Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution–and How It Can Renew America
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Book Description
Thomas L. Friedman’s phenomenal number-one bestseller The World Is Flat has helped millions of readers to see the world in a new way. In his brilliant, essential new book, Friedman takes a fresh and provocative look at two of the largest challenges we face today: America’s surprising loss of focus and national purpose since 9/11; and the global environmental crisis, which is distressing everything from food to fuel to forests. In this groundbreaking account of where we stand now, he shows us how the solutions to these two huge problems are linked–how we can restore the world and revive America at the same time.
Friedman clarifies how global warming, rapidly growing populations, and the astonishing expansion of the world’s middle class through globalization have produced a planet that is “hot, flat, and crowded.” Already the planet is being affected in ways that threaten to make it dangerously unstable. In just a few years, it will be too late to fix things–unless the United States steps up now and takes the lead in a worldwide effort to replace our wasteful, inefficient energy practices with a strategy for clean energy, energy efficiency, and conservation that Friedman calls Code Green.
This is a fantastic challenge, Friedman clarifies, but also a fantastic opportunity, and one that America cannot afford to miss. Not only is American leadership the key to the healing of the planet; it is also our best strategy for the renewal of America.
In plain, entertaining chapters, Friedman makes it clear that the green revolution we need is like no revolution the world has seen. It will be the largest innovation project in American history; it will be hard, not simple; and it will change everything from what you place into your car to what you see on your electric bill. But the payoff for America will be more than just cleaner air. It will inspire Americans to something we haven’t seen in a long time–nation-building in America–by summoning the intelligence, creativity, boldness, and concern for the common excellent that are our nation’s greatest natural resources.
Hot, Flat, and Crowded is classic Thomas L. Friedman: fearless, sharp, forwards-looking, and rich in surprising common sense about the challenge–and the promise–of the future.
Thomas Friedman and Fareed Zakaria: Leader One-to-One
Fareed Zakaria: Your book is about two things, the climate crisis and also about an American crisis. Why do you link the two? 
Thomas Friedman: You’re absolutely right–it is about two things. The book says, America has a problem and the world has a problem. The world’s problem is that it’s getting hot, flat and crowded and that convergence–that perfect storm–is driving a lot of negative trends. America’s problem is that we’ve lost our way–we’ve lost our groove as a country. And the basic argument of the book is that we can solve our problem by taking the lead in solving the world’s problem.
Zakaria: Clarify what you mean by “hot, flat and crowded.”
Friedman: There is a convergence of basically three large forces: one is global warming, which has been going on at a very slow pace since the manufacturing revolution; the second–what I call the flattening of the world–is a metaphor for the rise of middle-class citizens, from China to India to Brazil to Russia to Eastern Europe, who are beginning to consume like Americans. That’s a blessing in so many ways–it’s a blessing for global stability and for global growth. But it has enormous resource complications, if all these people–whom you’ve written about in your book, The Post American World–start to consume like Americans. And finally, global population growth simply refers to the steady growth of population in all-purpose, but at the same time the growth of more and more people able to live this middle-class lifestyle. Between now and 2020, the world’s going to add another billion people. And their resource demands–at every level–are going to be enormous. I tell the tale in the book how, if we give each one of the next billion people on the planet just one sixty-watt incandescent light bulb, what it will mean: the answer is that it will require about 20 new 500-megawatt coal-burning power plants. That’s so they can each turn on just one light bulb!
Zakaria: In my book I talk about the “rise of the rest” and about the reality of how this rise of new powerful economic nations is completely changing the way the world works. Most everyone’s efforts have been devoted to Kyoto-like solutions, with the thought of getting western countries to lower their carbon dioxide emissions. But I grew to realize that the West was a sideshow. India and China will erect hundreds of coal-fire power plants in the next ten years and the combined carbon dioxide emissions of persons new plants alone are five times larger than the savings mandated by the Kyoto accords. What do you do with the Indias and Chinas of the world?
