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(Penguin Books Ltd. 1999)
Reviewed by Elizabeth Vandermark, AIA, SmithGroup
 Dr. Leggett
shared the seductive thrill of the chase for oil with hundreds of
young geologists and engineers in his classes at the Royal College
of Mines (an elite training ground for oil and mining companies) in
the early 1980s. When he was not teaching, he had his own very
successful adventures hunting oil for the very same companies, the
so-called "carbon club," he was helping to train the next
generation to work for. Later that decade, concern was mounting in
academic circles about the rapid (and possibly irreversible)
build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Research at that
time consistently showed that the global climate was becoming
increasingly unstable and carbon, or fossil, fuel combustion was a
prime suspect. Dr. Leggett found it increasingly unacceptable to
continue as he had. He took his considerable experience and
knowledge and made a rather extraordinary leap to the radical
environmental group Greenpeace. His new adventure with the carbon
club had begun.
This book succinctly outlines the chronology of events that follow
his defection, and continue through the Kyoto Climate Summit of
1997. It provides a first-hand account of the deliberations around
the first and second assessment reports of the IPCC
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), a truly unprecedented
collaborative effort to pool scientists and policy experts to work
through global warming science. It makes clear that while the
science has remained largely the same (albeit more accessible); the
politics around it have not. His dispassionate description of the
activities of shell organizations such as Global Climate Coalition
(with key representatives of oil and gas multi-nationals figuring
prominently on its board) and the Global Climate Council (an
umbrella organization for the oil, coal and auto industries’
response to the global warming issue) makes clear that while these
groups were ostensibly trying to assist the workings of the IPCC
they (and their lobbyists) attempted to sabotaged the IPCC at every
turn. As a direct participant in these events, Dr. Leggett’s
voice is compelling and unambiguous. With his impressive academic
credentials and industry connections, his access to the facts and
players is considerable. His matter-of-fact portrayal of the carbon
club’s behavior is all the more damning in its rational
delivery.
An interesting thread through the book is Dr. Leggett’s
efforts to work with the insurance and reinsurance industries to
better assess the risk inherent from global warming. Increased risk
of flooding from torrential rains, danger from storm surges,
increased drought, more bush fires and forest fires, and more
thunderstorms, hailstorms and tornadoes continue to be a growing
threat to the market. This book goes a long way to explain how
these industries have begun to demand that governments step up and
find ways to mandate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
While this book is somewhat dated (Enron figures prominently as a
corporation to aspire to), it provides an excellent overview of the
underpinnings of current events as they relate to the politics of
fossil fuels. The author’s cautious optimism continues to
inspire, even though progress has been slow. With the soaring price
of oil, momentum in photovoltaic industries (solar energy being
plentiful throughout world with little to no associated greenhouse
emissions) is building. Just last month, news hit the streets that
Martin Roscheisen’s company Nanosolar has developed solar
cells that are efficient, paper thin and cheap (one-fifth the cost
of traditional panels). The first cells should roll off the
production lines early next year. Dr. Leggett’s bold assertion
that the solar revolution is here is gaining traction. Perhaps it
will come in time after all.
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