The End of Doom

July 1, 2015

Bailey (science, Reason magazine; Ecoscam), in what's sure to be a controversial book, disputes claims that the world has reached peak population, peak oil, and peak land usage. Armed with statistics from BP, ExxonMobil, and U.S. government entities, Bailey picks apart well-known ideas from leading environmentalists such as Bill McKibben, Lester Brown, and organizations such as, to use the author's term, the alarmist Worldwatch Institute. He seems to have a vendetta against Rachel Carson (Silent Spring), whom he frequently blames as a doom-and-gloom instigator, especially in his chapter challenging the idea that doctors and scientists are battling a evolving cancer epidemic. Bailey claims the only path to sustainable growth lies in free-market capitalism and that developing countries can cope with climate change better if they increase their means. Written for a wealthy, Western audience concerned with economic improvement, Bailey's anecdotes, such as a woman choosing between taking an Aspen vacation or remodeling her kitchen, may not resonate with some. VERDICT Recommended for politically right-leaning readers interested in examining environmental issues from all possible angles.--Venessa Hughes, Buffalo, NY

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