Loving This Planet - by Helen Caldicott (Paperback)

About the Book

Ever since quitting her job teaching pediatrics at Harvard Medical School in 1980, Helen Caldicott has worked tirelessly for a safe, sustainable, nuclear-free planet, most recently by hosting a weekly radio show featuring environmentalists and leading activists from around the globe.
Together with some of the most brilliant thinkers and inspiring advocates of our time, Caldicott--whom Meryl Streep has called "my inspiration to speak out"--scrutinizes our unsustainable dependence on nuclear energy; explores how the United States could transition to renewable energy; and raises awareness about a host of other planetary issues, from deforestation and sea-level rise to nuclear arms and the potential health effects of cell phone radiation. Extending well beyond the scope of conventional environmental discussions, these stirring conversations give us Martin Sheen on grassroots movements and unionized labor; Chris Hedges on the costs of standing up for your morals; and award-winning actress Lily Tomlin on contemporary politics, in a sarcastic and witty exchange that is at once hilarious and inspiring.
"Loving This Planet" offers an accessible overview of the chief environmental and social issues of our time and includes captivating interviews with twenty-five contributors, including Maude Barlow, Bill McKibben, Jonathan Schell, Daniel Ellsberg, and Bob Herbert, among others.

Book Synopsis

Conversations on sustainability, renewable energy, and other pressing issues: "A level of intellectual discussion all too absent in our national discourse." --Booklist

A co-founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, named one of the most influential women of the twentieth century by the Smithsonian Institute, Helen Caldicott presents a valuable collection of her interviews with prominent figures and environmentalists--in which she:

*Scrutinizes our unsustainable dependence on nuclear energy
*Explores how the United States could transition to renewable energy
*Raises awareness about issues such as deforestation and sea-level rise

Extending well beyond the scope of conventional environmental discussions, this book gives us Martin Sheen on grassroots movements and unionized labor; Chris Hedges on the costs of standing up for your morals; and award-winning actress Lily Tomlin on contemporary politics, in a sarcastic and witty exchange at once hilarious and inspiring--and also includes interviews with Maude Barlow, Bill McKibben, Jonathan Schell, Daniel Ellsberg, Lester Brown, Frances Fox Piven, Bob Herbert, and more.

"A treasure trove of anecdotes featuring high-profile politicians, academics, and celebrities . . . Surprising statistics about nuclear waste storage, rising sea levels, and military spending serve as an alarm, but Caldicott and her collaborators also offer many innovative solutions." --Publishers Weekly

"God bless Helen Caldicott." --Los Angeles Times

Review Quotes

"The book is a treasure trove of anecdotes featuring high-profile politicians, academics, and celebrities, including Martin Sheen, Lily Tomlin, Bob Herbert, and Lester Brown. . . .Alongside the celebrity sightings runs the thread of a growing urgency to change our energy, environmental, and military policies in the United States and on a global scale. Surprising statistics about nuclear waste storage, rising sea levels, and military spending serve as an alarm, but Caldicott and her collaborators also offer many innovative solutions."
--Publishers Weekly

"Without fail, Caldicott asks thoughtful, deeply nuanced questions, and her subjects respond with intense and often personal reflections on many important issues. With a level of intellectual discussion all too absent in our national discourse, this is a worthy collection that educates with each turn of the page."
--Booklist

About the Author

Lannan Award winner Dr. Helen Caldicott is a co-founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility and was named one of the most influential women of the twentieth century by the Smithsonian Institute. She is the author of numerous books, including Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer (The New Press). She lives in Australia.