Cary Neeper's Blog: Reviewing World-changing Nonfiction - Posts Tagged "life"

I just found Peter Ward’s second book Life As We Do Not Know It: The NASA Search For (and Synthesis of) Alien Life, New York and around the world, Penguin Group, 2005. In this book Ward considers life itself—what it is, where in the universe it might be, and however it might be re-invented here soon.

After I finish reading it, I might review Life... in more depth, but for now I‘m recommending it and its prequel Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe, Peter D. Ward and Donald Brownlee, New York, Springer-Verlag, 2000. Both books give us an in-depth, open arguments that make a lot of sense to me.

1) The authors’ Rare Earth Hypothesis is based on credible astronomical and biochemical possibilities, suggesting that microbial life is easy “...to evolve from non life...and...should be found widely throughout habitable planets and moons in the cosmos, while complex animals and plants are very rare. Not only are they relatively fragile, requiring “narrow environmental conditions to survive,” they need long-term stability in habitable conditions in order to evolve.

Rare Earth was disliked by SETI and science fiction fans, who ignored the book’s emphasis on the observation that “...simple life should be common.” Ward and Brownlee argued that a long period of habitability required for the evolution of complex, large, oxygen-powered animals was made difficult by a long list of astronomical accidents and “...new information from oceanography, geology and paleontology” that has created the new science called astrobiology.

I’m looking forward to finishing Life As We Do No Know It because Peter Ward is a realist. He readily explores all the options he can muster. In Rare Earth he and Brownlee note that the huge numbers of stars and “their inevitable planets” make the existence of the “intelligent civilizations [in the universe] a near inevitability.” However, the huge distances and time considerations make any contact, even detection, between such civilizations highly unlikely. I believe Carl Sagan did us no favors with his optimism, though the continued SETI search is certainly worth doing, IF we can afford the resources it requires. A big IF as we consider our limits.

As a realist, Ward begins Life... by observing that the universe is so large and diverse, it is “...reasonable to suppose that all manners of life are possible,” but it is also possible that there “...might not be anything except carbon based life-forms, [and] DNA might not be ...just one way but the only way.” We are a sample of one, but we’ve learned enough about physics, astronomy and biochemistry in the last few decades to be realistic about both diverse universality and down-to-Earth chemical probabilities.

I look forward to finishing Ward’s consideration of what life is, here, there and soon to be reinvented. In many labs around the world, scientists are using a variety of approaches to recreate life—everything from re-inventing from scratch to imitating how selection working with self-organizing properties of matter (Some call it the hand of God.) precipitated life on Earth.
Life as We Do Not Know It: The NASA Search for (and Synthesis of) Alien Life
Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe

A remarkable book in its thorough questioning as Lane makes his case that we are all alike, except our friends and enemies the bacteria and archaea. Plants, animals, humans, fungi and protists all share similar cells--the eukaryotes--which were able to evolve into complex beings, unlike the bacteria and archaea, which got stuck in their successful niches, expanding but not changing much.

Lane explains in detail why the first living beings on Earth probably got going in the alkaline hydrothermal vents deep in the oceans. There is where energy could drive what was needed. Then came symbiosis to some simple living cells--they engulfed and shared genes and energy talents with mitochondria and (probably later) chloroplasts. As a result, they became more and more complex over the ages.

Lanes' exciting theories are well worth the effort, reading along with the bioenergy-thought processes he believes gave us this precious life. Full review at http://astronaut.com/whos-life-may-rare/

Blue Future: Protecting Water For People and the Planet Forever by Maude Barlow, New York , The New Press, 2013.
Of all the issues that drive us and disturb us, this one strikes the closest to home. Without water, we simply cannot live, hence access to water is a right that must be protected.

Rivers and lakes ignore political boundaries and, so far, "...international water disputes--even among fierce enemies--have generally been resolved peacefully..." In these times of threatening overpopulation and its stresses, we must guard the "300 arguments between states around shared rivers.”

Tap water problems have led to overuse of bottled water with its plastic clogging the seas, while big money profiteers from its sale, which undermines its availability as a right. “It is crucial [the author says] that nations ratify the [1997] UN Convention on The Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses to secure the future and resolve conflicts. In 2006 The World Wildlife Fund campaigned for this Law’s ratification. It is now signed by 36 countries and was “…brought into force” On August 17, 2014.

No issue seems more important than this. It’s never too late to encourage others to respect this urgent right to life’s basic need. This readable book should be required reading for all politicians and businesses.

Blue Future: Protecting Water For People and the Planet Forever by Maude Barlow, New York , The New Press, 2013.
The thesis of this book: Of all the issues that drive us and disturb us, this one strikes the closest to home. Without water, we simply cannot live, hence access to water is a right that must be protected.

Rivers and lakes ignore political boundaries and, so far, "...international water disputes--even among fierce enemies--have generally been resolved peacefully..." In these times of threatening overpopulation and its stresses, we must guard the "300 arguments between states around shared rivers.”

Tap water problems have led to overuse of bottled water; its plastic is clogging the seas, while big money profiteers from its sale, which undermines its availability as a right. “It is crucial [the author says] that nations ratify the [1997] UN Convention on The Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses to secure the future and resolve conflicts. In 2006 The World Wildlife Fund campaigned for this Law’s ratification. It is now signed by 36 countries and was “…brought into force” On August 17, 2014.

No issue seems more important than this. It’s never too late to encourage others to respect this urgent right to life’s basic need. This readable book should be required reading for all politicians and businesses.

by Denis Hayes and Gail Bapu Hayes, New York, W.W.Norton + Co., 2015.

The title says it all--almost. The impact is much larger than we have imagined. In startling detail, the Hayes describe the harm we have done to our country and ourselves by tolerating the overproduction and cruel practices used to create beef, and veal, and milk.

The authors illustrate sensitive ways to raise cattle, providing them with longer, productive lives. They quote Temple Grandin, reminding us how she has instructed the industry in humane practices. A few pages are devoted to the clear hormonal evidence for bovine emotion and suffering--their sentience, which we can no longer deny. Their conclusions are clear: we must eat less beef and do away with feed lots.
Several excellent pages are devoted to the work of Allan Savory, who has restored thousands of deserts in Africa, turning them into green grazing lands by “holistic management” of cattle grazing land. The Hayes point out lessons learned—1) that some deserts are natural and needed to reflect some solar heat and 2) that the complexity of restoring grass lands requires due diligence in watching the ground and keeping the herds moving continuous, as they did in the early days of Africa.

Perhaps the most revealing notes are the author’s summary of how big business and money have taken over corn, “grain facilities”, and meatpacking. These “…giant interests have funded the campaign of both Republicans and Democrats. Hence small farmers supported the “candidate who promised to kick the government off the farm”

Do read this book. You’ll eat less beef, if any.

Degrowth in the Suburbs: A Radical Urban Imagery by Samuel Alexander and Branden Gleeson, Singapore, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.

In order to face the consequences of global warming and to find a secure, orderly future, we need to find a way for everyone (not just scientists or academicians) to understand and act on our real options. Therefore, I recommend this book, beyond page 16, as a thorough review of the causes, many of the options, and the changes needed to prevent the most tragic consequences we now face. In my lay-readers’ view, the introduction and first pages of this book were not helpful, overloaded with curt generalizations and jargon that provide no information and require careful interpretation. The rest of the book is quite readable, valuable in its urgency and thorough treatment of our current dilemma.

The reader will find the bulk of recommendations and conclusions very similar to those published by Herman Daly in the 1970’s, developed over the years, and currently presented in short articles published on steadystate.org by Brian Czech and others. Degrowth in the Suburbs provides helpful confirmation of steadystate theory and its practice, as portrayed in my series, The Archives of Varok, but Daly’s work is not cited in the long references cited at the end of each chapter.

One question arose in the first chapter. The word “neoliberal” was not defined other than relating it to neglecting “…the centrality or urbanization to the creation of value.” At the end of the book another reference was made to the “…neoliberal falacies like the ‘liveable city.’” The authors don’t provide details, but I assume they are referring to the neoliberal (?) idea that energy use per capita is or can be much smaller in large cities simply because the distance between people is less. Thus, centralized food distribution and public transport requires less energy. The authors don’t address the fact that cities are still growing and, in any case, will need to increase efficiency until they can disperse to “degrowth in the suburbs.” The authors don’t address how that major puzzle cold be solved.

Nothing else is neglected in this book’s thorough descriptions of how we can degrow and use less energy--the two major themes in the book. In chapter 2 on the “Energy Descent Future” the authors remind us why nuclear and renewable sources of energy will probably not be enough. They summarize the rise of hi-energy use in industry and agriculture, discuss the concept of Peak Oil, and suggest that it is too late for carbon sequestering. A book published in 2011 (“Life Without Oil: Why We Must Shift to a New Energy Future” by Steve Hallett and John Wright, New York, Prometheus Books) agrees.

Chapter 3 provides a nice summary of nuclear energy problems, and presents a good case that “techno-optimism is misguided.” Wind and solar energy will help, but both have storage problems, and nothing will solve our “private car addiction.” We need public transport powered by renewables and lower mobility, while transcending the “growth paradigm.” A redoing of banking is in order to ”…disconnect economic growth from energy consumption” with “…planned economic contractions, increased localization, broader distribution of wealth and judicious deindustrialization…” (Chapter 4)

The authors declare that such changes won’t be done by governments. They must be done in the “social-cultural sphere.” The authors suggest that we look at the Transition Towns Movement and the Eco-Village Movement. Chapter 5 continues by suggesting voluntary simplicity, low-impact practices, reduction of energy demand, use of solar ovens (which my daughter finds delightful in Indianapolis). Don’t fly. Don’t eat meat or dairy. Transition Initiatives mean eating local food, permaculture, and giving up cars. “Consumerism does not satisfy the human craving for meaning.”

Chapter 6 gives us a view of what 2038 could look like, given these suggestions. Water capture, waste composted and used, with food grown our your own plot would mean the end of corporations and obesity. Farming jobs would increase, as would the fix-it-yourself paradigm. Reuse and sharing would increase and local coins would be reinvented and used. Voluntary simplicity would “defeat capitalism.”

Governing policies are discussed in Chapter 7. “Principles of justice, self-limitations and ecological democracy” call for degrowth. GDP is known to be a poor measure. The use of resources would need to be limited. This should also reduce labor hours. Government should provide public transportation and health care. Forests would be revived. Banks would be regulated again. Wealth and estate taxes could provide local housing for those in need. A basic income or negative income tax of 3% could level the playing field for the poor.

If you have fretted, as I have, about how we are to make the transition to a more stable future from our current habits of energy overuse and population overgrowth, do read this book. The ideas are not new, but they echo with splendid detail the work done since the 1970s. Herman Daly and many authors, of both ficiton and non-fiction, have seen the dangers coming and now agree on many of the basics, regardless of political positions once held.

The Real Cost of Fracking: How America's Shale Gas Boom Is Threatening Our Families, Pets, and Food“The Real Cost of Fracking” by Michelle Bamberger and Robert Oswald, Boston, Beacon Press, 2014.
For an excellent summary of the reason for fracking, its usefulness, and its abuses, read and study this book’s Introduction.

For the technical details on how gas drilling is done, its geology, the drilling and fracking processes, the chemistry, and the effect on aquifers and communities, read the Appendix on page 181ff.

The individual chapters focus on personal histories, the destruction of property, the pay-offs for silence about procedures, and the creation of unsafe drinking water. All are told in agonizing detail by several families who have experienced the loss of their property and sane living.


Weird Life: The Search for Life That Is Very, Very Different from Our Own“Weird Life--The Search For Life That is Very, Very Different From Our Own,” by David Toomey, W.W.Norton, New York, 2014.

Do read the Preface for a brief history of the discovery of life’s diversity and complexity. The rest of the book explores weirdness in life that is “not descended” from ancestral life on Earth

After considering extremeophiles, the author discusses life’s origins, its definition, possible locations, and means of becoming. I found his descriptions of Mars, Europa and Titan interesting, as are his definitions of life, its evidence, and its chemical complexity