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The Seasons Alter: How to Save Our Planet in Six Acts
As the icecaps melt and the sea levels rise around the globe—threatening human existence as we know it—climate change has become one of the most urgent and controversial issues of our time. For most people, however, trying to understand the science, politics, and arguments on either side can be dizzying, leading to frustrating and unproductive debates.
Now, in this groundbreaking new work, two of our most renowned thinkers present the realities of global warming in the most human of terms—everyday conversation—showing us how to convince even the most stubborn of skeptics as to why we need to act now. Indeed, through compelling Socratic dialogues, Philip Kitcher and Evelyn Fox Keller tackle some of the thorniest questions facing mankind today:
Is climate change real?
Is climate change as urgent as the “scientists” make it out to be?
How much of our current way of life should we sacrifice to help out a generation that won’t even be born for another hundred years?
Who would pay for the enormous costs of making the planet "green?"
What sort of global political arrangement would be needed for serious action?
These crucial questions play out through familiar circumstances, from an older husband and wife considering whether they should reduce their carbon footprint, to a first date that evolves into a passionate discussion about whether one person can actually make a difference, to a breakfast that becomes an examination over whether or not global warming is really happening. Entertaining, widely accessible, and thoroughly original, the result promises to inspire dialogue in many places, while also giving us a line of reasoning that explodes the so-far impenetrable barriers of obfuscation that have surrounded the discussion.
While the Paris Agreement was an historic achievement that brought solutions within the realm of possibility, The Seasons Alter is a watershed book that will show us how to make those possibilities a reality.
Now, in this groundbreaking new work, two of our most renowned thinkers present the realities of global warming in the most human of terms—everyday conversation—showing us how to convince even the most stubborn of skeptics as to why we need to act now. Indeed, through compelling Socratic dialogues, Philip Kitcher and Evelyn Fox Keller tackle some of the thorniest questions facing mankind today:
Is climate change real?
Is climate change as urgent as the “scientists” make it out to be?
How much of our current way of life should we sacrifice to help out a generation that won’t even be born for another hundred years?
Who would pay for the enormous costs of making the planet "green?"
What sort of global political arrangement would be needed for serious action?
These crucial questions play out through familiar circumstances, from an older husband and wife considering whether they should reduce their carbon footprint, to a first date that evolves into a passionate discussion about whether one person can actually make a difference, to a breakfast that becomes an examination over whether or not global warming is really happening. Entertaining, widely accessible, and thoroughly original, the result promises to inspire dialogue in many places, while also giving us a line of reasoning that explodes the so-far impenetrable barriers of obfuscation that have surrounded the discussion.
While the Paris Agreement was an historic achievement that brought solutions within the realm of possibility, The Seasons Alter is a watershed book that will show us how to make those possibilities a reality.
288 pages, ebook
First published April 18, 2017
About the author
Philip Kitcher
39 books34 followersPhilip Kitcher is John Dewey Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University. He was the first recipient of the American Philosophical Association's Prometheus Prize for his work to expand the frontiers of science and philosophy.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 1, 2017
I would enjoy seeing this performed as a play. This was difficult to read because it did seem depressing at times (can we really pull this off?). I worry this won't hold the interest of a climate change naysayer, but it certainly offers some optimism (which is different from most articles you read in the news).
September 14, 2022
Se trata de un libro díficil de leer, por lo menos para mi. Es un ensayo sobre cómo afrontar el debate sobre el Cambio Climático, pero no es un texto científico ni político, sino más bien filosófico. El libro presenta 6 escenarios diferentes, en forma de diálogo, en el que siempre hay una persona que argumenta porqué hay que actuar inmediatamente para frenar el sobrecalentamiento del planeta, y luego hay otra persona, que escucha y debate los argumentos que plantea su contrincante. En el libro no vas a encontrar datos sobre los efectos negativos del calentamiento globar ni de cuando se van a producir. Para muchos existen en la actualidad, problemas mucho más importante que el Cambio Climático que solucionar, ya que consideran que el futuro es algo muy lejano, y no está tan claro que vaya a producirse ninguna catastrofe. Los dialógos, van planteando diferentes escenarios, de pensamiento, y de como afrontar esos puntos desde el punto de vista, digamos, filosófico. Es una lectura, que puede servir para argumentar de una forma concreta, ya me gustaría que lo leyeran muchos de los que se sientan en las famosas cumbres del Cambio Clímático.
May 22, 2019
Es un libro mal escrito que se lee muy bien. Tiene ideas muy buenas y novedosas y otras como de los noventa. Vale la pena si quieres enterarte de forma sencilla de por dónde ha ido (e irá) el debate sobre cambio climático.
May 21, 2021
Aunque seguramente para todos aquellos que saben un poco de cambio climático no haya información nueva, las herramientas que te da para crear una conversación educada y poder expresar lo que esta pasando de una manera que cualquiera pueda entender es increible.
January 18, 2022
At first, I found the format (a series of dialogues between two imaginary people) infantilizing and off-putting. But, I guess it works fine. The book explains climate science in an accessible way. Its purpose is to encourage all of us to have a more open discussion about climate change - without losing our temper, and without 'shaming' people who may be misinformed, suspicious, or unsure of what to believe. It seeks to create the possibility for a calm, diplomatic dialogue about climate change policies, while being explicit about the urgency of the matter throughout. A little overboard with the 'non-violent' communication, but good book overall.
December 20, 2020
Best argumented book I've ever read.