Friedman: I reflect there are two approaches. There has to be more understanding of the basic unfairness they feel. They feel like we sat down, had the hors d’oeuvres, ate the entrée, pretty much finished off the dessert, invited them for tea and coffee and then said, “Let’s split the bill.” So I know the huge sense of unfairness–they feel that now that they have a chance to grow and reach with large numbers a whole new standard of living, we’re basically telling them, “Your growth, and all the emissions it would add, is threatening the world’s climate.” At the same time, what I say to them–what I said to young Chinese most recently when I was just in China is this: Every time I come to China, young Chinese say to me, “Mr. Friedman, your country grew dirty for 150 years. Now it’s our turn.” And I say to them, “Yes, you’re absolutely right, it’s your turn. Grow as dirty as you want. Take your time. Because I reflect we probably just need about five years to invent all the new clean power technologies you’re going to need as you choke to death, and we’re going to come and sell them to you. And we’re going to clean your clock in the next fantastic global industry. So please, take your time. If you want to give us a five-year lead in the next fantastic global industry, I will take five. If you want to give us ten, that would be even better. In additional words, I know this is unfair, but I am here to tell you that in a world that’s hot, flat and crowded, ET–energy equipment–is going to be as huge an industry as IT–information equipment. Maybe even larger. And who claims that industry–whose country and whose companies dominate that industry–I reflect is going to delight in more national security, more economic security, more economic growth, a in excellent health population, and greater global respect, for that matter, as well. So you can sit back and say, it’s not honest that we have to compete in this new industry, that we should get to grow dirty for a while, or you can do what you did in telecommunications, and that is try to leap-frog us. And that’s really what I’m adage to them: this is a fantastic economic opportunity. The game is still open. I want my country to win it–I’m not sure it will.
Zakaria: I’m struck by the point you make about energy equipment. In my book I’m pretty optimistic about the United States. But the one area where I’m apprehensive is really ET. We do fantastically in biotech, we’re doing fantastically in nanotechnology. But none of these new technologies have the kind of system-wide effect that information equipment did. Energy does. If you want to find the next technological revolution you need to find an industry that transforms everything you do. Biotechnology affects one critical aspect of your day-to-day life, health, but not all of it. But energy–the consumption of energy–affects every human activity in the modern world. Now, my dread is that, of all the industries in the future, that’s the one where we’re not yet to be of the pack. Are we going to run second in this race?
Friedman: Well, I want to question you that, Fareed. Why do you reflect we haven’t led this industry, which itself has huge technological implications? We have all the secret sauce, all the technological prowess, to lead this industry. Why do you reflect this is the one area–and it’s enormous, it’s really going to dwarf all the others–where we haven’t been at the real cutting edge?
Continue reading the Q&A between Thomas Friedman and Fareed Zakaria
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Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RMK10X9GC0GJ4 CFR member, New York Times columnist , and Pulitzer Prize winning leader Thomas Friedman has come out with a thought
provoking book sure to stir up a lot of controversy. Is there truth in this book or is this just propaganda Friedman is
spitting out so his CFR and Bilderberg followers can profit off the “Green Movement” via carbon taxing, environmental
regulation, ect? Friedman contends that the United States most act now. Two or three years down the road will be
to late. I would like for nuclear and solar technologies to be developed, but I just don’t reflect they will ever be allowed
to be developed. I hope I am incorrect, but I just don’t see the elite globalist giving up an opportunity to profit off of carbon
taxing and carbon credits. I have seen proposals on how the huge banks and corporations can profit off of tracking and
taxing one’s carbon trace. One part of the book that I do not agree with and I judge the majority of the scientific
community will not agree with is that the planet is heating up. Global cooling is really occuring and it is going to
continue to occur for at least the next ten years. I am really surprised at some of the statements Friedman makes
about global warming. I go to a research university and none (yes none) of my professors reflect that global warming
is occuring. One may be interested to know that CO2 is a life gas, and the planet really can support much more of it.
I do not reflect that Friedman spends enough time discussing the cyclical scenery of global heating and cooling.
Friedman goes on to chat about why it is so vital for the United States to go to “Code Green”.
One should really investigate and study what Friedman says. Search for the truth, prove everything to yourself.
Don’t judge Friedman or judge me until you have checked things out yourself. It is my motto to permanently be learning
for as many hours of the day as I can. One thing I have learned over the years is to permanently question yourself who profits.
Following the money is usually the fastest to finding out what is really going on. If I may suggest two titles that have
helped my studies momentously. I would encourage one to check out Don’t Like to Read, Then Don’t, Listen!: How to Turn
Any Type of Text Into Audio Files That Can Be Read to You! I know that many individuals out there are like me and
would rather listen to material than have to read it themselves. I use programs like the one that is reading this review
to have books read to me. This is a god send for me. The title Getting Things Done, presents brilliant time / life
stlyle management strategies. One can get these titles on amazon.
Getting Things Done (isbn 0142000280)
Don’t Like to Read, Then Don’t, Listen!: How to Turn Any Type of Text Into Audio Files That Can Be Read to You! (isbn
978-1438252452)
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
Despite the fact this book is the best seller on Amazon, I disagree with many of his main points in this book.
