go to those countries where freedom is in short supply ?).It seems she is saying that the free world as we know it should open its arms to migrants even if other more regimented societies do not.
Gaia is well meaning but regretfully in a world of opposing political systems and enormous inequality within and between nation states it is doubtful anyone who matters will heed her call- regretfully.

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Excellent and positive overview of the challenges

It would be easy to dismiss this book as overly utopian but that would be lazy and wrong. There is no doubt we face massive climate change related challenges as a specie, anyone who tells you otherwise is motivated by libertarian ideology or/and short term financial gain.

In her book Gaia explains the issues we face clearly and calmly, outlines possible solutions and sets out a case for urgent and radical action on a range of fronts. As she says, one of the key issues is whether we act now or wait for massive, unprecedented disasters to kill millions and drastically reduce the quality of life for many more. Her media skills and experience also make her an excellent reader.

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essential discussion on migration and climate

Having listened to Gaia being interviewed on many podcasts about her book I thought this book would be solely a out population and migration. That is why I bought the book and its what I feel needs discussing more than almost any subject in the climate space as it will succeed of fail based on how well people understand the need for free movement around the world for climate adaptation and future prosperity. However, Gaia has also done one of the most comprehensive dives into just about all the other climate solutions we need to think about.
If you are interested in imagining a better future you have to read this. I have been buried in the climate world for well over a decade now and this is an excellent and current appraisal of where we are now, what our options are and also what we need to do to successfully address climate. Read it for that, but read it more for the discussion on population and migration.

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Too altruistic

Gaia says that migration is our natural survival instinct and does briefly mention how ancient migrations almost or totally replaced males but doesn’t go into details of what horrors that must have entailed. And then she discuss how we haven’t reduced carbon output despite knowing the consequences for decades but assumed the northern hemisphere would accept and welcome billions of migrants. She could at least have devoted more time to give the alternative scenario of how life would be in the north if we didn’t allow mass migration. Like zero carbon, it’s a nice idea but humans are too selfish to allow it until there is no other option

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2 people found this helpful

Pro Migration Propaganda

Good reading voice.

However blinkered over politicised content, not really about nomadism - it’s about migration and the author really isn’t shy about how wonderful she thinks it is.

It’s hard to understand how someone has been so over-educated as to become completely blind to any nuance of the human condition not captured by homo-economicus.

There is certainly a lot to be said for the benefits of open migration, but here you will find no acknowledgement of the costs.

Blind youthful idealism keeps us all charging into the future.

I am interested by one point she made about the structure of social networks in cities, food for thought will have to look into that more.

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