Half-Earth Socialism: A Plan to Save the Future from Extinction, Climate Change, and Pandemics
About this audiobook
A plan to save the earth and bring the good life to all
In this thrilling and capacious book, Troy Vettese and Drew Pendergrass challenge the inertia of capitalism and the left alike and propose a radical plan to address climate disaster and guarantee the good life for all. Consumption in the global North can’t continue unabated, and we must give up the idea that humans can fully control the Earth through technological “fixes” that only wreak further havoc.
Rather than allow the forces of the free market to destroy the planet, we must strive for a post-capitalist society able to guarantee the good life for the entire planet. This plan, which they call Half-Earth Socialism, means we must:
- Rewild half the Earth to absorb carbon emissions and restore biodiversity,- Pursue a rapid transition to renewable energy, paired with drastic cuts in consumption by the world’s wealthiest populations,- Enact global veganism to cut down on energy and land use,- Inaugurate worldwide socialist planning to efficiently and equitably manage production, and- Welcome the participation of everyone—even you!
Accompanied by a climate-modelling website inviting readers to design their own “half earth,” Vettese and Pendergrass offer us a visionary way forward—and our only hope for a future.
About the author
Troy Vettese is an environmental historian and a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute, where he is affiliated with the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies. He studies the history of environmental economics, energy, and animal life under capitalism. His writing has appeared in Bookforum, New Left Review, the London Guardian, n+1, and the Boston Review.
Drew Pendergrass is a PhD student in Environmental Engineering at Harvard University. His current research uses satellite, aircraft, and surface observations of the environment to correct supercomputer models of the atmosphere. His environmental writing has been published in Harper’s magazine, the Guardian, Jacobin, and Current Affairs.
Paul Heitsch has been narrating audiobooks since 2011, after having worked as a pianist, composer, recording engineer, producer, and sound designer for many years. His work is often cited for the authenticity he brings to the narrative and characters he portrays, as well as his versatility, and clear, smooth delivery. He has been a presenter at several webinars and seminars for the Audiobook Publishing Association and SAG-AFTRA.