Tom mentioned that in Sumatra, Indonesia, one energy practiced used conservation to foster the growth of rainforest. But Sumatra had a tsunami that killed 130,000 people in 2004.
Tom talked about China. China is developing a policy to lower carbon emission to meet Kyoto protocol. If you go to Beijing or Shanghai, the pollution is so terrible, you cannot even see the sky.
For China, it is all about the public image. They just talked, no actions. Pollution will only gets worse in China, not better in the next 10 years. Why? Because more people are buying cars, more industries…
How does the government lower carbons? It does not. The factory owner just pays off the government inspector. Then nothing happens. I am a Chinese American, I know.
What is a comprehensive energy policy? Drill, baby, drill, solar, or wind?
Obama has no clue how to do this. Yet he is about to become the president. McCain is the only one that has the comprehensive energy policy. Let me clarify why.
1. Drill oil in USA. With more green liberal lobbying in Washington DC, this will not work. They are permanently against the energy companies.
But a strong leader like McCain can possibly make this take place. The Democratic congress is the problem. They are permanently against anything that works. Palin did it in Alaska. She is brilliant!
With no drilling in USA, we are back to paying $5 per gallon very soon.
2. Issue new nuclear power plant licenses.
I know nobody likes nuclear especially the green people (for environment preservation). France is a country that is full of green people. They permanently argue and generally are negative about any comprehensive energy proposal. France does not have oil or gas. Totalfina is the only oil firm that imports heavily from Russia and Saudis.
But when it comes to paying high electric bills, gas bills, the answer is NO. As a result, there are currently 59 nuclear power plants operating in France. French are paying low electric bills than any country that I know. Nobody complaints even they live right next to one.
3. Harvest solar, wind, geothermal where it works. These alternate resources do not work all the time. Therefore, you need better storage equipment to make them work.
If you look at the engineering graduates in USA, you find they are less than 5%. Most graduates are business majors. They are interested building $, but not to do hard work such as engineering.
I do not see the equipment is being developed anytime soon. Mr. Obama, never went to engineering school. He does not know the difficulty to renovate solar storage equipment. He talked about using these resources. It will not work for 90% of the Americans.
4. Coal and oil imports will continue. Green people do not like it. ExxonMobil and coal companies will not be out of business anytime soon. This country does need energy resources. We have no choice until nuclear gets there.
Conclusion, green revolution is a pipe dream. Al Gore talked about green for years. He did not get elected. Tom Friedman used green to sell his book.
Most Americans are not familiar with the difficulty for getting green energy resources. If they know, this books is not worth reading.
Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
A far weep from the “World is Flat”. This book is very depressing.But, I guess a excellent way for Mr. Friedman to make a quick buck. Too terrible, I loved “The World is Flat”; but, much to my shock,with this one, Mr. Freidman’s credability has taken the last metaphoric tree out of the writers rain forest. Every registered democrat should read this book.
Every Republican, like myself, will be very disappointed.
Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
The main argument of this book is that gov’t should fund wind and solar energy and tax carbon energy. One reason for all this is global warming even though the Hadley Centre has reported that warming finished about 8 years ago despite China putting more new carbon pollution in the air each week than England normally does in a year. Another reason is that oil dollars finance terrorism. In truth, 9/11 would never have happened in a million years had the police simply followed up on the
first World Trade Center bombing and taken additional reasonable police/special forces actions far fleeting of launching two major wars both of which may prove hugely costly and unwinnable. The last reason for taxation and subsidy is economic growth. Mr. Friedman assumes the first nation to socialistically invent the in the offing solar/wind economy will dominate the 21 Century. This is a wild guess at best like all additional socialistic guesses that have on the breadline all the countries who presumed that gov’t bureaucrat monopolists or uppity intellectual authors could guess better than millions of people freely interacting in a free market. Why impoverish millions of Americans with even privileged gas prices when hedge funds, foreign gov’ts, and private companies are already investing billions in new energy sources? bje1000@aol.com
Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
The Kindle edition of this work lacks a usable pointer. The pointer is provided as a list of terms lacking section numbers that would correspond to pages. Selecting an pointer term defines it rather than between to it. Using search on terms provides different results than the printed pointer. For example, in the printed version, the term appliance is qualified with four subcategories that include 15 separate page listings and three multi-page sections. Querying “appliance” using Kindle search returns 9 pages of 53 instances of the term lacking differentiation or context additional than the few words surrounding the search term. In a book open in electronic format lacking standardized paging, pointer terms should be linked to their location inside the text.
Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5