Many times I miss rational people with whom to talk about important matters, and not people who systematically think you are being technical when they just live in their personal utopia, asking for things but without bringing proposals to made their illusory dreams come true. I think we need more people who argue scientifically and not talking about just beliefs.
This book, with 6 "socratic" conversations, offers both sides of the same dilemma and how to argue with someone who is not really sure about the truth of the climatic change or about the need of acting now.
Many times I miss rational people with whom to talk about important matters, and not people who systematically think you are being technical when they just live in their personal utopia, asking for things but without bringing proposals to made their illusory dreams come true. I think we need more people who argue scientifically and not talking about just beliefs.
This book, with 6 "socratic" conversations, offers both sides of the same dilemma and how to argue with someone who is not really sure about the truth of the climatic change or about the need of acting now.
July 31, 2017
I would give the content of the information a 4 or 5/5 but I could not get into this book at all. The prologue was written as dystopian fiction and the rational and calm dialogue was, for me, highly distracting. Yes, these are discussions we need to have a great points were raised across the book about climate change but I could not get over the format.
May 8, 2018
I found the information straightforward, and I appreciate that the dialogue format and the use of illustrations within those dialogues made the information that much more accessible. What I enjoyed most about this book is that is upfront about how much scientists don't know about the changing climate but puts that inability to predict changes precisely into the context of the ethical discussions around preventing climate change from being worse. If you come to this book looking for a laundry list of individual behavior changes to lower your carbon footprint, you won't find many, but if you want an introduction into the broader debates about who is responsible to whom for taking action on climate change, this is a pretty accessible primer.
August 22, 2018
Written in a dialogical style, this book provides an extremely accessible introduction to the problem of climate change, focusing as much or more on political, ethical, and philosophical issues as on the science. A careless read of this book may lead one to be disappointed at its apparent lack of depth, but rest assured -- the authors are top-notch philosophers of science and they provide a wide range of excellent bibliographical references that will help the reader learn more. Ideal as a textbook (along with others) for an interdisciplinary course on climate change, or as a gift for your favorite climate change skeptic friend. A model for how the conversations we need to have with each other should take place. I enjoyed this book quite a lot.
October 14, 2020
Obsolete
Renewable energy is now less expensive than fossil fuels. Electric vehicles are taking over the market. Low interest enables a change over. There is no longer a reason to use fossil fuels. And, incidentally, no reason for a very intrusive government program. Maybe a carbon tax or carbon trading.
Renewable energy is now less expensive than fossil fuels. Electric vehicles are taking over the market. Low interest enables a change over. There is no longer a reason to use fossil fuels. And, incidentally, no reason for a very intrusive government program. Maybe a carbon tax or carbon trading.
June 10, 2017
Fifty pages (maybe?) of information spread out into perfectly rational dialogue. Assumptions are made, debates are had and (looking bored), pages are turned. In the end, the answer is a global democracy advised and run by approved experts.
Read
April 12, 2022A good, fast read, skit-style writing. Gives good points in making conversation with others - both about the science, and about the motivations. The six acts:
1. Is it real?
2. So what?
3. Why care?
4. What can be done?
5. Who pays?
6. A new politics?
1. Is it real?
2. So what?
3. Why care?
4. What can be done?
5. Who pays?
6. A new politics?
October 1, 2018
Confronting, worthwhile to read.
February 7, 2021
So good! A lot of information!
March 16, 2021
“Y vimos cambiar las estaciones” (Philip Kitcher, Errata Naturae)
Errata Naturae es un ejemplo, incluso ideológico, en sus decisiones editoriales respecto a la lucha por la sostenibilidad del medio ambiente. Todos sabemos, son públicos y conocidos, los compromisos que adquirieron tras el confinamiento, con claras apuestas por mejoras laborales, el planeta y la sociedad en busca de esas mejoras sociales y medioambientales. También, dentro de su catálogo, destacan colecciones más naturalistas como “Libros salvajes”, donde aparece este volumen.
Un mano a mano entre dos escritores, dos protagonistas, de seis charlas que intentan desentrañar las realidades e incógnitas del devastador cambio climático que nos asola. Seis partidas entre dos personajes, Jo y Joe, que debaten y confrontan, informan con datos y cuestionan dudas. Seis parcelas de combate dialéctico muy revelador, con mucha información y datos incuestionables.
Muy instructivo, didáctico, ideal para mostrar a un gran publico esta tremenda realidad que nos amenaza invisible. ¿Os suena?
Errata Naturae es un ejemplo, incluso ideológico, en sus decisiones editoriales respecto a la lucha por la sostenibilidad del medio ambiente. Todos sabemos, son públicos y conocidos, los compromisos que adquirieron tras el confinamiento, con claras apuestas por mejoras laborales, el planeta y la sociedad en busca de esas mejoras sociales y medioambientales. También, dentro de su catálogo, destacan colecciones más naturalistas como “Libros salvajes”, donde aparece este volumen.
Un mano a mano entre dos escritores, dos protagonistas, de seis charlas que intentan desentrañar las realidades e incógnitas del devastador cambio climático que nos asola. Seis partidas entre dos personajes, Jo y Joe, que debaten y confrontan, informan con datos y cuestionan dudas. Seis parcelas de combate dialéctico muy revelador, con mucha información y datos incuestionables.
Muy instructivo, didáctico, ideal para mostrar a un gran publico esta tremenda realidad que nos amenaza invisible. ¿Os suena?
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews