Hot, Flat and Crowded

Title: Hot, Flat and Crowded

Author: Thomas L Friedman

Publisher: Allen Lane 2008 (First)

ISBN: 978-1-846-14163-8

Pages: 412

A hot, environmental piece! As the climate is warming and sea levels set to rise, we indeed require books like these to warn and gently goad us into action, at least those whom, whose actions would make a change. Friedman is a foreign-affairs columnist for the New York Times, is a three-time Pulitzer Prize-winner and the author of a number of books on environmental issues. With the clarity of presentation which typifies an accomplished journalist, Friedman covers various aspects of the mess into which the globalized world has got into. Due to global warming, the world has become HOT, fruits of globalization has levelled the barriers which existed between societies, thus making the world FLAT, and the burgeoning population make it CROWDED! The logic behind the title is exemplary.

Energy conservation is not at all an issue for Americans, both public and politicians alike. Immediately after the oil shock of 1973, there were some measures in this direction, particularly the requirement of a minimum mileage of 27.5 miles/gallon. But, these half-hearted measures were quietly sidelined in the mid-1980s when oil prices plummeted. Globalization has ushered in a new era where many parts of the world, China, India, Brazil being some of them are rapidly progressing in industry and wealth. Soon, they may achieve comparable living standards as the Americans. However, if the emergent societies are bent on imitating the wasteful style of the U.S. society, trouble awaits them at every corner. There are five issues arising out of increased consumption. They are, 1) growing demand for scarce energy supplies and natural resources 2) massive transfer of wealth to oil-rich countries and their petro-dictators 3) disruptive climate change 4) energy poverty and 5) accelerating bio-diversity loss. The world should focus more on fuels from heaven, such as renewable sources like wind and solar whereas fuels from hell, like coal and oil should be phased out.

We have moved into a new era by 2000 which may be called the Energy-Climate era. Our years are numbered on this era which also spells out the imperative for us to be vigilant to extravagant use of natural resources. The author emphasizes that Code Green, the initiative to make cleaner, cheaper and abundant technologies are mandatory. A new system should be put into place in the place of the dirty fossil fuel economy where three components would predominate, 1) ability to provide clean, abundant, reliable and cheap electricity 2) increased energy efficiency so that inputs can be minimized and 3) improved conservation measures. The passing buck would stop first on electricity utility companies, which should set the stage for revolutionizing the outlook on energy. Instead of investing in large, fossil-fuel powered plants to provide anticipated spikes in power, these companies should increase energy efficiency in their customers’ premises by utilising smart energy meters which would one day be able to communicate to the utility as well as consumers’ household equipments to reduce or reschedule power consumption. Such smoothing of load curves would obviate the need for starting more power generation infrastructure. The onus needs to be shifted from the supply-side to the demand-side. The market is a good regulator and should provide incentives for such green companies. The reluctance exhibited by utilities in investing heavily on green power alternatives is the anxiety of the profitability of these new decisions, should oil price again came down to low levels. Friedman suggests that the government should step in to alleviate such fears by declaring a floor price, such as $100 per barrel of oil. Such a high base price would prompt the companies to boldly plunge into new technology.

The author lists out some green initiatives from GE Transportation and Texas Instruments. However, these efforts are rather voluntary and not by the force of regulations which would have arm twisted other companies also to invest in energy efficient technologies. Such actions and partners celebrate a green party, instead of indulging in a green revolution which would change the entire face of the industrial world. As spelled out with examples, customers stand to benefit, both socially and economically by adopting green technologies. Such projects can’t be outsourced and Friedman exhorts that U.S. stands to gain from more such initiatives. In fact, greener measures would soon dominate the industrial scenario that soon after, the norm will be green and non-green measures would be made news and subjected to public attention. Renewable energy generation techniques also imply conservation of natural habitats which harbour the fragile bio-diversity of planet earth. The case of Indonesia is an apt illustration. This archipelago, consisting of more than 17,000 islands, which constitute just 1.3% of the earth’s land mass, is home to 10% of the global tropical forest cover, 20% of all species of flora and fauna, 17% of all bird species and 25% of fish species. In truth, 10 hectares of land in Borneo contains more tree species than the entire North America. Such pristine beauty is now challenged by the Indonesian government’s decision to fell a large area of the forest cover to provide wood as raw material to China and also to produce palmoil from the newly claimed land. Protests against such rapacious pillage of natural resources must originate locally, as they are the people who stand to lose the most with the loss of natural habitats in the neighbourhood. However, their efforts must be ballasted by funding from global agencies and resources. In any conservation measure or green activity, the poor and the underprivileged must be included to make the projects appeal to the masses and to obtain more respect from politicians who look forward only to the votes they stand to gain from such actions.

Friedman ends the book with a special chapter devoted to China, which would overtake the U.S. as the world’s largest economy by 2030. Even though earlier the Chinese seemed to be ignorant and careless about the environment and concentrated only in GDP growth, rising pollution causing health risks to their own populations has prompted the communist leaders to bring in more green regulations to bring the menace under control and still being competitive to foreign industry. America can work as a model for the Chinese in developing cutting edge energy saving technologies. He goes on to speculate that the increased boldness of local groups in taking up environmental issues would one day result in the dawning of freedom of speech and multiparty democracy in China, which seems a little far fetched. In an enlightening comparison of the two countries, Friedman identifies the basic problem with both these countries. In the U.S., the administration is extremely hesitant to formulate a policy, law or guideline, but once it is in place, concerned civic groups would kick in and ensure that the policy is aggressively put in practice. In China, things are the other way round. The government is quick and ruthless in formulating policies or rules, but they are often not interested in its implementation. Friedman actually wish the U.S. to be China for a single day – not a single day more – that the green laws can be put in place.

The book is a must-read for environmentally minded readers (which should include all of us!). Lots of titbits and statistical pieces are presented in a structured way. Some bits are really curious and insightful. Did you know that a typical cow releases 600 litres of methane a day, or that the world population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050? The book also is a treasure trove for slogan seekers for environmental issues as the author gives many of them in his comprehensive survey of activists, politicians and people connected to green issues. Two nice ones are, “Think Big, Start Small, Act Now” and “We have enough time, starting now”!

On the negative side, it may be argued that the book is written with only the American reader in mind. Friedman surveys world economy and draws heavily from his vast experience in international conservation measures and travels, but all of them are presented from an American’s point of view with the hope of gaining something for the U.S.

The book is highly recommended.

Rating: 3 Star